The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts is exploring a new pilot program that aims to help first-year students better acclimate to the demands of a University of Michigan education, while supporting their intellectual curiosity, purpose and well-being.

Dean Rosario Ceballo first announced a preliminary proposal to “cover” first-semester grades for all LSA first-year students during her 2025 State of the College address. Since then, Ceballo and members of the LSA leadership team have been collaborating with faculty, staff and students across U-M to inform the design, development and implementation of a pilot program. The proposal has generated support from department chairs and program directors across LSA academic divisions.

The LSA leadership team will host a series of town halls and other engagement sessions this fall to answer questions, address challenges and refine details about the pilot, which, based on community input, is tentatively scheduled to launch during the fall 2027 academic semester.

“We recognize that a pilot program of this size raises important questions, and we do not intend to build it in isolation,” said Ceballo, who is also a professor of psychology, and of women’s and gender studies in LSA.

“The pilot program’s success depends on partnership and input from the people who know our students and our college best. We will continue to collaborate with colleagues across LSA and the broader university community so that together we can co-create a pilot program that is ambitious, responsive and grounded in the shared goal of helping first-year students thrive.”

Even though there have been some recent improvements in survey findings, more than one in three college students continue to report experiencing moderate or severe symptoms of depression, according to the latest Healthy Minds Study. Findings from the 2024-25 study, which is based at U-M and includes responses from more than 84,000 students across 135 colleges and universities, also revealed 32% of students report moderate to severe anxiety symptoms and 11% of students reported seriously considering suicide over the past year.

“I believe this pilot program has the potential to not only address the alarming rates of stress, depression, and anxiety among our students, but to deliver on our core promise as a liberal arts and sciences college,” Ceballo said.

“By covering grades on student transcripts for the first semester, we encourage first-year students to engage in intellectual exploration; to try a course in a field they know nothing about; to learn about something that does not come easily to them; to allow intrinsic motivations to launch personal and meaningful academic journeys; and to embrace the joy of learning.”

As part of a proposed framework, all first-semester grades for LSA first-year students would be displayed as “pass” or “no credit” on their transcripts. LSA students would still receive letter grades and instructor feedback in every course as usual, but final grades would not be recorded on their external transcripts or reflected in their GPAs.

For purposes of compliance, academic advising, awards, scholarships and for students’ use as they apply for internships, majors outside of LSA or other opportunities, the university would continue to retain internal records of the letter grades LSA first-year students receive during their first semester. After their first semester, course letter grades would be displayed on transcripts and reflected in GPAs for all subsequent terms they are enrolled at U-M.

Peer institutions from across the country have implemented similar grade-covering initiatives, including the California Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College, Wellesley College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which launched its program in 1968. Like those institutions, LSA would conduct a rigorous review process to measure both the academic and personal impact on students during and after the pilot period.

“This pilot program would provide LSA students with a smooth on-ramp as they accelerate from high school into a rigorous college education; a chance to refine their academic skills and build early momentum,” said Tim McKay, LSA associate dean for undergraduate education.

“A liberal arts and sciences education must encourage students to venture into unfamiliar subjects and embrace new challenges. By creating time for learning and exploration, without fear that a low grade may have long-term consequences, the college is actively investing in students’ well-being and fostering a culture of curiosity and collaboration, rather than competition.”

This article was initially published in the University Record. Photo by Michigan Photography