Next year, students may not be able to audit courses after the first week of classes.

The Faculty Senate discussed at its meeting Tuesday a proposal allowing students to request to audit a course only during the first week of the semester and requiring them to get permission from the instructor.

The issue will be voted on at the May 2 meeting.

Christie Pope, chairwoman of the Academic Council, said the proposal was made because of complaints from faculty members that students audit the course and then never come to class after that.

“[It is because] students wish to maintain their full-student status,” she said.

Pope said this was not the original purpose of audits.

“Audits were originally intended to give students an opportunity to learn about a course they were afraid to take for credit,” she said. “It is apparently used by many students now for a different purpose.”

Jim Hutter, political science, asked if most students choose to have audits recorded on their transcript or not.

“Most are non-recorded because most students don’t want employers to see that,” Pope said.

However, Pope said some graduate students want audits on their transcripts to count toward their master’s degree or Ph.D.

Warren Dolphin, zoology and genetics, said he didn’t like to sign audit slips because he knows students often just want to have more than 12 credits but won’t come to class.

“That way you’re not dropping the course, but you don’t have to come,” he said.

Hutter said the university doesn’t have any good alternatives for students who find themselves under 12 credits. He suggested that more departments should offer courses the second half of the semester.

Dean Ulrichson, president of the Faculty Senate, said when students are having trouble with a course, advisers often tell them to audit a course to keep their full-time status.

He said he thinks this is fine as long as students plan to come to class but not if they stop going.

Max Porter, civil and construction engineering, said he thinks the issues surrounding changing the audit system need to be examined.

“I think the use vs. abuse needs to be looked at,” he said.

Denise Vrchota, communication studies, also presented the new Senate Strategic Plan, which is currently being discussed by the executive board.

The plan would work on issues such as communication between the senate and the general faculty and the image of the senate.

“I would say that it helps a strong senate to become stronger,” Vrchota said.