UPenn Cancels Dean’s List Awards for Spring Semester to Combat ‘Stress’

The University of Pennsylvania announced recently that it is canceling its Dean’s List awards to combat “stress” experienced by students by the ongoing Chinese virus pandemic.

According to a report by Campus Reform, the UPenn will not offer Dean’s List awards to students for the current academic year due to “stress” caused by the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.

The university announced in April that the Dean’s List award had been suspended after students complained that it would be unfair. University of Pennsylvania Provost Wendell Pritchet told the community that continuing the Dean’s List for the current academic year would encourage students to reject the recently adopted “pass/fail” grading system which was designed to address burdens placed upon students by the Chinese virus pandemic.

“We have heard concerns from students about feeling pressure to continue taking courses for a letter grade. Therefore, we have also decided to suspend awarding Dean’s List for the 2019-2020 academic year,” Pritchet wrote.

To make up for the lack of a Dean’s List award for the 2019-2020 academic year, the University of Pennsylvania will place a “notation” on every student’s transcript that will “recognize” the burdens placed on students by the pandemic.

“We know some of you will find this news disappointing. However, there will be a notation placed on every undergraduate’s transcript to recognize and honor the extraordinary disruption to the Spring 2020 term and the changes in academic policies,” Pritchet’s letter added. “While we expect that graduate schools and employers will take a holistic approach to reviewing students’ records, we want to ensure we have done what we can to note these policy changes on your academic records.”

The University of Pennsylvania is not the only university to make this decision. Cornell University also canceled its Dean’s List award for the current academic year, citing immeasurable student “stress” imposed by the pandemic.

Breitbart News has reported extensively on changes that have been made to grading policies in response to the Chinese virus pandemic. Harvard University, for example, adopted an “emergency grading system,” under which all professors will be forced to grade on a “pass/fail” standard.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more campus updates.