The Faculty Senate voted Tuesday night to pass a classroom disruption policy that outlines to students and faculty the grounds for student removal.

The policy states its purpose is to provide effective learning, and that in order to accomplish this, “classrooms must maintain a civil environment, free from intimidation, disruption, violence, and harassment.”

If an instructor thinks a student’s behavior is disruptive, the instructor “should announce to the student and the class that the particular action is deemed disruptive.” The student can be asked to leave, and the instructor must request the head of the department suspend the student from class. If the department head decides the student can return, he or she must provide the instructor with resource materials.

“This is a difficult situation for instructors and [they] need some guidance on how to deal with the situation,” said Howard Shapiro, vice provost of undergraduate programs.

The Faculty Senate Executive Council voted last week to change the policy to have any student’s removal from class count as a drop. The senate voted Tuesday to change the drop from an academic drop to an administrative drop, for which there is no limit.

Changes were also made to the College of Business admissions policy and bulletin. One change states that “students from outside the College of Business are eligible to take up to nine credits in 300-level and above business courses without meeting the college’s admissions requirements, as long as they meet course prerequisites.”

For students who fail to keep a 2.0 semester grade point average, the changes state that students will be dismissed from the college and must “seek admission to another college before the beginning of the following semester to stay enrolled in the university.”

The Faculty Senate will meet next on Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gateway Center.