COVID-19 continues to shape the semester as institutions navigate how to offer commencement virtually, consider plans for a fall semester that might start online, and develop creative approaches to the traditional spring admitted student programs.  WCET has provided additional updates this week on relevant federal policy changes.  Education Dive is continuing to update its resources on COVID-19’s impact on our field. The Chronicle continues its extensive reporting this week as well as Inside Higher Ed who offers up-to-date reporting.

Institutions are scrambling to address demands for refunds from students forced off campus by COVID related closures, reports Inside Higher Ed this week.  Many institutions began to provide partial refund plans in the weeks after closing. Students at the University of Minnesota petitioned their Board of Regents for refunds while students in Arizona have filed a class action lawsuit demanding partial repayment of room and board and student fees. Universities are reporting losses in the millions of dollars on student refunds: Clemson estimates it will refund $15 million, and the University of Maine reports it has paid out $12.8 million to students in room and board refunds.

The Hechinger Report examines shifts in institutions’ grading policies following the move to online learning.    Schools are moving cautiously as considerations must be taken for transfer credit (courses with grades of “pass” often do not transfer) and competitive professional or graduate programs which look for letter grades in completed courses.  Many institutions and entire systems (the Virginia Community College, for example) are setting grades to pass/fail for the spring semester with the option for students to receive a letter grade. Columbia, Stanford, Dartmouth and MIT, have opted to only award grades of pass or fail.  With 4 out of 10 students transferring each year, and often unable to transfer 40% of their completed coursework, the students with the most to lose in the shift to pass/fail grades will be transfer students.