EDMONTON -- The University of Alberta will be implementing a sort of pass-or-not system for the winter semester, rather than assigning grades, as COVID-19 health measures force the school's hand.

Students will not receive a grade. A designation of 'credit,' 'incomplete' or 'non-credit' will be given instead.  The designation will not affect the student's grade point average.

Deans will have some discretion to give exemptions and affected students will be informed no later than March 27.

Professors are also being asked to find alternatives to traditional final exams.

All in-person classes and exams were suspended on March 13 after recommendations from Alberta's chief medical officer of health. The university made the move official on March 14.

Students have started a petition to change the policy, saying the pass/fail grades don't properly acknowledge their work.

"For those of us who have mistakes to correct or competitive programs to get into, this is non-negotiable," one person commented on the petition site.

"A C should not have the same weight as an A+," another person wrote.

The petition had more than 7,000 signatures on Friday morning. 

The university has also extended the deadline to withdraw from a class to April 8, 2020.

Officials acknowledged the challenges students are facing but said the "exceptional circumstances" required a different approach.

"The University of Alberta is working hard to minimize negative impacts to your academic life and future. Your health, safety, and mental well-being is of paramount importance," the online statement reads.

Registration for the spring and summer semester is still active, but the delivery of those courses could change.

Other post-secondary schools in Edmonton including MacEwan University and NAIT have begun or are planning for electronic delivery of courses.

MacEwan started offering online courses Thursday and said it is "fully committed" to giving students letter grades in all applicable courses as opposed to a pass or fail model.

"We are constantly working with our faculty and will ensure students have all the details they need to complete the semester," a spokesperson said. Updates will be posted to MacEwan's website.

NAIT says it is still working on transitioning from in-person to online instruction, which includes a plan for grading. More information is expected to be shared in the next several days.