Student wellbeing has been sacrificed in the name of traditional learning. (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders)
Student wellbeing has been sacrificed in the name of traditional learning. (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders)
Josh Rehders

NGUYEN: Why has Vanderbilt sacrificed student wellbeing for traditional learning?

If Vanderbilt hopes to stay open in the spring, they must meet student needs and learn from the mistakes of the fall semester.

As students headed into the fall, they expected a semester like no other, as the previous spring semester foreshadowed the stressful remote learning-era ahead. Fall 2020 would yield little student support, a stark difference from the prior online semester. Workloads would be suffocating, and pass/fail grading deadlines would not be extended to accommodate student wellness during a pandemic that has exacerbated financial and familial insecurities. In short, academic standards would adhere to traditional ones during a non-traditional school year. 

When Vanderbilt announced its plans to reopen during the summer, it was clear that their new mission was to restore normalcy during the pandemic. Vanderbilt began by proudly hosting all willing students back on campus, a move many universities were hesitant to make. Their determination was present—weekly COVID-19 testing, social distancing and mask guidelines would ensure that we would not see the same fate as, say, the University of Notre Dame, which shifted from in-person to fully-online learning after a mere week. 

The beginning of the semester soon started, revealing a school year far different from previous ones. Despite Vanderbilt’s best efforts, the educational experience overwhelmed students. Many screen-based curricula promoted Zoom fatigue and burnout, as they forced students like me to spend 12 to 16 hours online daily. Thus, their pursuit for a normal semester was doomed to fail, as they could not simulate near-normal learning conditions with semi to fully-online classes. Of course, some classes still stressed traditional interpersonal connection with classmates and instructors even through a screen, thereby succeeding in delivering a Vanderbilt-worthy education. Nevertheless, the overall learning experience left much to desire. Unfortunately, students would soon discover that the administration hoped to pursue a traditional learning experience no matter the cost, leaving many stunned by the end of the semester.

A November 4 survey of over 2,300 undergraduates conducted by the Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG) should shock anyone—69 percent of students reported mental health issues and 94.5 percent preferred some pass-fail grading system this semester. Students were struggling. 

Some students were hopeful that Vanderbilt would announce an extension of the pass/fail grading deadline after Thanksgiving break like its peer institutions did. A recent Hustler report revealed that the VSG’s efforts were unsuccessful, with deans of the undergraduate colleges refusing to endorse their demands. The decision was soon criticized by the VSG and other students, who were shocked by the administration’s claims that the proposal went against student interests. 

Vanderbilt’s decision to isolate itself from its peer institutions that have extended pass/fail deadlines have aligned with the administration’s aims for this semester—they want to uphold the traditional, in-person experience at all costs. Hence, they are willing to pass measures that degrade student wellness if they can increase the likelihood of Vanderbilt remaining in-person. For instance, the elimination of Fall Break forced students to traverse all but the last week of school without a break. In this case, the lack of breaks hoped to disincentivize travel at the expense of free time students desperately needed if they were to uphold Vanderbilt’s rigorous academic standards. 

Though in-person learning may prove more effective than remote learning, the sacrifice of student wellness by failing to provide proper accommodations, like pass/fail grading extensions, to maintain the former learning experience will hinder its efficacy.

No amount of interpersonal connection can compensate for the mental health struggles students have faced and the lack of student support from the administration, which has set us up for failure.

The measures taken in the previous remote spring semester were surely daunting to Vanderbilt’s academics standards. As educators worked with students to provide an equitable, high-quality education in a time where financial and familial insecurities demanded attention, they were compelled to be lenient. Grade inflation became a concern for some, as they may have found it even harder to fail students who went through significant hardship. Even cheating became easier, as students had access to multiple devices during exams. These consequences, coupled with pass/fail grading extensions, may have incentivized students to slack off, as a mere C would ensure a pass. 

