What's Next: As colleges switch to pass/fail, what's the best approach?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was one of the first major universities to make the call. In light of the coronavirus pandemic upheaving the end of the academic year, MIT officials told students they were doing away with letter grades this semester and switching to the university's version of a pass/fail grading system.  TOver the next few days, a wave of institutions followed in temporarily expanding their pass/fail policies. They've included elite schools such as Duke and Georgetown universities and public flagships like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. College officials say it's one way to make a chaotic semester a little easier on students, who may be dealing with sickness themselves or in their family, as well as coping with the economic fallout from the crisis. Campus-based students also didn't sign up for an online semester and may not do well with virtual classes, they note.