Colorado Mesa University (CMU) is installing a “Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory” grading option for students to exercise at the end of the semester.

Satisfactory grades will generally pertain to A’s, B’s and C’s, although this can vary by department, given that some require a B or higher to pass.

“Students are going to need to spend some time chatting with their faculty advisor to make sure that they understand what’s their best foot forward,” Vice President of Student Services John Marshall said.

Students who choose to be graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory will not have their GPAs affected either positively or negatively, nor will financial aid be affected. Nonetheless, it is recommended by the university to choose these new grading options for classes that will not count towards graduation or face review by professional or graduate programs in the future.

The option to change grades to the new system will be available after Finals Week. The option will be available through May 31.

“[This] option we think will alleviate concerns for some students as they navigate in an online environment,” Marshall said.

Students with institutional scholarships from CMU will not have those scholarships affected.

“We’re not going to make an option available for you and then turn around and make that option penalize you,” Marshall said. “We’ll make sure students [with institutional scholarships] are unharmed by that.”

Students with outside scholarships will need to make sure that there are no changes with their scholarships by talking to either those providing them or Financial Aid.