Today’s University Council meeting may produce fireworks, as faculty are expected to speak out against the University’s handling of a sexual harassment case and students look to amend a contested withdrawal policy.

Janet Frick, associate professor of psychology, led a petition campaign this week calling for reforms to the University’s enforcement of its Non-Discriminatory and Anti-Harassment policy. Frick said in a telephone interview Wednesday she expects increased faculty attendance at the meeting to listen to President Michael Adams’ remarks and to “display solidarity” against sexual harassment.

“We’re trying not to approach this in an antagonistic way,” Frick said. “I think the important next steps will be to engage in discussion about what people think needs to be improved upon.”

Frick’s online petition calls for increased transparency of the process and protection for those who make sexual harassment accusations. She said she will give Adams a copy of the comments left by those who signed the petition and will inform him of the numbers of faculty, staff, students and others who signed it. By Wednesday afternoon, the petition had more than 950 signatures.

The petition was a response to articles published in The Red & Black last week about allegations of sexual harassment against education professor William Bender.

Also at the meeting, student representatives hope to amend a contested withdrawal policy before it is passed by the full council.

University Council’s Executive Committee approved a proposal last month from the Educational Affairs Committee that would revise the withdrawal policy, limiting students to four withdrawals during their college careers.

It was approved despite student opposition.

Connor McCarthy, a Student Government Association senator and the only student representative on the Educational Affairs Committee, said he will speak before the council today in opposition to the proposed policy.

Cameron Secord, an SGA senator and student representative on the student affairs committee, will also speak against the policy.

“One thing that we want to say is that having limited withdrawals will be helpful to students in many areas,” McCarthy said. “Limiting it to four … would be detrimental.”

McCarthy said SGA President Katy Bowers may propose an amendment to the policy to increase the number of withdrawals allowed. McCarthy proposed an amendment allowing eight withdrawals, but it was denied by educational affairs. A compromise of six also failed.

McCarthy said he hopes to have the backing of his fellow student representatives – 25 in all – at today’s meeting.