Student Government is working to change the current hour-based withdrawal policy to one based on year classification. Meghan Hanna, Academics, Athletics and Administration Committee chairwoman, said the SG W committee has been gathering data since early September to form their proposal. “We want to allow three Ws to be used at students’ discretion for their first two years,” Hanna said. “Then two Ws for the next two years, and one W for the remaining years.”Hanna said the current hour-based system holds students back in their academic careers.”If a student with a lot of hours wants to change their major, they can’t drop enough classes to get on track,” Hanna said. “That really inconveniences a lot of students.”Robert Doolos, University registrar, said the University’s W policy was implemented in 2006. It permits three Ws for students’ first 29 hours and one W for each hour tier beyond that. The second hour tier ends at 59 hours, the third ends at 91 hours and the fourth ends at 119 hours. Anything above 119 hours is considered the fifth tier. “There was a concern with the number of students dropping courses very late in the semester,” Doolos said. “There was a lot of time and effort devoted to teaching these students, and then they would just drop the course.”Doolos said the new policy was implemented to give students who have a serious need for a course the chance to enroll.”There was a concern for a lack of commitment,” Doolos said. “These students were taking up space in a course that could have been used for students who really needed the course and would have taken it more seriously. [The W policy] was a way to ensure students gave careful thought to the courses they scheduled.” Doolos said the final reason for implementing the new policy stemmed from concern for students’ academic record. “I spoke with administrators at institutions such as medical school and law school,” Doolos said. “And if all other credentials were equal, they would choose to look at the student with less W’s. It shows they have more commitment to their academic career and a better handle on their curriculum.”In fall 2004, W grades made up 11.1 percent of all grades earned by University undergraduate students, according to the Office of Budget and Planning. In fall 2007, that same percentage decreased to 6.9 percent. Hanna said after looking at other Tier One and flagship universities, the W committee latched on to University of Florida’s W policy. “It took a lot of brainstorming,” Hanna said. “But I’ve spoken with members of the Faculty Senate, and they think we have a pretty feasible proposal. We have a pretty good chance.”After the final W policy proposal is completed, Hanna will submit it to the SG Senate for approval. If approved, it will be sent to the Faculty Senate’s Admissions, Standards and Honors Committee. With this committee’s go-ahead, the proposal will then go to the vice provost and before finally making way to the provost. Hanna said she was aiming to submit the proposal to the SG Senate before the end of the semester. She could not give an estimate of when, if ever, the new W policy would be implemented.—-Contact Katie Kennedy at [email protected]