Such accommodations may have compromised the rigorous education Vanderbilt wished to provide in the spring, persuading the administration to find ways to restore their academic standards. Regardless, this is no excuse to blindly reject learning accommodations. Unforeseen circumstances are ruling students’ lives, forcing us to carefully ration the time spent learning and tending to our livelihoods. However, we still want to complete our education promptly. To ensure that all students have equal opportunities for academic success and a timely graduation during these times, Vanderbilt must modestly decrease academic standards and shamelessly embrace necessary accommodations to uphold a fair, high-quality education in these times.

Vanderbilt has taken its pursuit for a traditional semester too far. Their actions have imposed unnecessary stress on many students already dealing with other pandemic-related issues. Their sole focus on keeping infection rates low has revealed the gross negligence of its student body. After all, their most visceral messages sent throughout the fall semester were in response to student congregations and increasing infection rates. Few emails, if any, addressed student satisfaction levels and the state of academics adequately. 

Rather than support its students, Vanderbilt appeared to use us as pawns this semester to forward their mission to be one of the only schools in America that would sustain in-person learning during the pandemic. 

The administration must quickly rethink its plans for the next semester if it wishes to continue restoring normalcy. Vanderbilt does not need to worry about its academic standards dropping if it provides accommodations like pass/fail grading extensions. Its highly qualified professors, lecturers and TAs will prescribe curricula to meet desired learning outcomes. Furthermore, the self-selected, high achieving students found throughout Vanderbilt will aim for success regardless of the teaching/grading model. Instead, the administration must direct its focus towards providing student support. 

Unfortunately, recent announcements have proven that they are on a misguided path. Traditional reading days—weekdays free of classes, usually put in place in preparation for term exams—have been soiled by Vanderbilt’s solutions: weekend and in-class reading days. Finals were especially stressful this semester, as weekend reading days allotted less study time. Next semester, Vanderbilt will strip us of more study time through in-class reading days, regular class days without extracurricular activities. The Spring Break cancellation will ensure that we will not have any days off, foreshadowing an even more stressful semester than the fall. 

In a recent Hustler article, the ad hoc committee that managed the spring 2021 plans argued that regional accreditation would be in jeopardy if they removed even one class day, as the move would put them under the 15-week semester threshold. Still, assistant provost Olivia Kew-Fickus noted that Vanderbilt was unlikely to lose accreditation over such a minute issue. However, Vanderbilt may be stripped of some unknown privileges due to “scrutiny,” per Kew-Fickus.

The solution is clear—extend the semester to compensate for days lost from breaks. Graduation plans for the class of 2020 and 2021 would be jeopardized by such actions, states Vanessa Beasley, vice provost for academic affairs. However, one must question why graduation plans are not as fluid as the bounds of the spring semester, which have shifted in accordance with expected COVID-19 surges. Cementing graduation plans creates unnecessary restrictions to the 15-week semester, which must progress soundly before graduation ceremonies can occur. There is no reason why an event that will not occur for another six months is less fluid than the bounds of the semester, especially when the spring semester’s success will determine that of the graduation ceremonies.

Vanderbilt has not learned from its mistakes this semester and is on track to repeat them. The administration is unwilling to listen to students in formal settings, as even the shocking student satisfaction data presented by the VSG was insufficient evidence for change. Now more than ever, student organization is necessary to ensure that schools meet our needs. Privileged students should find inspiration from tuition strikes organized by students at Columbia-Barnard, which has gained notoriety for its radical approach to democratizing administrative power, and lead similar movements here. Efforts like these were successful at the University of Chicago, where students were granted tuition freezes in response to the financial hardships many faced during the early stages of the pandemic. We must learn from Vanderbilt’s misguided actions and demand control of our educational journey before Vanderbilt continues with another dreary semester. 

