Registering for a P-D-F class grade, possible this week until Friday at 4 p.m., is not a popular option for most students.
Whitman’s student handbook cautions against its overuse, saying, “although the P-D-F option can be very useful in certain circumstances, there are complications with its use.”
The primary complication for students, especially among the roughly 60% who go on to graduate school, is whether a grade of “P” for passing will blemish their academic record.
“People tell me it looks bad on a transcript,” said junior Emily Jackson. “I mean, if I saw a P-D-F on a transcript I would assume they got a C or a C minus.”
Whether a “P” on a transcript will hurt a student’s application to graduate school is debatable, as it depends on the school.
“I think every [graduate] school is going to be different. For med school or clinical psychology or any competitive program it probably won’t look that good,” said Susan Buchanan, director of the Student Engagement Center. The 2009-10 Whitman Catalog advises students not to “overuse” the P-D-F option, noting that some graduate schools may discount a transcript of which “substantial parts” are P-D-F grades.
Some students, like senior Steve Shoemaker, see the negative perception of the “P” grade as a lost opportunity.
“It discourages students from taking classes outside what they’re comfortable in,” he said. “They don’t want to get a bad grade but now they can’t even take the chance.”
Shoemaker’s opinion captures the original intent of the P-D-F option, which was to allow students to get the full benefit of a liberal arts education.
“It used to be meant so that students would be comfortable taking classes in areas they might not feel as comfortable in. For example a humanities person could take a calculus class and not have it ruin their academic record,” said Associate Registrar Stacey Giusti. These days, Giusti said, it’s pretty rare for students to actually use the option as it was designed.
Instead, students use P-D-F to cover a poor class performance or fill the 124 credits required to graduate.
“First-years and sophomores, they usually do it to protect their academic record. With seniors it’s usually because they need the credit,” Giusti said.
Though P-D-F cannot be applied to distribution or Encounters, and many majors prohibit using it for major credit, students can take a “P” grade on up to 40 credits.
“It’s an outlandish number,” said Giusti.
Distribution requirements now serve the initial purpose of the P-D-F option.
“We still have distribution requirements, which are going to force people into areas they feel uncomfortable in,” said Giusti. “People can try something new and maybe end up majoring in it. That’s the idea of a liberal arts education.”
The P-D-F option is available for students until Nov. 6, as is the deadline to withdraw with a “W” on your transcript. Unlike other options, students must submit a physical form signed by their adviser to elect a P-D-F grade.
