Instead, transcripts will show either “Pass” or “No Credit.” According to a statement on their website, this will “help students start strong and curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals.”

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Yes, grades are still being given. Professors will still evaluate students, students will still see their grades and receive feedback – but those pesky grades won’t appear on external transcripts or factor into their GPAs that semester.

And who exactly are those grades being hidden from? Anyone outside the university who may request the student’s official transcript – including potential employers, internship and scholarship programs, other colleges, and, later, graduate or professional schools. In other words, the very people who might have a legitimate reason to evaluate how well the student actually performed academically.

Under the new system, an outside reviewer could see “Pass” without knowing whether the student earned an A, B, C, or D. And these aren’t a bunch of throwaway electives where a letter grade might not matter much. LSA students take core academic courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, economics, computer science, psychology and other fields that can serve as building blocks for advanced study and future careers. In other words, we’re not just talking about basket weaving or fencing – we’re talking about classes where academic performance can actually matter down the road.

Grades without the consequences.

According to U-M, the new pilot program is designed to ease the transition into college and give freshmen more freedom to explore academically without worrying quite so much about their GPA.

The university says research indicates grade covering can improve student well-being and encourage academic risk-taking. But grades have traditionally served an important purpose in college: showing students how well they are mastering the material. A disappointing grade can be valuable feedback, signaling the need to study differently, seek additional help or reconsider whether a particular field is the right fit.

Protecting the GPA – and the psyche.

Under the pilot, first-semester grades will still matter behind the scenes. U-M says the actual letter grades will remain available internally for academic advising, course prerequisites and determining academic honors. Students can also request a letter showing those grades if they need them for graduate programs, scholarships or other purposes. In other words, students who want their good grades revealed can make them available. Those who would rather keep their less-than-stellar grades out of sight can leave them behind the “Pass” curtain. The grades aren’t disappearing – students are simply being given more control over who gets to see them.