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About the Contributors
Danny Nguyen, Former Staff Writer
Danny Nguyen (’22) is from San Francisco, California. He majored in biological sciences and hopes to attend medical school after his undergraduate years to become a cosmetic dermatologist. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to r&b music, exploring neighborhoods in San Francisco, and writing. He can be reached at [email protected].
Josh Rehders, Photography Director
Josh Rehders ('24) is from Houston and is studying computer science in the School of Engineering. When he is not shooting for The Hustler, Vanderbilt Athletics or freelancing, he enjoys finding new music and good food. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Anna Qian
3 years ago

Agreed. Everyone struggled in fall 2020 in their own ways. In fact, my 2020 fall semester isn’t even over yet…………………………… For me, 2020 semester went like: thedonald.win, Trump, a 5 page blog post, thedonald.win, parler, gab, Trump, a 5 page email, Trump rally, stressing over the fake news suppression posts, reading the fake news from the fake news journalists and getting livid and enraged at the fake news media industry, maybe do some studying, listening to lots and lots and lots of music, Trump rally, raging over the fake news suppression polls, thedonald.win, 5 page blog post, studying, taking walks outside, twitter, thedonald.win……… Election 2020! Watch the election results play out on the television. Feeling euphoric and high on Election Night because trump and the republicans (the party has too many RINOS and not enough Trump Patriots, at this point we must just have a Trump Patriot Party with the MAGA LION – ROAR ROAR – as the official mascot) were doing so well. But then again, it’s also viable to turn the Grand Old Party into the Trump Patriot Party and to petition Ronna McDaniel to change the stupid elephant logo to a MAGA LION. Who cares about the opportunities for puns? in this age of political correctness, wave the flag of political incorrectness with pride, honor, and glory! Channel that inner rebel deep within you! And of course, 2020 was the year of……. the Great Impeachment Scam of 2020, the Expose of the Great Russia Collusion Delusion Witch Hunt of 2016 to 2019, the Great Controlavirus Pandemic that will unleash the Great Reset which will give us the New World Order, and the Greatest of all of the Great Election Frauds in the History of the World. And luckily, on the Patriots side, we have the Great Meme War of 2020 because there was also the Great Meme War of 2016. And in 2021, we will be having the Great……… Just telling you, the elephant used to be a circus animal. The donkey is pejoratively called the jackass. But the LION IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE! THE LION IS THE KING, AND TRUMP IS THE GEOTUS!

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Anon
3 years ago
Reply to  Anna Qian

Get a job please

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Anon
3 years ago
Reply to  Anna Qian

GRRRRRRRRRRR WOOF WOOF BARK BARK ARF BARK GRRRR WOOF SNARL HSSSS GRRRR WOOF WOOF BARK ARF GRRRR HSSSS WOOF WOOF BARK ARF GRRRRR HSSSSS BARK ARF GRRRR WOOF WOOF BARK GRRR SNARL ARF WOOF BARK ARF SNARL HSSSSSS

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Anna Qian
3 years ago

It took a lot of courage to write this. Classes at Vandy are difficult, especially in the sciences. I can’t say that I understand, since I never really took a rigorous class in the science and math departments. This is a brave thing to write. Personally, I found that it’s getting easier to recover from things related to mental health by not attributing it to mental health but attributing my struggles to something supernatural and beyond my control. Then, I just try my best to work with the things and work around the things that I am struggling with. Honestly, not thinking about mental health in terms of emotions, moods, thoughts, cognitions have helped me get back on my feet mentally a lot faster. And I also bought on Amazon kindle some of the classic works for a few bucks. it will be a lot of material. but i think it’s time that we remove ourselves from the tyranny of the present and look at how the Greats wrote about universal and eternal struggles back then. i think that’s how you get wisdom and true insight. The way that I reason about it – reading books from decades ago or centuries ago is the best way to time travel. (in English of course, I don’t want to belabor myself with decoding and sounding out French terms with my rusty knowledge of the French language, and I don’t really feel like putting in the 2-3 times extra effort to get true appreciation of more complex and more literary Chinese) have i made this a habit? No, not yet. But here is the deal. I do very much believe that it would be helpful for me to escape from the tyranny of the present and try on some different perspectives for looking at things. So I very much have for my New Years’ Resolution to read a few pages or a chapter or two of the Greats each day.

