In light of the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, a few college policies have been adjusted in an effort to provide students with flexibility without compromising the integrity of the academic program. Changes for the impacted semesters are detailed below.
Fall 2021 & Spring 2022
Commencement Ceremony Participation Requirements
A student who does not meet the requirements to walk in the Commencement ceremony may submit to the Student Progress Committee (SPC) a petition for special consideration to walk in the ceremony without receiving their diploma. These petitions will be accepted no later than the last day of classes, and will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below.
If entered as a first-year frosh:
- Attended at least eight semesters at Oxy or attended at least seven semesters at Oxy and took a leave or was otherwise away from Oxy for at least one semester.
- Can complete all requirements for the AB degree by December 13, 2022
- Is currently taking or has preregistered for courses (for this summer or fall) necessary to complete degree requirements or has submitted a Transfer Credit & Course Substitution Form with all necessary approvals and equivalencies that verifies expected completion of requirements by December 13, 2022.
If entered as a transfer student:
- Attended at least the minimum number of semesters at Oxy expected to be necessary to complete the AB degree while taking a regular load of courses at the time of matriculation or attended one fewer semesters than determined in the first part of this sentence at Oxy and took a leave or was otherwise away from Oxy for at least one semester.
- Can complete all requirements for the AB degree by December 13, 2022
- Is currently taking or has preregistered for courses (for this summer or fall) necessary to complete degree requirements or has submitted a Transfer Credit & Course Substitution Form with all necessary approvals and equivalencies that verifies expected completion of requirements by December 13, 2022.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grading
One non-FYS course offered for a letter grade may be changed to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading. Courses changed to S/U will not affect a student's cumulative or term GPA. To receive a grade of S in a course the student must earn the equivalent of a grade of D or higher. Courses in which a student earns a grade of S will be allowed to meet a major, minor, or Core requirement.
Where a minimum grade is required to satisfy a degree requirement, such as with the First- and Second-Stage Writing Requirements, confirmation from the instructor or department/program chair that the student would have earned the minimum grade required to satisfy the requirement will be needed.
The deadline to make this change is now the last day of classes. The deadlines can be reviewed in the Academic Calendar. No changes will be accepted after the deadline without an approved Petition for Special Consideration.
In order to change a course from a letter grade to S/U students will log-in to MyOxy and follow this path: Academics > Registrar Online Forms > Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade Change. All courses being taken for a letter grade for the current semester will be displayed. Students will then select the course that they would like to convert to S/U and click the "Submit" button.
Please note:
- You may only submit the form once.
- Should a student need to make a change to their selection, they will need to contact registrar@oxy.edu by the last day of classes.
- Students may change their Fall 2021 courses to S/U beginning on the first day of classes of the fall semester.
- Students may change their Spring 2022 courses to S/U beginning on the first day of classes of the spring semester.
Dean's List
Full-time first-year students who complete at least eight units for a letter grade and have a semester GPA of 3.5 or better are eligible for the Dean’s List. All other students registered full-time students who complete at least twelve units for a letter grade and have a semester GPA of 3.5 or better are eligible for the Dean’s List. This honor will appear on the student’s transcript.
Transfer Credit
Courses taken online during the 2021-2022 academic year may be used to satisfy major, minor, or Core requirements. All courses must be otherwise transferrable and approved in advance by the appropriate Occidental College department or program chair. Students may refer to the Transfer Credit section of the college catalog for more information.