Many colleges are rightly offering Pass/Fail grading this semester. These are impt tools to get the job done! But w/o knowing how programs & employers will view them, they present a stressful predicament for students. My thoughts as Dept Chair of Phd-granting @DukeChemistry 1/n

Ugrads: You don't have to decide now! At least @DukeU and I suspect other places, you have until the last day of classes to opt for letter grade. Adjust to the new learning environment, get clear expectations from profs, consult advisers & deans, then use the tool YOU need. 2/n

Your SPRING 2020 transcript does not define you! In your grad school app, tell us how COVID-19 impacted your studies & research plans. Your resilience to complete your degree will count. We know that #UndergradResearch is taking a serious hit. We'll have to deal w/ this. 3/n

Programs will understand the challenges imposed by a massively disruptive pandemic (if they don’t, you don’t want to go there anyway). At least, this will be our approach @DukeChemistry.