The University of Michigan is considering removing letter grades for freshmen in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. It originally announced this program would begin in fall 2027, but as of Monday, the pilot program has been paused. When thinking about letter grades for themselves, many University students and faculty said they prefer letter grading throughout all four years of college. Still, some voice understanding for the change Michigan is considering — letter grades induce undue stress that can detract from learning, some students said.
When Michigan first announced the change, the LSA website said it was to “help students start strong and curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals.”
“Our goal is to help first-year students acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys — core elements of a liberal arts and sciences education,” the website reads.
The removal of letter grades is not a new concept to the University. In spring 2020, the University switched to pass/fail grading for undergraduate students following the shift to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grading system remained until the end of the Spring 2020 semester, and in the Fall 2020 semester, students were able to opt in to a credit, general credit or no credit option. The grading switch allowed students to choose between receiving a letter grade or a credit/no credit system that was not factored into their GPA. Students who would have earned a C or higher received full credit, a passing grade lower than a C received general credit and a failing grade received no credit.
At that time, the University cited similar reasons to Michigan, hoping the grade change would alleviate some of the anxiety and stress of grades as students transitioned to online learning.
The University also adopted a credit/no credit grading system following the murders of Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr. in for the Fall 2022 semester. Similar to 2020, students were able to pick between credit, general credit and no credit grading options in January 2023 for the Fall 2022 semester after receiving their grades from the prior semester.
Currently, students in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences are able to — with an instructor's permission — receive the grades CR or NC in place of a letter grade. But classes taken as credit/no credit cannot be used to count toward the College's general education, major or minor requirements.
Second-year Education student Mollie Schiff reflected on what a similar grading change as Michigan’s would mean for University students. Schiff said grading changes like the one at Michigan could have unintended negative consequences, and she emphasized the importance of letter and number grades in helping students develop academic skills in college.
“I think grades are, and specifically number grades, are really important for students' development and how they could see how they are actually doing in a class,” Schiff said.
Associate Professor of Commerce Sherri Moore shared similar insights regarding first-year grading systems. As a professor, Moore said switching to a credit/no credit system takes away some motivation from students to push themselves to perform academically.
Moore said she understands the immense amount of pressure college kids face today, but she believes that credit/no credit grading does not alleviate most of the academic pressures students experience. In Moore’s view, schools should support students in the transition to college from high school by helping them succeed under academic rigor.
“How about we help you rise to the level of taking on something that's harder because that's what we want you to do,” Moore said. “We want you to challenge yourself and want you to grow.”
The Cavalier Daily contacted four other professors for comment regarding their thoughts on a grading system that does not use letter grades. All four declined to comment.
Some universities around the country have adopted grading policies similar to Michigan’s new freshmen policy. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a Pass or No Record grading system for freshmen students in the fall of their first year, which it first experimented with in 1968 and adjusted to its current form in 2002. MIT cited similar reasons to Michigan for their policy, arguing that the grading changes aim to help with the transition from high school to higher education.
According to Danielle D'Andrea, director of marketing and communications for Student Health and Wellness, the University is equipped with mental health resources through the school's Student Health and Wellness office to curb academic anxieties, among others. D’Andrea said SHW remains committed to ensuring students have the resources they need to manage the transition from high school to college, including the academic stresses that can accompany the transition.
D’Andrea said that SHW understands the difficulty involved in the transition to college academics, and she emphasized that students should reach out early when experiencing mental health struggles.
“At Student Health and Wellness, we see firsthand how closely students’ wellbeing and academic experiences are connected,” D'Andrea said. “Our focus is on making sure students have the care, support and resources they need to manage stress, navigate challenges and stay healthy while pursuing their academic goals.”
Second-year College student Natalie Alami said in her experience transitioning to collegiate academics, the letter grading system allows students to determine methods for success in college courses. Alami also emphasized how the letter grading system’s assistance can help students choose a major — if a student performs well in a certain kind of course, they may be inclined to pursue that course of study.
Alami also said she believes the University provides ample mental health and support resources to help students transition from high school to college, including managing coursework stress.
“I think U.Va. is great at providing resources and always having a place to go if you need something. And I think they're very organized in that way,” Alami said. “I'm not sure if just the pass/fail is going to necessarily help a bunch of people.”
Conversely to other student opinions, fourth-year College student Chloe Levine reflected on potential positives of integrating a pass/fail system at the University. Levine said the system would allow students to focus on absorbing the material, not just the letter grade they will receive. Learning the information would still remain important, Levine explained, but without the additional pressure of grading.
“With a pass/fail system, learning the information remains important,” Levine said. “But the emphasis on actual grades is removed, which would greatly help students.”
Levine also said she believes that the University provides adequate support for first-year students, especially when students seek it out themselves. However, Levine also said she believes the University could improve its support, specifically noting that professors acknowledging the stress students face could go a long way.
“I think professors should also just remind their students that they know they’re under a lot of stress,” Levine said. “Hearing that acknowledgement is sometimes enough, and then also being understanding when students feel stressed or need more help.”
First-year College student Ava Rosendorf said that as a student in the midst of navigating the transition to college academics, letter grades can be a positive aspect of her experience. At a time when so many aspects of life are destabilized, Rosendorf said grades can be a stabilizing constant for students to work towards.
“There are so many … aspects going into college,” Rosendorf said. “Grades can almost … be seen as a positive thing if other things are not going great, but you're doing really well in your classes.”
Students seeking mental health support can access the University's online services or visit SHW, located at 550 Brandon Ave.
Ruby Budetti is a staff writer on the news desk. She also works as a staffer for The Cavalier Daily social media team. She is a second-year student on the pre-Batten track and hopes to major in public policy and leadership.
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