Freshman students at The University of Tennessee could see changes in the residence hall visitation policy within the coming year, according to a bill passed at Tuesday night’s Student Senate meeting.

University Services Directors Derek Sanders and Troy Weston and Student Services Director Adam Prater introduced a bill that would amend the campus visitation hours for university freshmen with C-level visitation.

The survey we did overwhelmingly shows that students are interested in changing this policy, Weston said. A majority of other peer institutions are going to a 24-hour visitation policy.

According to the bill presented, the policy has not been changed since 1993 and many of UT’s peer institutions, including some other universities in the state, have much more lenient visitation policies than the current C-level offered to freshman.

The current visitation policy allows members of the opposite sex to be present in freshman residences from 2 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from noon to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The proposed legislation, which passed almost unanimously, would allow students to visit with members of the opposite sex from noon to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and all 24 hours on Friday and Saturday.

Weston, however, pointed out that passing this bill does not mean that any immediate changes will take place.

The bill will now have to proceed through the Department of Housing, Student Affairs, the Chancellor’s office, the Board of Trustees and will finally have to be approved by the State Legislature, Weston said.

Despite the maze of departments the bill must wind through, Weston feels hopeful that the policy will be amended.

Prater, however, pointed out that UT might not want to make the immediate jump to an unlimited visitation policy for all students because this proposal must first be approved by the Legislature to become effective.

Completely abolishing visitation is a not a realistic goal at this point, he said.

One senator especially felt that changing this policy would be a great improvement. Rachel Morrison, College of Nursing senator, recalled a time when her father could not even go up to her room because of the current visitation policy.

The senate also passed a variety of other bills, including an amendment to the Student Senate’s bylaws, a resolution to adopt an anti-retaliation-and-discrimination policy for UT faculty and staff and a proposal to put a new T stop at Fraternity Row.