UM Faculty Committee Reviewed Grade-Covering Policy
The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs examined the LSA pilot program and faculty rights in Ann Arbor.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The University of Michigan Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA) convened to discuss a paused LSA pilot program that would have replaced freshman grades with pass or no credit designations. Faculty members voiced concerns regarding their limited role in the grading program's development.
Why it matters
The meeting highlights ongoing tensions between university administration and faculty over academic policy oversight. Faculty leaders are now prioritizing a new formal document to protect their rights and ensure institutional input on future initiatives.
The LSA pilot program aims to mask freshman first-semester grades as pass or no credit on transcripts. While the pilot is currently paused, the university retains the underlying letter grades for internal use, graduate applications, and internships.
The players
Kentaro Toyama
He is the chair of the University of Michigan Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs.
Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs
It acts as the primary representative body for faculty at the University of Michigan.
The details
During the meeting at the Alexander G. Ruthven Building, SACUA chair Kentaro Toyama initiated the development of a formal document outlining faculty rights. The committee intends to utilize a collaborative workshopping process to draft specific clauses, addressing concerns that faculty were previously excluded from meaningful feedback regarding the LSA grading initiative.
Timeline
September 28, 2026: The SACUA met to discuss the grading policy and faculty rights.
October 8, 2026: SACUA is scheduled to host an event regarding political speech.
Fall 2027: The LSA pilot program was originally scheduled to begin.
Culture Shift
This pause reflects a broader trend of faculty pushback against top-down academic policy changes at major research institutions. The move toward codifying faculty rights signals a push to reclaim shared governance powers over the LSA First-Semester Grade Covering Pilot Program.
Students and faculty in Ann Arbor should note that current freshman grading standards remain unchanged while the program is paused. The internal retention of grades ensures that professional opportunities like graduate school and internship applications will not be negatively impacted by the potential policy.
The takeaway
University faculty are increasingly seeking formal frameworks to ensure their voices are integrated into institutional pilot programs. Implementing these rights could redefine how academic standards evolve at large public universities.
What happens next
The Faculty Senate will hold a future vote on the new faculty rights and responsibilities document once drafting is completed by the committee over the coming year.
Further reading
For more background on academic administration, visit the Secondary Education page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Michigan Daily.
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Should university faculty have a greater role in establishing institutional grade and conduct policies?
