US's top 3 public university hides freshmen grades to protect students' mental health

The University of Michigan has announced a pilot program that will withhold first-semester grades on official transcripts, an initiative aimed at easing academic pressure and addressing mental health challenges among incoming students.

The university’s new pass-fail policy is a well-meaning experiment in avoidance — but psychologists say avoidance breeds more anxiety, not less.

PeopleImages/Shutterstock A nurse can know exactly how to give a medicine safely and still be more likely to make a mistake if they are repeatedly interrupted, given confusing information or forced to search several computer systems for the details they need. For patients, the consequences can be serious. Research has

The University of Michigan wants to help address the mental health struggles of college students by making first-semester grades matter less. The policy raises a question that extends well beyond Ann Arbor: When did feeling anxious about something become a reason to make that thing less consequential? Treating anxiety

Belfast group backing up pop stars at Ebrington gig at end of month after winning competition

An American university’s plan to use a pass-fail system has started a debate about the merits of the approach to support students’ mental health.

Erica Hume, 21, died in May 2014 at Palmerston North Hospital.

Shea Vance, a reporting fellow at The Chronicle of Higher Education, joins "The Daily Report" to discuss the University of Michigan's new pass/fail grading system for first-semester freshmen.