Dear Zayed University Students,

Following the last three weeks of Remote Learning, the management at Zayed Unit is very much aware of the concerns, uncertainty and challenges that our students have been experiencing during these trying times.

Switching to a remote learning environment in a short period of time is indeed disruptive to the norm and poses academic and psychological challenges that are new to us all. To re-establish a stable teaching and learning environment requires adjustment from all stakeholders: students, faculty, staff and administrators.  Therefore, we encourage you all to be patient, flexible and to continue to kindly provide us with constructive feedback into how the learning experience could be improved.

Over 70 million learners worldwide are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and as the UAE, we have been extremely fortunate with the robust technology and infrastructural systems that have been put in place to enable learning to be conducted from anywhere.

We are all facing unprecedented academic circumstances and we send you this message to let you know that ZU’s leaders listen to your concerns and suggestions and seriously consider your input in making the right decisions for the University. Zayed University is ready for all the eventualities that can affect the learning process and has developed plans and actions that will assist in making the E-learning journey smoother from the following various angles:

A. Assessment Mechanism and Projects for Spring 2020

Current assessment and quality assurance measures have been modified and we are currently incorporating new methods suitable for e-learning which you have already been introduced to such as open-book exams; active collaborative assignments, projects, and research papers.

Majors that require lab work have been modified by converting laboratory sessions into theoretical assignments that require critical thinking skills and creativity while still meeting the required learning outcomes.  We are also experimenting with the use of ‘virtual laboratories’, where students can experience a virtual version of a particular experiment through their computer or device.

B. Grading Policy Changes for Spring 2020

After careful consideration, Zayed University will be implementing a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) Grading model for courses in the Spring 2020 semester.

The Pass / No Pass grading option applies to all undergraduate and graduate students and has been adopted by several reputable higher education institutions regionally and globally. The academic administration at ZU, in coordination with the Ministry of Education, have studied the situation in great detail and have noted down your queries and the P/NP model has been considered as the best way forward for the Spring 2020 semester./p>

These changes will apply only to the Spring Semester until further notice.all academic performance is Unsatisfactory.  This grade will neither earn credits nor impact the GPA. The Pass/No-Pass grading model allows students to focus on their learning outcomes and growth, while having more opportunities to improve and ease the pressure on the fear that a student’s GPA could get effected due to the current circumstances.

Explanation of the Pass/No-Pass Grading Model

In principle, the P/NP model works as follows:

• Faculty will assign final grades to courses as they would normally do in any regular semester according to the University’s Grading System.

• The Registrar’s Office will communicate with the students through an announcement to explain the process of applying for Pass/No Pass after grade announcement.

• Students will be given a deadline of 7 calendar days to decide and indicate their choices for grade conversion, if any.  The selection of options will be done online directly by the student through a system managed by the Registrar’s Office.

• After the deadline, the Registrar will commit the final grades, including converted grades, into the Banner and in the students’ academic records.

• For every student who elects to opt to the “P/NP” option for a course, a note is added to his/her record/transcript indicating ‘A special grading option was adopted by the institution for this semester due to the academic disruption by COVID-19 pandemic”.

• The P/NP conversion rule is as follows:

a.   P grade is assigned when a student’s overall academic performance in the course is Satisfactory, that is 60 or better for undergraduate courses and 70 or better for graduate courses. This grade will give students credits without impacting their GPA.  
b.   NP grade is assigned when a student’s overall academic performance is Unsatisfactory.  This grade will neither earn credits nor impact the GPA.

The Pass/No-Pass grading model allows students to focus on their learning outcomes and growth, while having more opportunities to improve and ease the pressure on the fear that a student’s GPA could get effected due to the current circumstances.

We advise you all to take advantage of what has been made available to you as your University experience will be what you make it.  We urge everyone to work cooperatively and rationally in this trying time and rest assured that team and management at Zayed University is restlessly working towards improving your educational experience. Any further instructions and new developments will be communicated to you upon receiving it from the authorities, therefore, we kindly request you to check your emails and messages regularly.

The University notes and takes seriously the views of its students and faculty. We understand that the Zayed University community is adapting to a new norm and we want to hear the opinions of all constituents, including our students, and we encourage those who have ideas, requests or proposals to come forward through the proper internal communication channels and share them with members of the administration for the greater benefit of all.
To our faculty, thank you for your commitment to student success in this unparalleled time. To our students, we wish you the best as the semester continues. Stay home, stay safe, stay positive and stay tuned!

Office of the Vice President