University of Michigan Drops Grades for Freshmen

Freshmen at the University of Michigan will soon experience a first semester without a final letter grade or GPA. Starting fall 2027, newcomers in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts—meaning about half of the 8,000 first-years—will see only "pass" or "no credit" on their transcripts. It comes as part of a pilot program the school says is aimed at "curb[ing] the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals" and helping them "acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys." Students will still receive grades during their first-semester courses, just not a final one. Some context:

• The Wall Street Journal reports that "the shift at Michigan, among the nation's largest and best-known public universities, comes as schools wrestle with grade inflation and the need for remedial instruction for freshmen ill-prepared for college-level classes."
• The Chronicle of Higher Education offers this: "Data on how pass/fail grading systems affect student motivation is mixed. Some research shows that shifting to a two-tiered system (as opposed to multitiered letter grades) can enhance the student experience and learning quality. Other studies show that test results and motivation decline in pass/fail courses compared with letter-graded courses. But most research into the merits has focused on medical schools; the body of equivalent data at undergraduate colleges is thin."