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martin
3 years ago

Honestly, I was really disappointed reading some of these comments, I feel that everyone is being too critical. We’re all aware that this is a Danny Nguyen piece and anyone familiar with his work knows it’s not fair to expect any clarity, good faith, or logic in any of his articles. I thought this was one of Danny’s most coherent articles. That being said, it made no sense and was, as usual, essentially a temper tantrum.

As usual, it’s rife with exaggerations that cross the line of editorial integrity such suggesting that Vanderbilt’s administration as “use[d] us as pawns” in deciding to open campus, when in reality, they were simply offering students more choice than many other schools were able to. Further, Danny appears to offer no reasonable solution to his personal grievances. He mentions with pass/fail but doesn’t take on the mental health challenges that he says students are facing.

Additionally, I’m sure this would horrify Nguyen, but to me, this article reeks of privilege. Yes, Nguyen gets his woke brownie points by mentioning that we all experienced a different pandemic, and that low income students and students who already struggle with mental health issues may have been less able to succeed in these already difficult times — but he goes on to complain about what really are first world problems. Sorry that your elite, private, top-15 university actually expects you to maintain a certain level of academic standard. Vanderbilt is first an foremost an academic institution, and students had the option to take a leave of absence for a semester or two, if the circumstances of the pandemic proved too difficult. There are thousands of kids who would kill for a spot at a school like Vanderbilt and who wouldn’t spend all of their time complaining because they didn’t get the grades they wanted.

Worse still, in criticizing Vanderbilt’s attempt at in-person learning, Nguyen ignores homeless Vanderbilt students and those of who live in difficult home environments, for whom Vanderbilt provides their only refuge. It’s disheartening to see Nguyen overlook these important members of our community.

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VandyStudent
3 years ago
Reply to  martin

Rt – this is exactly how I felt reading it and his previous article about Vanderbilt’s tuition. Makes me question why he transferred here in the first place. It’s like Vanderbilt is never good enough for him. Calling for additional support/reasonable tuition is necessary and understandable, but acting like Vandy is the worst thing on the planet constantly is insanely insensitive and privileged.

Last edited 3 years ago by VandyStudent
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Anon
3 years ago

Nguyen has obviously had some hot takes, but this paragraph is probably the most ridiculous thing that’s appeared in any of his articles:

“Rather than support its students, Vanderbilt appeared to use us as pawns this semester to forward their mission to be one of the only schools in America that would sustain in-person learning during the pandemic. ”

According to the Chronicle of higher education, only 10% of schools this fall didn’t have in person learning. 23% were “primarily in person,” something Vanderbilt’s classes are not. Obviously the article isn’t very well-researched (maybe Nguyen, being from California, has a skewed view of what other colleges did because fewer of his Californian high school friends were in person?). Being from Tennessee, I had the least in-person learning of any of my high school friends, who go to schools in the south. So maybe that’s where he got off line, but a google search could have saved him from the embarrassment of making a claim like “one of the only” when a more accurate figure is “one of the 90%”

That’s just the factual side of the paragraph.

“Use us as pawns” is a really stupid phrase to use, when the end goal of that “use” is… providing the education that we are paying for?

The use of “Rather than support its students” is a false choice, because “supporting its students” and being one of the 90% of schools that had in person learning are not mutually exclusive.

Being a Nguyen article, the whole piece is obviously pretty vague about what it actually wants. He complains about “being online 12 to 16 hours a day” (obviously an exaggeration), when the alternative is being just as online, *but at home.* Which would not necessarily help mental health. And if it would, guess what? It was an option. Not everyone had that option. (Perhaps I could be like Nguyen and baselessly claim that almost every school had that option? Maybe they did. I don’t know. But neither does he)

I don’t hold out much hope for any retractions here. The Hustler has shown itself to have no journalistic dignity by allowing Nguyen to remain on the staff

