Michigan LSA Hides 2027 Freshman Grades for 1 Semester as Mental Health Push Expands
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 8
Michigan LSA Hides 2027 Freshman Grades for 1 Semester as Mental Health Push Expands
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 8
Summary
Fall 2027 freshmen in the University of Michigan’s LSA will have first-semester transcripts marked only pass or no credit, with those results excluded from GPA calculations.
LSA said the 1-semester policy is meant to ease students’ transition to college, address a mental health crisis among college-aged people and encourage academic exploration without fear of lasting grade damage.
About 19,700 undergraduates are enrolled in LSA, the university’s largest college; students will still receive letter grades during the term, but final transcript entries will show only P or NC, with no opt-out.
The university will keep internal letter grades for advising, scholarships, internships, athletic eligibility, degree progress and financial aid, while similar first-term grading policies already exist at MIT, Swarthmore and Caltech.
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert criticized the move, arguing it treats normal academic stress as a mental health emergency and could leave students less prepared for setbacks beyond college.