The University of Wisconsin Faculty Senate approved Monday a new policy for awarding degrees to students who die before completing all of their course requirements.

UW professor of chemistry and pharmacology Judith Burstyn introduced the new policy, which removed a qualification that a recipient of a posthumous baccalaureate degree have been in their final semester of course work or have earned at least 90 credits.

The new policy only requires the recipient of a baccalaureate degree to have been a senior in good academic standing in a degree program at the time of their death.

The qualifications for a posthumous graduate degree were not changed.

Recipients with required research projects must have previously completed all course requirements and have been near completion of a project the program’s committee ruled worthy of a degree.

“This policy is intended to preserve the faculty’s authority over making these recommendations for … degrees,” Burstyn said.

Under the new policy, to award a posthumous degree, a professor must make a recommendation. This recommendation will be approved or denied by the student’s academic department. After that, it will be passed to the chancellor’s office by the dean or director of said student’s department.

The Office of the Registrar will then record the degree on the student’s transcript. The student will be recognized during commencement and family members are invited to participate on the student’s behalf.

Originally introduced at the September Faculty Senate meeting, the policy was passed with no votes in opposition.

Another item of interest at the meeting, an addition to the Natatorium, was raised by the Chair of the Recreational Sports Board Thomas Givnish. He said the project is one of the board’s main priorities for the coming year.

According to Givnish, the addition and renovation would cost about $62 million and add roughly 150 thousand square feet to the building.

Burstyn also gave an update on a committee charged with reviewing the practices of the Athletic Board. According to Burstyn, the committee has been meeting weekly and conducting interviews and hopes to produce a report early in the spring semester.