On Aug. 10, The University of Michigan School of Literature Science and the Arts announced that it will begin hiding first-semester grades for freshmen. Set to begin in fall of 2027, as part of a pilot program, external official transcripts will display first-semester grades as “Pass” or “No credit” and exclude letter grades from students’ cumulative grade point averages. LSA announced that this program will encourage freshmen to explore more challenging subjects and ease their transition to college-level coursework. The program is also an effort at curbing the mental health crisis by decreasing rates of student anxiety and depression.
The University will maintain internal records of letter grades to monitor various student activities, such as financial aid eligibility and athletic compliance. Students will also have the option to request unmasked records for external educational or professional opportunities.
While this Editorial Board believes working to reduce academic stressors and student anxiety is certainly important, hiding student grades alone will not cure the mental health crisis. The University must conduct this pilot program in conjunction with other efforts to actually improve student well-being.
The student mental health crisis isn’t unique to the University. Schools across the country are actively grappling with rising levels of anxiety and depression among their student bodies. In fact, more than 60% of college students meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem — nearly a 50% increase since 2013. It’s clear student mental health is a paramount concern on campuses across the country.
At institutions like the University, where academic expectations are especially rigorous, this crisis is inevitably exacerbated. Academic pressure is deeply woven into campus culture. Between demanding classes, exclusive student organizations and competition between peers, students can begin to correlate academic achievement with self-worth.
For a university that has cultivated such a demanding environment, prioritizing mental health initiatives is a necessary part of sustaining academic excellence.
If LSA recognizes that the pressure associated with grades can contribute to students’ struggles, then reducing that pressure is a worthwhile first step. The program alone is certainly not enough to adequately address student mental health, and it has other drawbacks.
As freshmen, it’s natural to struggle — whether that be socially, academically or mentally. The transition to college is a major life adjustment, one that takes time acclimating to. Especially at the University, where classes are competitive and demanding, it’s common for freshmen to feel overwhelmed with their coursework.
Struggling in a class, or receiving a disappointing grade can be frustrating and stressful, but it isn’t uncommon or worthless. Failing — whether that be substantial failure or a minor shortcoming — can be a formative experience, and can positively shape the rest of your college years.
Plus, anxiety about schoolwork and achievement does not disappear after your first semester. It impacts students of all grade levels throughout their undergraduate experience.
Though covering grades may reduce academic stress for freshmen during their first semester, their grades will still appear on their transcript the following semester. Rather than guiding students through this adjustment period, equipping them with the tools to succeed or teaching how to persevere through failure, the University is merely delaying the inevitable. Freshmen will have to confront the reality of being a college student, whether or not they get to postpone it by a semester.
In order to effectively improve student mental health across the board, it is crucial that students have access to effective, adequately staffed mental health services when academic pressure becomes detrimental.
There are several resources the University should enhance in conjunction with the program. Notably, the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services and other mental health resources have fallen short.
CAPS resources include meetings with counselors for those who are struggling, so its programs should be easy for University students to utilize. However, steps like scheduling an initial appointment and establishing a relationship with the office prove to be more difficult than they should be, and students consistently express frustration with the system.
CAPS’ foundational design is inherently flawed. It is catered toward short-term care and brief counseling, which may provide initial help but is ineffective for students in need of long-term guidance or who are in crisis. And even for baseline care, CAPS is strained. Long wait times and understaffing issues can leave many students without prompt or adequate help.
Since LSA has made the decision to launch this pilot program in the name of student mental health, they should also make augmenting their own counseling programs a top priority. Students need support for all four years they spend at the University, and providing them with viable, easily accessible options is non-negotiable.
As the University weighs how to deal with the student mental health crisis, investing time, money and manpower into improving resources like CAPS seems like a more productive step in aiding students. Although delaying some of the pressure of college may be beneficial for certain students, it is unlikely to truly alter their overall success for the next three years. While LSA displaying its commitment to student mental health via this program is a step in the right direction, it won’t be as effective unless the school also expands campus mental health resources.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Michigan Daily’s Summer Editorial Board. If you are interested in submitting an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor, please send your submission to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
