Upon the completion of the first 6 weeks of the courses face-to-face in our university, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. As a result of the developments following this declaration, our university switched to distant education on March 23 2020. Considering the possible adversities these circumstances may create for our students, in addition to the existing course assessment system to measure student success, the following regulations have been put forward effective in the spring term of 2019-2020 academic year only. 

1. For the spring term of 2019-2020 academic year, alongside the standard grading system specified in the Graduate and Post-Graduate Rules and Regulations of our university, a “facultative Pass/Fail system” will be implemented. Prior to this selection, all credit courses offered in the 2019-2020 Spring Term will continue to be assessed through Letter Grades, and students will be able to track their academic records by means of these grades. Following “the announcements of final Letter Grades” and “grade correction approvals”, effective in the spring term of 2019-2020 academic year only, students will be able to opt for the “Pass/Fail” grading system for all the courses with credits they have enrolled in.
2. The designated dates of transition to the “Pass/Fail” system will be announced on the Registrar’s Office webpage, and the Dean’s Offices and Institutes will be notified of these dates. The selection of the “Pass/Fail” system will incorporate all the courses with credits that the students have enrolled in the 2019-2020 spring term.
3. The students who do not opt for the “Pass/Fail” system for the 2019-2020 spring term course assessments within the designated period will be considered to have selected the standard Letter Grading system. The GPA and Cum. GPA calculations of 2019-2020 spring term will be made in line with the procedures of those in the previous terms, and these calculations will continue to be reported in student transcripts.  
4. No changes in the course assessment procedures will be acknowledged following the deadline of the “Pass/Fail” transition period of 2019-2020 spring term.
5. For the students selecting the “Pass/Fail” grading system for all the courses with credits they have enrolled in 2019-2020 spring term, the following implementations will be in effect:
   
   1. The letter grades of the courses taken in the aforementioned term will not be reported in student transcripts. The GPA and Cum. GPA will not be calculated.
   2. The grades of all the courses with credits taken in 2019-2020 spring term will be reported as either “Pass” or “Fail”.
   3. Courses with the “Pass” grade will be considered satisfactory. The credits of these courses will be deducted from the total sum required for graduation (students will be exempt from the credits equivalent of these courses).
   4. Courses with the “Fail” grade will be considered unsatisfactory, and the students will be required to retake and pass the courses in question (or the courses to be counted as equivalents) according to and within the designated periods in the rules and regulations.
   5. For the courses taken in a previous semester and being repeated in the 2019-2020 Spring semester (or courses taken to replace other courses taken in previous semesters), the assessment of the related course in the 2019-2020 Spring semester will be evaluated as "Pass/Fail", and the grade of the course will not be included in the calculation of Semester Average Grade (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Average (Cum GPA).
   6. In the following semesters, if a course with a "Pass /Fail" grade (or a course that will be taken to replace this course within the framework of regulations) is repeated due to failure or to increase the grade, letter grade to be taken will be included in the Semester Average Grade (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Average (Cum. GPA) calculation.
   7. If the right to take a re-sit exam is used for a course registered in the 2019-2020 Spring Semester, the grade after the re-sit exam will also be evaluated as "Pass/Fail".
   8. A new semester status (Standing) assessment will not be made for the 2019-2020 Spring Semester, and students will continue to remain in their most recent semester status.
6. The two-year and Undergraduate program students with graduation status must have at least 2.00 Cumulative Grade Average (Cum. GPA) in order to use the 2019-2020 Spring Semester course evaluation preferences as “Pass/Fail”.
7. Graduate program students who are in their last semester to complete their courses must have at least 3.00 GPA (Cum. GPA) in order to use the 2019-2020 Spring Semester course evaluation preferences as “Pass/Fail”.
8. Pass / Fail preferences will be seen in the transcript as follows:
   
   1. Students enrolled in two-year and Undergraduate programs: for courses with letter grade DD or higher, they get “Pass” grade; for courses with letter grade FD or lower, they get “Fail” grade
   2. Students enrolled in Master's programs; for courses with letter grade CC or higher, they get “Pass” grade; for courses with letter grade DC or lower, they get “Fail” grade
   3. Students enrolled in Doctoral programs; for courses with letter grade CB or higher, they get “Pass” grade; for courses with letter grade CC or lower, they get “Fail” grade
   4. Scientific preparation program students, depending on the courses they are enrolled in, will get
      
      1. For Undergraduate courses: “Pass” grade for those with letter grade CC or higher; “Fail” grade for those with a letter grade DC or lower
      2. For Graduate courses: “Pass” grade for those with a letter grade CB or higher; Fail” grade for those with a letter grade DC or lower
9. Requests for the repetition of a course with a "Pass/Fail" grade in the following semesters will be evaluated within the framework of the course repetition rules in METU Undergraduate or Graduate Regulations.
10. When a "Pass" grade is received from any prerequisite course, it will be accepted that the prerequisite for the related course is met.
11. In the adjustments within the university, courses with a “Pass” grade will be evaluated as a satisfactory course in the new program.
12. Students who prefer to change their 2019-2020 Spring Semester grades to “Pass/Fail” will not be included in the ranking while determining the Department’s / Faculty’s and University’s top ranking students.
13. Transcripts will include a statement that the 2019-2020 Spring Semester is a COVID-19 pandemic period.