The BYU Registrar Office sent out an email on March 25 to students who had withdrawn from classes after March 12. The email informs students about an option to re-enroll in classes they withdrew from by submitting a petition request form.
The re-enrollment option was made after Academic Vice President Shane Reese introduced the new pass/fail grading policy on March 23 in response to concerns about how the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioning to online classes would affect final grades.
Grayson Kane, a freshman studying finance, was excited when the new grade policy was announced. He decided to re-enroll in a class that he previously withdrew from. This choice gives him the opportunity to receive a passing grade a four-credit class or possibly obtain a good grade.
Other students who have withdrawn from classes have chosen to stick to their withdrawal decision.
Advertising student Lauren Dykes chose to withdraw from one of her classes because of the stress of recent events due to COVID-19. The class was a heavy workload and wasn’t required for her major or any general credits.
“I am sad that I had to withdraw in the first place because I loved the professor and what we were learning, but overall I think it was necessary in order for me to stay on top of everything else happening right now,” she said.
Dykes finalized her decision to withdraw after finding out about the new grade policy. She does not plan on re-enrolling.
“I ultimately decided to withdraw from the class because while I could have just stayed and failed it, I knew it would have been a bigger burden on my shoulders as I knew I would intentionally not be doing the work,” Dykes said. “I really appreciate BYU reaching out and giving me the option to re-enroll if I wanted to. I think that shows respect for students and the constantly changing circumstances happening because of COVID-19.”
Students who wish to re-enroll must submit their petitions no later than 5 p.m. on March 27.