College students struggling with internet access say Georgia needs a pass/fail option

Here in Georgia, we believe in second chances. That is why students across the state are rallying to give the University System of Georgia another shot at getting the optional pass/fail policy right. Right now, we are struggling to accommodate the transition to online education. For one, home Wi-Fi rarely works. The University of Georgia has recognized that connectivity and access pose a huge issue for many students, so it has offered to distribute Wi-Fi hotspots. But in some places, cell service is so poor that sometimes texts won’t go through. Patchwork solutions, however well implemented, can’t solve the real problem. Our grading system assumes that we all have similar access to resources to complete our education. Now, that just isn’t true. That is why we, along with thousands of our peers, are calling for an opt-in pass/fail system that will allow the students most affected by the coronavirus outbreak to make a decision that we never wanted to make –– but one that will allow us to accommodate the unique challenges this era has brought upon us.

[The authors are University of Georgia students: Bryson Henriott, a freshman from the Vidalia area studying political science,  Peyton Lee, a junior from Zebulon studying agribusiness, and Briana Hayes, a junior from Baxley studying health promotion]