MONTREAL -- In the middle of its first week of online courses, Concordia University notified students that they can choose between a pass/fail notation or a letter grade for their winter semester work in addition to other alterations to their school year that continues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The choice is for those courses “that are not subject to criteria established by professional orders or licensing bodies,” a news release reads. Details about which courses are eligible for the pass/fail option will be released in the coming week.

The university will offer summer courses online as well, and may move some courses from the first summer semester to the second.

“This would be to allow faculty to design an online course that matches our goal of providing students with the best learning experience possible,” the statement reads. “Our priority will be delivering core program courses and prerequisites to support our students’ progress through their degrees.”

The university is also assessing what is needed to deliver exams online.

“Faculty members have responded overwhelmingly to the call to develop alternative final assessments to ensure that students can demonstrate to the best of their abilities their knowledge of course material — recognizing that students are not operating in the most ideal circumstances,” the update reads.

Students can contact the university’s COVID-19 information page for more details.