Senators from each NMU department gather and take their seats for the Academic Senate meeting held on Tuesday. Members saw a litany of agenda items, one of which protects students who face bereavement and need time off. (Journal photo by Antonio Anderson)

MARQUETTE — A new bereavement policy is taking form at Northern Michigan University.

On Tuesday at the Academic Senate meeting, department representatives discussed the policy as the policy went though its first reading. It has to go through a second reading in the Academic Senate, which will then decide if it should move along. If it does, it goes to the provost before being admitted into Northern Michigan University policy. The bereavement policy would guarantee students time off should they face a close personal death.

“I think a lot of the discussions are because we think we are fine with students taking time to grieve,” said Academic Senate Executive Committee Vice Chair Hugo Eyzaguire. “This is only for the case that the instructor is going to deny the student, then they have this to overturn it.”

The policy saw minor debate between different department representatives who shared and challenged each other. The debate saw representatives recommend wordsmithing to be less vague, to require students to do less work when following the policy channels, and they asked the two Associated Students of NMU representatives present to give a response.

“This has been trying to be passed for a few years now,” said ASNMU President Dana Hinckley. “The longer we spend on the details and changing the words, the longer that students won’t have this policy. I think it has been two years it has been pushed off because of these tweaks, and yes the tweaks are important, but if we could just get something out there I think that would be very beneficial for students.”

The next Academic Senate meeting will be held Tuesday, April 8, and any student and faculty member may attend these meetings but first must email Academic Senate Executive Committee Chairperson Jaime Crabb, at jcrabb@nmu.edu, to secure a spot.