Senate Executive Committee chairwoman Martha Nell Smith.

Students suffering from anxiety and other problems will no longer have to rely on an unwritten rule allowing them to retroactively withdraw from classes and could be able to nullify a semester’s worth of poor grades through a formalized university policy.

Although retroactive withdrawal was already permitted on certain occasions, a policy was not formally stated in the university’s undergraduate catalog, student handbook or withdrawal policy. The University Senate passed a bill Thursday granting students who suffer from psychological distress the formal right to retroactively withdraw from a semester of classes. The measure, which was approved by a 68 to 2 margin, now awaits university President Wallace Loh’s signature to become university policy.

Unaware that withdrawal was already allowed in some cases, 2012 graduate Samantha Roman proposed allowing retroactive withdrawals to the senate about a year ago, an idea inspired by an English course assignment.

“[Retroactive withdrawals] are necessary, because if a student has an extenuating circumstance, that really impacts their grades negatively in a given semester,” Roman said.

As it turned out, an unwritten withdrawal policy already existed. Why it wasn’t explicitly listed in university handbooks before Thursday’s vote, however, isn’t clear.

“We already have it in place anyway, and now we’re formalizing a practice that’s already there,” said Martha Nell Smith, the senate chairwoman. “It’s not a policy that should be abused … That’s not what it’s for. It’s for very special circumstances, and I think those should be accommodated.”

Some university officials were unaware of the informal policy, Roman found.

“I’m really happy that they are clarifying that in the student handbook,” she said. “When I was researching, even people walking in the registrar’s office weren’t aware that we had a policy.”

The Academic Procedures and Standards Committee reviewed Roman’s proposal and drafted legislation before it was brought to the full senate body for a vote. The committee’s chair, faculty senator Chris Davis, said it was a simple, sensible clarification.

“It’s a very well-written proposal with a great deal of documentation,” he said.

Roman had also sought a path for some withdrawn students to re-enter the university without petitioning the Faculty Review Board — still a requirement for anyone who exits with a cumulative grade point average below 2.0. However, the APAS Committee did not include that provision. Davis said skirting the Faculty Review Board in cases of anxiety or psychological distress could unfairly restrict the criteria for such exceptions, so his committee decided to keep the range of justification broader.

“[The clarified policy] is very friendly. It’s very flexible. It’s not very prescriptive,” he told the senate.

Senators said implementation of a clear retroactive withdrawal policy is a crucial step to ensure students who suffer from mental illness are treated fairly by the university.

“Everyone has different and unique circumstances that often are no fault of their own,” said Matthew Popkin, an undergraduate senator and speaker for the Student Government Association’s legislature. “[The bill] just allows for a little bit more clarity.”

Retroactive withdrawals are a fair way to help students whose psychological struggles impact their work, Roman said.

“I think that they should be able to have those grades withdrawn so that it doesn’t negatively affect their GPA in the future,” she said. “When they’re applying for jobs, for graduate school, it’s really important that students have the opportunity to put their best foot forward and not be held back.”