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The University of Michigan will hide first-semester grades from transcripts, but evidence from other colleges suggests the policy may reduce student effort.
The University of Michigan plans to exclude first-semester letter grades from students’ transcripts to “curb the mental health crisis.” What would seem like a mundane university-level grading change has become a cultural touchpoint. Early-morning talk shows, national to local outlets—everyone seems to have a reaction.
The grading policy is expected to go into effect in fall 2027 in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the largest school at the university. Freshmen will still know what grades they received internally, but those grades won’t count toward their overall GPA. Everyone will be required to receive pass/no credit because “covering an individual’s grades will inadvertently become equated with them not doing well in a class.”
Although covered grading appeals to a very real concern about the difficult transition year, it is a risky policy with an unremarkable track record.
Continue reading the entire piece here at The James G. Martin Center
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Neetu Arnold is a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, where she focuses on K–12 and higher education