To enhance the campus adaptability and to foster the curiosity of newly admitted undergraduate students, the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has introduced the P/NR (Pass/No Record) Grade Marking System starting from the 2023 Spring semester. Accordingly, the OAA held a briefing session to share the results of the P/NR system operation on October 25 via a Zoom meeting.

Course Enrollment Analysis

Out of the 831 undergraduate students admitted in the 2023 Spring semester, 796 (95.8%) utilized the P/NR system, while 35 (4.2%) did not. The new students collectively enrolled for 14,889 credits of which 5,470 (36.7%) were P/NR applied credits and 9,419 (63.3%) were regular credits. Classifying the P/NR applied credits by course categories, 4,472 (81.7%) were basic courses, 588 (10.7%) were major courses, and 410 (7.5%) were humanities and social sciences electives. As for the regular credits, 5,602 (59.5%) were basic courses, 2,843 (30.2%) were for humanities and social sciences electives, and 974 (10.3%) were major courses. It was observed that the P/NR system was primarily used for basic courses and least used for humanities and social sciences electives.

In comparison with the course enrollment in the last 10 years, the 2023 Spring freshmen applied for 2,160 more credits than the average, a 17% increase. In particular, the enrollment in major courses more than doubled from the 10-year average of 718 credits to 1,562 credits. The OAA highlighted these results as a positive indicator that the P/NR system did fulfill its role in boosting the exploration of major courses and increasing course enrollment by reducing the burden of grades and competition.

Course Grades Analysis

Based on all courses taken by the new students, the average grade on P/NR applied courses is 2.25, while the average grade for the non-P/NR applied courses is 3.51, a 1.26-point difference. Specifically, the ratio of A grades is significantly higher in courses where the P/NR system was not applied: 26.3% in unapplied courses and 3.8% in the P/NR applied courses, a 22.5% difference. In the case of General Physics I and General Chemistry I, the ratio of F grades, 16.8% and 15.4%, respectively, were significantly higher than other courses. However, the OAA explained that it is not a general trend compared with the grade distribution of other basic required courses.

Compared to the past 10 years, the average pre-P/NR conversion grade is lower in every course category. After the P/NR conversion, the average grade in basic courses saw a 0.24 increase, while the remaining course categories have not changed significantly. In total, there has been a 0.18 increase in the GPA of the new students compared to the 10-year average. The OAA emphasized that, even after P/NR conversion, there is not much of an increase in grades compared to the past decade. Thus, they expect that the concerns regarding GPA inflation will ease.

As for the grade ratios, the C/D/S ratio has decreased by 3.1% while the F/U ratio has increased by 3.6% percent compared with the average of the past 10 years. The OAA acknowledged that this can reinforce the concerns that easing the burden on grades and competition might result in unsatisfactory academic competency. However, they believe that there can be a change in the student’s academic attitudes after the freshman year and that a follow-up observation for the next two to three years is necessary to form concrete conclusions. 

GPA Distribution Analysis

Before the P/NR system is applied, the GPA distribution of the 2023 spring freshmen is as follows: 103 (12.4%) attained a GPA less than 2.0; 156 (18.8%) attained a GPA equal or greater than 2.0, but less than 2.7; 481 (57.9%) attained a GPA equal or greater than 2.7, but less than 3.7; and 91 (10.9%) attained a GPA equal or greater than 3.7. After the P/NR system is applied, the distribution is as follows: 48 (5.8%) attained a GPA less than 2.0; 39 (4.7%) attained a GPA equal or greater than 2.0, but less than 2.7; 349 (42.0%) attained a GPA equal or greater than 2.7, but less than 3.7; and 395 (47.5%) attained a GPA equal or greater than 3.7. In summary, after applying the P/NR system, the number of students in the 3.7 or higher GPA bracket increased and all other sections decreased.  

Before applying the P/NR system, the ratio of the students who attained a GPA below 2.0 was 6.8% higher, while the ratio of those who attained a GPA above 3.7 was 21.9% lower compared with the 10-year average. After applying the P/NR system, the ratio of the below 2.0 bracket is similar to the average, while the ratio of the above 3.7 bracket is 14.7% higher than the past 10 years.

Survey Results Analysis

The OAA conducted a survey to gauge the overall evaluations and opinions of undergraduate students and professors. They gathered a total of 635 responses, of which 171 were from freshmen, 344 from students enrolled before 2023 spring, and 120 from professors. Overall, 85% of freshmen have a positive opinion of the P/NR system, while 65% of the non-freshmen and teachers have a negative opinion. From the survey, the major factors affecting the freshmen’s positive evaluation of the P/NR system are the reduced academic burden, increased campus adaptability, promotion of major exploration, and increased participation in co-curricular activities. On the other hand, the major factors affecting the non-freshmen and professors’ negative evaluation of the P/NR system are lower academic achievement and the deflated learning atmosphere. When asked what aspect of the current P/NR system should be revised, the consensus is that the pass criteria must be raised.

Despite receiving many negative opinions from both students and professors, the OAA argued that there have yet to be any largely alarming results and that they would need more than just one semester’s data to make any adjustments. The OAA will conduct another results briefing session after the 2023 fall semester, which they believe would provide more substantial data to comprehensively assess the future of the P/NR system.