—
The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, one of the most selective public institutions in the nation, doesn’t want incoming students to get hung up on their grades.
Beginning this fall, the state flagship’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts will designate first-year students’ grades as either “pass” or “no credit” in their first semester. Neither outcome will affect a student’s GPA or appear on their transcript.
The pilot “grade covering” program will help freshmen adjust to college and “curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals,” according to the university’s website. Masking grades will also encourage students to challenge themselves academically.
“[T]hey can explore a subject that may not come easily to them or take a course in a new field without the fear that a low grade may have long-term consequences,” the school said. The university’s liberal arts college “is investing in students’ well-being and growth by fostering a culture of connection and collaboration—rather than competition.”
Your next read: Do tuition resets work? Data shows you’re asking the wrong question
The college will record first-semester letter grades for advising, compliance, scholarships and other academic purposes. Grades will appear on transcripts and factor into GPA calculations in the second semester.
The university’s focus on mental health applies a modern twist on a decades-old practice. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology implemented “grade covering” for first-semester students in 1968. California Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College and Wellesley College have followed suit.
Since the pandemic, colleges have expanded on-campus counseling and telehealth services to combat growing mental health concerns. Most students still report struggling with emotional stress.
“I wonder whether we’re beginning to confuse supporting students with shielding them from the normal pressures that are part of college—and life,” Michael Degenhart, a retired university advancement executive, wrote on LinkedIn in response to the news. “Are we helping students become more resilient—or simply removing the things that require resilience?”
However, the debate surrounding academic rigor has dramatically changed in recent years as test-optional policies and grade inflation proliferate, Kenneth Lowande, an associate professor at Rice University, told The Wall Street Journal.
“Grades have lost their value as an indication of quality or excellence,” he said.
