The University of Michigan has officially halted a controversial proposal that would have replaced traditional letter grades with a new evaluation system for first-year students. The policy, which was slated to begin in the fall of 2027 for students within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, was intended to change how academic performance was recorded on official transcripts.

University leadership decided to pause the initiative following widespread criticism from students, faculty, and alumni. While the university has not provided a detailed timeline for a potential revision or permanent cancellation of the plan, the administration acknowledged that the feedback received necessitated a reevaluation of the proposal. The core of the plan involved moving away from the standard A-through-F grading scale, a shift that proponents argued would reduce academic pressure, but which critics feared would complicate graduate school admissions and employment prospects for undergraduates.

Currently, the university has not released a formal statement detailing what specific aspects of the backlash prompted the reversal, nor have they indicated whether a modified version of the grading reform will be introduced in the future. The administration’s decision to halt the plan marks a significant retreat from a policy change that was intended to be a flagship academic reform for the college.