Student Council passed a resolution to support a request from first-year visiting students from Tulane to apply to the University as transfer students in a majority vote last night.
First-year visiting students circulated a petition, garnering over 100 signatures, to allow them to transfer to the University before earning 24 credits. Currently, visiting first-year students from Tulane are not able to apply to transfer to the University after one semester due to University credit regulations requiring transfer students to have at least 24 college credits.
College Representative Catherine Tobin, sponsor of the bill, said that the 24-credit regulation is the only reason why the University cannot consider first-year visiting students from Tulane as transfer students.
Tobin added that yesterday was the deadline for transfer applicants.
"Council could act today and a new procedure would have the chance to be enacted quickly," Toobin said.
Council amended the resolution before passing it so that it is clear Council only supports the resolution if there are no standing legal issues.
"We are recommending that the rule be suspended so that the 24-credit requirement won't be necessary for the first years from Tulane," said Vice President of Administration Okey Udumaga said. "We said barring any legal issues, being that we don't know those, we are going to support it. We can't tell administration what to do. The students obviously want [the option to transfer]. We are voicing their opinion with our support of it."
Engineering Representative Pavan Gupta said Council should pass the resolution to represent the University student body in support of the Tulane students.
"Basically at the end of the day we should look at it as what the student body wants the University to do," Gupta said. "We are a representation of the student body not the administration."
Gupta added that the transfer students would not get priority over normal transfer applicants.
"They still have the same opportunities, and they would be going through the same process as regular applicants," Gupta said.
Graduate Arts and Sciences Representative Josh Davis said Council might not be in the position to support Tulane students.
"I don't think it's our position to give U.Va. legal advice," Davis said. "They have lawyers for that. The university should take a more diplomatic position."
Gupta said by not passing the resolution, Council would be disadvantaging all students.
"The visiting students are technically U.Va. first years," Gupta said. "University students have built friendships with these Tulane and Loyola students."
Tobin said the University is not aware of the policies of other universities with respect to the visiting students.
Last night Council also unanimously passed a resolution to establish a crosswalk between the S6 Lot and Gooch/Dillard residences.
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