U ive sity
of
Michiga .
(AP
Photo)
A
majo
US
u ive sity
is
set
to
stop
showi g
lette
g ades
fo
fi st-semeste
f eshme
i
a
effo t
to
help
stude ts
adjust
to
college
life
a d
add ess
what
it
calls
a
g owi g
me tal
health
c isis
amo g
college-aged
stude ts.The
U ive sity
of
Michiga ’s
College
of
Lite atu e,
Scie ce
a d
the
A ts
(LSA)
will
i t oduce
the
fi st-semeste
g ade-cove i g
p og amme
f om
fall
2027,
acco di g
to
the
college.Stude ts
will
co ti ue
eceivi g
thei
actual
g ades
a d
feedback
f om
p ofesso s,
but
thei
fi st-semeste
esults
will
appea
o
t a sc ipts
o ly
as
“pass”
o
“ o
c edit”,
the
New
Yo k
Post
epo ted.The
g ades
will
ot
be
i cluded
i
stude ts’
GPAs
du i g
thei
fi st
semeste .
Howeve ,
the
u ive sity
will
mai tai
the
actual
g ades
i te ally
fo
pu poses
i cludi g
academic
awa ds,
schola ships,
i te ships,
fi a cial
aid,
athletic
eligibility
a d
academic
advisi g.
‘Cu b
the
me tal
health
c isis’
The
u ive sity
said
the
i itiative
is
desig ed
to
help
f eshme
“establish
ea ly
mome tum”
a d
acclimatise
to
the
dema ds
of
college
without
the
p essu e
of
g ades
affecti g
thei
academic
eco ds.“We
believe
that
cove i g
g ades
will
help
stude ts
sta t
st o g
a d
cu b
the
me tal
health
c isis
u foldi g
amo g
college-aged
i dividuals,”
the
college
said.
LSA
said
the
p og amme
would
also
e cou age
stude ts
to
explo e
u familia
subjects
without
wo yi g
that
a
poo
fi st-semeste
g ade
could
have
lo g-te m
co seque ces.
F eshme
automatically
i cluded
All
fi st-yea
LSA
stude ts
will
be
cove ed
u de
the
p og amme,
athe
tha
bei g
allowed
to
opt
i .
The
college
said
maki g
it
optio al
could
u de mi e
the
p og amme
by
maki g
stude ts
feel
that
cove ed
g ades
i dicate
poo
pe fo ma ce.Stude ts
will
begi
eceivi g
co ve tio al
lette
g ades
that
cou t
towa ds
thei
GPAs
f om
thei
seco d
semeste .
New
t a sfe
stude ts
will
ot
be
eligible
fo
the
p og amme.
Othe
US
colleges
have
simila
system
Michiga
is
ot
the
fi st
US
u ive sity
to
adopt
a
simila
app oach.
The
Massachusetts
I stitute
of
Tech ology
has
used
a
pass/ o- eco d
g adi g
system
fo
fi st-yea
stude ts
du i g
the
fall
semeste
si ce
1968,
with
co ve tio al
lette
g ades
begi i g
i
the
sp i g.The
U ive sity
of
Michiga ’s
LSA
is
its
la gest
college,
with
ea ly
20,000
u de g aduates,
i cludi g
mo e
tha
3,500
fi st-yea
stude ts
as
of
fall
2025.
