Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Go to http://vanman.shop/michael and use code MICHAEL for 15% off your first order.
For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial 507-478-7579 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/smerconish *Paid Partnership*
The University of Michigan is trying something different: beginning in fall 2027, first-semester students in its College of Literature, Science and the Arts will receive pass/no-credit marks on their external transcripts instead of traditional letter grades.
Is that coddling students — or giving them room to actually learn?
Michael Smerconish discusses the experiment with Michael Neitzel, president emeritus of Missouri State University and a Forbes contributor. They examine grade inflation, student mental health, competition, college admissions and whether the pressure to protect a GPA can actually discourage students from taking challenging courses.
Michael also reflects on his own undergraduate experience, when his determination to get into Penn Law often meant choosing the safer class instead of the class he actually wanted to take.
Then callers weigh in: Are grades an essential measure of performance, or has higher education become too obsessed with them?
Vote on today's poll and subscribe to the daily newsletter at smerconish.com
Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Go to http://vanman.shop/michael and use code MICHAEL for 15% off your first order.
For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial 507-478-7579 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/smerconish *Paid Partnership*
The University of Michigan is trying something different: beginning in fall 2027, first-semester students in its College of Literature, Science and the Arts will receive pass/no-credit marks on their external transcripts instead of traditional letter grades.
Is that coddling students — or giving them room to actually learn?
Michael Smerconish discusses the experiment with Michael Neitzel, president emeritus of Missouri State University and a Forbes contributor. They examine grade inflation, student mental health, competition, college admissions and whether the pressure to protect a GPA can actually discourage students from taking challenging courses.
Michael also reflects on his own undergraduate experience, when his determination to get into Penn Law often meant choosing the safer class instead of the class he actually wanted to take.
Then callers weigh in: Are grades an essential measure of performance, or has higher education become too obsessed with them?
Vote on today's poll and subscribe to the daily newsletter at smerconish.com
Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
