Dear University of Manitoba Students:

In light of the unprecedented circumstances brought on by COVID-19, the University of Manitoba has made many academic changes, including recently passing a GPA calculation provision that will allow students to elect which final grades they want to include/exclude in their GPA for the Winter 2020 term.

I know many of you may have questions about what this means and how it applies to you. Here is what you need to know:

• This change will give students the option to exclude any grade received in the winter term from use in UM GPA calculations meaning that students will not be in jeopardy of being removed from their program of study owing to a low grade received. Any/all courses a student chooses to opt out of, will NOT be used in calculation of program progression and/or overall GPA requirements and will NOT be used in calculation of overall GPA including CGPA, TGPA and DGPA.
• Currently Students will have 7 days upon receiving their final grade to notify the University if they would like to exclude the grade from GPA. (More info on timeline and process has not yet been released). Any/All course grades excluded from GPA calculation will be flagged with a notation that the course was excluded from GPA calculations due to the COVID-19 situation.
• IF you choose to exclude a course that is a prerequisite for entry into another course OR required for admission in another program (i.e. pharmacy, nursing, rehabilitation science, etc) the grade in that course (Which will REMAIN flagged with a “COVID-19” notation) WILL BE CONSIDERED explicitly for this purpose.
• All internal scholarships will be determined by this adjusted GPA (I.e. GPA calculated after a student makes a decision on exclusion/inclusion of individual grades in the winter term).
• Grade Policy changes apply to ALL UM students registered in Winter term 2020 courses or spanned courses completed over the Fall 2019-Winter 2020 terms for which a standard letter grade is received (A+ – F). This includes both inbound and outbound exchange students as well as international students. (The only current exception is for students currently registered in the Faculty of Law).

Although we feel that this is a step in the right direction, we know that these changes do not adequately address many concerns students share. As you may know, many post-secondary institutions across Canada have adopted some form of pass/fail model for all faculties and we are continuing to advocate to the U of M to adopt a similar provision to allow more flexibility for students. Please know that UMSU is in full support of this request and has been advocating strongly to the University to implement these changes for students.

We know that this is a difficult time for students and there are still many questions and concerns left unanswered, but please know that student success and well-being continues to be at the forefront of our advocacy efforts.

As we move forward, we will continue to do everything we can to provide timely answers to your questions and advocate in the best-interest of students.

Remember to visit the university’s coronavirus update page, and the UMSU news portal regularly for latest updates and information and check your UM email regularly. For exchange and international student specific information visit, please visit the International Centre’s website here.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this challenging time together.

Stay healthy and take care!

Sincerely,

UMSU Executive Team

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For more information visit the university’s Student FAQs page, or one specifically for Resident Student FAQs

For general questions and inquiries contact:

• Sarah Bonner-Proulx, UMSU VP Advocacy: vpa@umsu.ca
• OR Laurie Schnarr, UM Vice-Provost Students: schnarr@umanitoba.ca

For questions related to international student and exchange students:

• International Student Centre: Phone: 204-474-8501 or email international@umanitoba.ca

UMSU International Representative:

• Victoria Nwabuisi: isr@umsu.ca

For Questions related to Student Accessibility Contact:

• Phone: (204-474-7423) OR email: student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca
• Website: https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/accessibility

UMSU Accessibility Representative:

• Eliza Hydesmith: accessrep@umanitoba.ca