A professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC) announced that several staff members plan to withhold grades from students and the school’s Registrar’s Office until students who were suspended amid pro-Palestine protests are reinstated.
The university confirmed reports that professors plan to punish students by refusing to submit grades, according to The Federalist. Nick Craig, a North Carolina-based radio host, published a screenshot of a message from a UNC professor.
“The University has suspended 15 of your and my fellow students for their participation in a peaceful protest calling for UNC to divest funding for Israel’s military action against civilians in Gaza,” a professor reportedly wrote.
“In addition, dozens of students were arrested or injured by police and counter protesters. In solidarity with these students, and to pressure the University Administration to reinstate the suspended students, I have decided to withhold my reporting of final grades to the Registrar’s Office,” the message continued.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Provost Chris Clemens and Graduate School Dean Beth Mayer-Davis confirmed the anonymous report to The Federalist. The duo said they “will support sanctions” against any professor, teaching assistant, or instructor who “is found to have improperly withheld grades.”
It was mentioned that submitting grades is a required duty of all faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
Students were informed via the anonymous professor’s note that their GPA would not be impacted by the decision, though they would not get a formal grade.
“If the administration has not reinstated the suspended students, you will see a NR (for Not Reported) on your transcript. An NR does not change your GPA positively or negatively, and can remain on your transcript until the end of the following semester,” the post continued.
The professor vowed to keep a “personal record” of the student’s grade and post the grades to the Registrar “once the administration meets our demands.”