K
Kenneth
3 years ago
Reply to  Anon

Not sure if Nguyen has looked at that but I did earlier in the semester. If I’m not mistaken, you are referring to this, which lists colleges’ reopening models. That isn’t what he is referring to. He’s talking about schools that managed to last throughout the semester with any kind of in-person model. The Chronicle of Higher Education also says that Vandy is “primarily in person.” Here’s the quote: “Vanderbilt University is among 23% of colleges that are primarily in person.”
Again, this lists reopening models, not schools that actually lasted the semester in-person throughout the semester. I know schools like UNC and ND (as Nguyen cited) had plans to reopen but were unsuccessful in sustaining in-person activity throughout the semester. UNC actually had a ton of student opposition when they announced their plans if I recall correctly.
From that same site, we can see that schools like Northwestern, JHU, Rice, UChicago, Cornell, Brown, etc. were extremely hesitant to go in person to begin with. I’m still surprised we lasted the semester. I actually thought we would be sent home within a week or two like ND.
Personally, I had a miserable semester despite doing well grade wise (pretty much exactly like the experience someone else in the comments shared). I’m not sure if the 12-16 hours spent online is an exaggeration to be completely honest. My AXLE classes required a TON of screen time since we had a lot of reading. I probably spent nearly 12 hours a day staring at a screen doing assignments, reading, and just entertaining myself through Netflix, youtube, etc. When your classroom materials and entertainment are both online, it isn’t too hard to believe that most of the day would be spent on the screen.

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Anon
3 years ago
Reply to  Kenneth

I wonder how many of the mostly in person or fully in person classes actually lasted. Liberty university specifically seems very adamant about keeping in person instruction so I wonder how they’re doing. Of course, LU is a pro trump school so they’re probably doing this to spite anyone who isn’t a trump supporter and believes in covid-19 ???

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Anon
3 years ago
Reply to  Kenneth

Well whether schools actually last the semester is irrelevant to Nguyen’s article, which criticizes the plan on its face, because Vanderbilt wasn’t sent home. If we were, then it would be legitimate to complain about a plan that failed and caused extra stress. But we weren’t sent home, so saying something like “they used us as pawns” doesn’t really land. The negative outcomes that he described occurred in spite of what he sees as an incomplete plan, not because of a bad one that failed. His gripes are with intentions, not with results.

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Anon
3 years ago

Anon post on Reddit discussing this semester a while ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Vanderbilt/comments/kaq8ah/i_thought_i_could_handle_it/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

“I ruined my sleep schedule and sacrificed my hobbies and free time just so that I could try and study for my classes and get work done, but to no avail. The past few months I’ve felt like a drone, not like a human.”

https://www.reddit.com/r/Vanderbilt/comments/kf6d4t/i_need_to_vent/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Also an anon transfer sharing their experience. Both are pretty sad. These have been common experiences from what I’m hearing.

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cmonman
3 years ago

Take everything Nguyen writes with a grain of salt. The guy has been complaining about Vanderbilt on the Hustler before he even stepped foot on the university’s campus and has come off as ungrateful/entitled ever since. While Vanderbilt can improve in many ways (some of which Nguyen has touched upon) and I too have experienced the challenges mentioned above, we also need to account for the fact that it could be so much worse. There are universities across the country who didn’t even hold any synchronous classes (much less in-person), offered ZERO additional support or resources, and essentially just told their students to figure it out. I’ve had friends and family at both public and private, prestigious and non-prestigious universities come to me and say they wish their institution had handled this pandemic like Vanderbilt, regardless of our university’s shortcomings. I can understand the frustration with our university’s administration, but let’s also not forget some of the good the university has done, particularly for students who do not have a safe space at home.

B
Burntout Student
3 years ago
Reply to  cmonman

Just because the administration has done good and we are able to acknowledge that doesn’t mean we can’t also acknowledge that they have a lot to improve on. The good of having people on campus and in in-person classes does not invalidate the lack of support the students have gotten as far as mental and emotional health go. The author has a point and I’m glad you also agree the administration can improve their support, but your comment seems like you are trying to use the good Vanderbilt has done to justify why they have failed in other areas and silence calls for improvement.

