Despite opposition from student representatives, the Educational Affairs Committee of University Council approved Tuesday a measure to limit the number of student course withdrawals to four throughout an academic career.

The controversial proposal next will go through the council’s executive committee and full body before it takes effect.

Also, administrators will have to define many of the policy’s details before then, and changes could be made to the proposal before it is effected.

The University’s current policy allows unlimited withdrawals.

“I really am concerned about the impact in general that this will have on the student body,” Student Government Association President Katy Bowers said after the meeting. “I hope that the faculty who were unwilling to move from (allowing four withdrawals) understand how drastic the consequences could be for many students.”

Jere Morehead, vice president for instruction, said he strongly supports Tuesday’s 6-2 vote to limit withdrawals. In the meeting he said unlimited withdrawals encourage bad decision-making.

He said each semester, thousands of seats are left empty by students who withdraw and are likely to take the class again.

“I think this policy will promote a better intellectual climate for the University,” he said. “I think this is a very good policy.”

The committee initially considered limiting students to two withdrawals before 60 hours of classes and two after the 60-hour mark, but several committee members said it is important to give underclassmen more leeway in withdrawing.

Bowers cautioned committee members in the meeting, saying implementing a limit on the number of withdrawals will impair students who are overwhelmed in their first semester of college and need to drop several courses.

Connor McCarthy, an SGA senator from the School of Public and International Affairs and the only student representative on the Educational Affairs Committee, proposed limiting the number of withdrawals to eight instead of four.

Dan DerVartanian, chair of the division of biological sciences and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ representative on the committee, offered a compromise of six withdrawals.

That proposal failed 3-5, with DerVartanian, McCarthy and the committee’s graduate student representative voting for it.

McCarthy was positive about much of Tuesday’s meeting.

“We’re always excited when we can work with the administration

to create policies that benefit students,” he said, adding that Tuesday’s vote, “at the heart,” sought to benefit students.

Also, he said, the policy is not finalized.

“I don’t think any conclusions should be drawn from this until it goes to the executive committee and the full body,” he said.

Also approved Tuesday was a measure extending the Drop/Add period by one day, but the extra day only will allow students to add courses.

The committee also approved extending the withdrawal period by two weeks and agreed to a proposal that changes the existing “W” grade given for withdrawals before the midpoint to “WP,” withdrawal pass, or “WF,” withdrawal fail.

Each of those three proposals passed unanimously and will apply to undergraduate and graduate students.