(This story has been updated to correct an inaccuracy.)
There’s no such thing as test-driving college. Students have to jump in headfirst. There are new people, new classes, new places, new responsibilities — the “hidden curriculum” of navigating college life.
It can be overwhelming, and the first semester of college doesn’t always go as planned.
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, first-year college students get a second chance.
Last fall, UWM implemented the “Grade Recovery Pilot Program” to offset how struggling through college “firsts” may affect students’ GPAs and college experience. Milwaukee is the only UW campus where the program is available.
With 43% of the student population being first-generation college students, and since UWM is considered an “access institution,” UWM believes this program gives students the courage and clean slate to tackle college even after a difficult first semester. While the program is still considered a pilot, school officials hope it will become an official school policy by fall 2027.
“We want students to feel like they have an academic home here,” said Dave Clark, vice provost for academic affairs.
Grade recovery: How does it work?
Since UWM introduced the program, a first-year student who fails a class in their first semester of college won’t have to see the consequences reflected in their GPA. It’s designed to be a safety net during students’ initial transition into college.
Grade forgiveness, Clark said, is not a way for students to get out of learning or taking a class. If a course is required, students must retake it at a different time, but their GPA won’t feel the effects of an “F.” Rather, it’ll be marked as “NC,” or No Credit.
“There’s no such thing as a free pass,” Clark said.
Last year, the university announced the program to students after Thanksgiving break through an email offering them the opportunity to opt-in to the program. This year, incoming freshmen are already aware of the program.
While the university’s technology currently only allows for an “opt-in” model, Clark said it will become “opt-out” down the line, automatically changing any “F” to “NC.” This would ensure every “F” is forgiven, and that students don’t miss out on the program because they overlooked the email. Students can choose to opt out for financial aid, athletic or military reasons.
A wake-up call for a fresh start
The goal of this program is not only to prevent the daunting mark of a first-semester “F,” but to support students psychologically and encourage them to continue with their college journey, Clark said.
“Students sometimes come out of that first term feeling really discouraged,” Clark said. “We want to signal to them that we see this not as a failure, but as an opportunity to redo.”
Clark said the program is a way for students to build momentum; to feel what it means to fail and get back up.
About 700 students opted in to the program in its first year. In an anonymous survey, 97 students shared why they opted in for the program and how the program affected them.
“The biggest reason to opting into the grade recovery was to have a second opportunity to have a better GPA,” a student said. “[It] was a wake-up call to understand that college is going to be a lot harder than high school was [and] to take it more serious.”
Academic advisers keep tabs on the students who opted in to the program, monitoring their GPA and degree progress. Second semester, students who had opted in were also directly connected with student success coaches, were in consistent communication with advisers and professors and were made aware of available resources to fully take advantage of the opportunity to improve.
“We’ve got tons of resources on campus, but they’re famously underutilized, so students struggle,” said Sara Benesh, a professor of political science and director of curriculum and governance for the College of Letters and Science.
Benesh helped develop the program and views it as a way to avoid the “punishment” of an “F” following students through college, while still holding them accountable.
“We don’t want to lose students because of [a] bad transition,” Benesh said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t be in college.”
Benesh said an “NC” is only the start, enabling students to continue their journey on the right foot after they understand college expectations.
“It has been a year of lots of self-reflecting and lots of self-improvement,” said another student in the survey. “Especially from one semester to the other; it has been a drastic change but for the better.”
Recent trend across universities, UWM follows suit
“This is something that has been on our radar for a while,” Clark said. “There are some other institutions that have been doing some interesting things in the space of grade forgiveness.”
Clark pointed to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Oregon as models that prioritize students’ learning and college transition in their first semester. It orients students to focus on adjusting to college and course expectations.
Benesh said the program makes sense for UWM’s student population, which has varying needs, responsibilities and backgrounds. It alleviates the mental and emotional pressure tied to academic success while students are still learning the ins and outs of college.
Contact Elena Metinidis at emetinidis@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UWM’s pilot grade recovery can help freshmen boost their GPA
Reporting by Elena Metinidis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Elena Metinidis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