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Burntout Student
3 years ago

I have seen too many people try to use students who did well academically to justify why pass fail and other accommodations are unnecessary. I had a great semester in many aspects – I did well grade-wise, got to see my friends, and was able to live on campus. Yet even though on paper I appear to be a success story, this all came at the cost of my mental, emotional, and physical health. I am now dealing with carpal tunnel, sleep issues, and burnout. On top of that I am trying to process the death of a loved one that came during the semester but I didn’t have time to emotionally process it because of my heavy workload – and when I did take time to grieve I felt guilty because it took me away from studying and assignments.

My good grades don’t invalidate the fact that I struggled and felt unsupported this semester, even when I sought help from the UCC. I would be so relieved if Vanderbilt offered better support – pass fail options for those who want them, actual rest days, etc. Instead I am dreading the spring semester since I know they won’t and I know that I once again will have to sacrifice my health to do well academically. Vanderbilt needs to do better, and if you aren’t a student living through the experience of university in a pandemic then it is not your place to say that they don’t. The way they have handled student support is inexcusable.

G
Grouchy Alumni
3 years ago

We must learn from Vanderbilt’s misguided actions and demand control of our educational journey before Vanderbilt continues with another dreary semester.

I find the lack of solutions offered by the writer to be a serious hindarance to their loose assertions. Yes, extending P/F is one option to potentially provide support to undergrad students. Yet with mental health numbers already abysmal, this is a stopgap measure at best since students are already doing poorly with this option available. Who is the “we” you clamor for, and how can a collective “our” have the same educational journey when others are able to preform well despite what is occurring?
Additionally, to dismiss the school even possibly losing accreditation so flippantly is immature and unreasonable. Vanderbilt is a top 15 institution- absolutely nobody in any leadership capacity will ever put that at risk. Accept that as fact.
I do agree that mental health awareness and support is vital. When I was in school, the big issue was grappling with a “Happiest Student Body” ranking when nobody was able to find those lucky-go-me students. Yet to assert that Vanderbilt students need collective bargaining when no solution is even offered is laughable.

D
dina
3 years ago

of course vanderbilt should be doing more for students who are suffering, but pass fail invalidates the hard work of students who managed to do really well despite the circumstances. and while everyone is experiencing unique challenges and some are worse off than others, this would be true pandemic or not. do you propose we always have pass fail, even when covid is over? if so, don’t come to vanderbilt.

C
Carter
3 years ago
Reply to  dina

You do realize that we just want pass/fail as an OPTION right…those who worked hard for their grades literally won’t be affected if they don’t choose p/f…

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VU Soph (She/Him/Zirs)
3 years ago
Reply to  Carter

Just because you earn something doesn’t mean you should keep it. Take money for example – millionaires and billionaires should be forced to give up their money to combat wealth and income inequality. The same thing applies to grading. Students who “earn” A’s should not have an advantage over students who make lesser grades. Ideally, there would be no grades so that everyone is treated equally. If you work harder you shouldn’t make more money or higher grades. Women, minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately affected by grade inequality.

O
OK Tidepod
3 years ago

What a good little Marxist you are. You’re well prepared for a world of rainbows, butterflies and unicorns.

