Give black students break on grades for protests, petition asks University of Washington

As protests sparked by George Floyd’s death continue, students at the University of Washington are calling on professors to grade black students’ finals with more leniency in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing civil unrest within the country, The Daily of the University of Washington reported.

Students started a petition on Change.org that asks for professors to “give Black students a break!” Mihret Haile created the petition Sunday with a goal of 35,000 signatures and as of Wednesday afternoon, more than 27,000 people had signed.

“We are already DISPROPORTIONATELY impacted by this pandemic in terms of health care access and financial hardship,” Haile wrote in the petition. “Now add state-sanctioned violence, how do you expect us to enter finals in this headspace?!”

Several students also drafted an email to UW President Ana Mari Cauce and faculty requesting they change some final grading policies as black students are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and stress produced by “the blatant killing of their peers by people set to ‘protect and serve,’” The Daily reported. The email specifically asked for the cancellation of all finals and assignments for the remainder of the quarter because grades “would not be a true reflection of many students’ capabilities,” according to The Daily.

The students also called for increased leniency when using the Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grading system, The Daily reported. An email template for professors to use when announcing accommodations is also circulating online, according to Campus Reform.

“I am willing to work with black students individually to come up with a plan that best fits their needs alongside the demands of this class,” the template says. “This may entail anything from granting deadline extensions on assignments, to [waiving] a grade on assignments altogether, to giving a student the option to keep the grade they have already earned in a class if they should so wish and forego grades on further assignments.”

Victor Balta, U.S. senior director of media relations, sent a message to all university instructors Monday, asking them “to consider that while we are together as a community, some are being affected more than others.”

“We are writing to urge you, in these final weeks of the quarter, as assignments become due and exams are taken, to be especially responsive to the needs that your students, especially those who are members of the Black community, may have for accommodations as we conclude the school year,” Balta wrote in the message. “Accommodations might include extra time to finish assignments or providing a ‘final examination optional’ pathway, for example.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Give black students break on grades for protests, petition asks University of Washington."