The University of Michigan has suspended a pilot that would have hidden freshmen’s first‑semester letter grades, following backlash and media coverage. The pause comes weeks after the university announced the initiative in August as a way to support new students’ mental health.
The pilot was set to begin in fall 2027 for first‑year students in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, the largest undergraduate college. Under the proposal, students would receive pass (P) or no‑credit (NC) designations for the first semester instead of traditional letter grades on external transcripts or in GPA calculations. Professors would still assign grades and give feedback, but those grades would not affect GPA until the second semester. The college had more than 19,000 undergraduates in fall 2025, including 3,521 first‑year students.
A notice posted on the LSA website said the program was paused while leadership sought further input, analysis and discussion. Dean Rosario Ceballo stated the college remains committed to helping first‑year students build academic momentum and well‑being, while President Domenico Grasso warned that distorted narratives about the policy’s intentions and students’ academic resilience could jeopardize its success and paint students as coddled or unprepared for a rigorous Michigan education.
Critics argued that shielding freshmen from traditional grades could make it harder to identify academic struggles. Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute called the policy “the wrong diagnosis” and said it creates entitlement. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert noted that while a poor grade can be distressing, it is not the same as being ill, and that learning to tolerate evaluation is part of preparing for adulthood.