D
dina
3 years ago

just say you did badly and move on

M
manonthemoon
3 years ago
Reply to  dina

What an unbelievably garbage take. As someone already mentioned, students want pass/fail as an option, people who do well will not be affected if they choose not to pass/fail. Furthermore, people want pass/fail because many schools around the country are providing this accommodation. I literally listed 8 other T20 schools that are offering such an accommodation in another comment. Those other students attending those schools don’t have to say they did badly, they can just say they passed. Plenty of students here at Vandy are going to be applying for some kind of graduate or professional school, and not having this option for the people who need it most is seriously detrimental. If a student at Vanderbilt gets a D because of circumstances out of their control this semester, they take a serious hit to their overall GPA, they will most likely not earn credit for the course, they would be behind on credits, and if it the course was a prereq, they would have to take the course again which could potentially delay graduation. None of those things look good when applying to grad school. Meanwhile, if a student at UPenn gets a D, they can just elect to pass that class with no effect to their gpa, and can move on with their education. Now, most of the other schools only offer passes to grades of C- or above, but that’s still better than reporting a C- on your transcript because you were forced to study remotely at a school that has done little to support its remote students. Vanderbilt students will be actively competing against people from other institutions who received these kinds of accommodations when applying to graduate and professional schools, so it’s completely justified that much of the student body is mad about this.

V
VU Soph (She/Him/Zirs)
3 years ago

A students should have some of their points redistributed to C and below students to make up for grade inequality.

P
Progressive
3 years ago

I agree. Vandy should do more to ensure equal outcomes when it comes to grading. It would help the mental health of the students.

A
ALUM
3 years ago
Reply to  Progressive

Equal outcomes are not a solution. Welcome to the real world. Get tough.

L
literrius
3 years ago
Reply to  ALUM

literally who asked you

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James fitz
3 years ago

I thought this was a joke at first, but you all be crazy babies lol

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Cas
3 years ago

My son did fine with living off campus and attending Vanderbilt as a transfer in his sophmpre year. A pass fail grade would not be correct.

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manonthemoon
3 years ago
Reply to  Cas

Okay, so YOUR son did fine, but does your son represent the entirety of the student body? Of course not. Everyone has different experiences, and I know of plenty of other students who have been struggling. Vanderbilt students deserve to be mad because other institutions have been doing a better job at dealing with this mess of a semester. You might be tempted to just tell everyone to “suck it up”, but why should we not be mad when students at schools like Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Duke, JHU, USC, UPenn, Brown and MANY others get accommodations like pass/fail, later drop dates, better mental health resources, etc. and we’re just left here to struggle, working tirelessly without any breaks. WE KNOW that everyone is going through tough times, but at least Vandy can follow in the footsteps of peer institutions that have been handling the situation much better. It’s obvious to most students that admin cares more about Vanderbilt “proving the doubters wrong” than providing a quality experience for the people who pay thousands of dollars to earn degrees. As the article mentioned, students at other universities are fighting for the respect they deserve, so why shouldn’t we?

Last edited 3 years ago by manonthemoon
U
undergrad student
3 years ago
Reply to  Cas

I didnt realize your son represents the entire Vanderbilt student body. My mistake.

K
Karyn Lininger
3 years ago

My son had a wonderful first year experience unlike his peers who are struggling at home with online learning.

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literrius
3 years ago
Reply to  Karyn Lininger

what does that have to do with other students exactly? good for him but clearly this isnt about him then

R
Remote Student
3 years ago
Reply to  Karyn Lininger

While it’s great that your son had a nice first year, he does not reflect the entire student body. In fact, there is a whole side of the student body that he doesn’t represent: those of us who were forced to stay home and attend school entirely online. How is it fair that I am graded the same as a student who is able to connect in person with his peers and instructors? I have never stepped foot on vanderbilt’s campus because I was remote and yet I was expected to get acclimated just the same.

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ALUM
3 years ago

Kid- you are a wimp. Toughen up!

A
Andrew
3 years ago
Reply to  ALUM

delete ur comment

Last edited 3 years ago by Andrew
A
ALUM
3 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

Suck it up. Equal outcomes are not a solution. Welcome to the real world.

L
literrius
3 years ago
Reply to  ALUM

see u in hell when ur bitter attitude has consequences just like the real world <3

L
literrius
3 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

he should delete the whole account LMAO

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pp poopoo
3 years ago

peepee poopoo

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Jimbo
3 years ago
Reply to  pp poopoo

Finally, rational, levelheaded discourse.

A
Anon
3 years ago
Reply to  pp poopoo

Speak your truth king