A pilot program that would have covered grades for thousands of first-year University of Michigan students has been paused.
The first-semester grade covering pilot program in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts — originally scheduled to go into effect in the fall of 2027 — was paused after university leadership requested more time to allow for further input, analysis and discussion, according to a statement posted Sept. 28 on the university's public affairs website.
"The proposal has become the subject of extensive media coverage, much of which consists of distorted narratives about our intentions and, most concerningly, about the academic strength and resilience of our students," U-M President Domenico Grasso said in a letter to LSA
leadership. "It has become clear that the misconceptions and questions raised about the program put the pilot's success at risk."
While the proposal generated support from LSA department chairs and program directors, and university professors more broadly, it drew criticism on social media and in op-eds from some who argued that college should teach students how to deal with pressure and failure, and that covering grades would shield them from it.
Grasso said he was worried about U-M students "being unfairly portrayed as coddled or unprepared for the demands of a rigorous Michigan education."
The goal of the program was to help students adjust to the demands of college, encourage them to take classes outside their comfort zones and reduce the pressure that can contribute to mental health problems, U-M said.
Under the pilot program, students would still have received traditional letter grades and feedback from professors, but those grades would not appear on their external transcripts or count toward their GPAs.
The proposal to cover first-semester grades was first announced during Dean Rosario Ceballo's 2025 State of the College address.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: University of Michigan pauses grade-covering pilot program. Here's why
