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Among others, the University has joined Harvard Law School, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Wellesley College in instating a mandatory pass/fail grading system in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, all classes will be moved to a pass/fail grading system and classes will be canceled for the three days following spring break, according to an email from University President Lee Bollinger sent to University affiliates on March 20. Students will not be able to opt out or uncover their grades at the end of the semester.

Life as we have known it, as our peers have known it, as our parents and grandparents have known it, has changed. When we first arrived on campus this spring, five of our friends were asked to go into self-isolation for two weeks. At the time, we thought it could be an unfair practice as they had to miss class, were unable to study in the library, and had little access to supplies outside of their dorm rooms. Now we see just how wrong we were.

Undoubtedly, one of the many responsibilities of an elite academic institution like Columbia is to expose its students to a wide range of both extracurricular and academic experiences. By producing unidimensionally focused graduates, Columbia is cheating students out of the type of exposure needed to adapt to life paths that will most certainly be more diverse than those they envisioned before graduation. A philosophy of broad exposure could result in an engineering major developing a love of classics, or an art major rekindling a passion for astronomy.

Columbia football’s Homecoming win, and the unusually large crowd of alumni and students in attendance, should be commended. But one hero forgotten in the post-5-0 hooplah should be equally commended: The referee who got decked by the day’s hero— sophomore wide receiver Josh Wainwright—in the final play.

We’re reaching the point of no (academic) return—the last day to P/D/F a class is this Thursday, March 23. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to P/D/F, we’ve got you covered here.

We’ve all experienced that moment: You bomb your first midterm and immediately question your ability to survive the class. Then you frantically search for the last day you can opt for a P/D/F grade. Well, that day is today, so if you’ve been planning to P/D/F a course ever since your first exam, it’s time to finalize your decision.