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Honor Code Miscellaneous items

Impeachment Procedures

If any officer or member of the Academic Honor Council is accused of failure to discharge the duties of the office, the Council sitting as a board of impeachment shall hear the accusation. A quorum of two-thirds, excluding the accused, is required for a valid hearing. A majority vote of those present and voting, excluding the accused, is required to uphold the impeachment charge. The chair shall vote with the Council members. Proceedings in such cases shall be initiated by a petition from three members of the Council or by a petition signed by five members of the student body.

Amendment Procedures

The Academic Honor Code may be amended in the following manner:

  • Proposed amendments may come from the Student Government Association, the faculty governance system or the Dean of the Faculty.
  • Amendments are submitted to the Executive Committee of the Faculty. The Executive Committee will then forward the proposed amendment to the body or bodies that did not submit the amendment for approval.
  • Once approved by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Student Government Association, the proposed amendment will become part of the Academic Honor Code.

Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members

  • The faculty member in whose course the infraction may have occurred may appeal the finding of the Council to the Academic Honor Appeals Committee.
  • It is a faculty member’s responsibility to be clear about which assignments are collaborative and which are not. A faculty member may wish to include a “collaborative statement” on an assigned work that requires students to identify the names of other collaborators. A sample statement could read “I worked on this assignment with _____ and received help from ____.”
  • It is the instructor’s discretion whether to proctor an exam. Unproctored exams shall be optional but are highly encouraged.
  • ALL complaints in regards to the Academic Honor Council go to the Dean of the Faculty’s Office and will be reviewed by the Academic Honor Council Appeals Committee.

Student Organization “Test Files” The keeping of unauthorized tests, papers, and other assignments belonging to former students violates the spirit of academic integrity. Organizations keeping unauthorized files must dispose of those files. Organizations who retain these unauthorized files will be cited as a judicial violation, subject to The Code of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities. This does not preclude the keeping of tests, papers, and other assignments when specifically authorized by the instructor.

Assessment. Implementation will begin in fall 2006. Annual reports will be submitted to the Dean of the Faculty and to the Academic Affairs Committee so that this process may be assessed and changes implemented. The Academic Affairs Committee will request a periodic review at least once every five years. The review committee will consist of two faculty members appointed by the Dean of the Faculty, two students appointed by the Dean of Faculty, and one member of the administration.

Education

This honor system, like any honor system, works only to the extent that participants understand and embrace the values and process by which these values are upheld and celebrated.

To this end, it is the responsibility of all members of the academic community to educate new members of the community about the honor system. There should be agreement amongst all members that an honor system is critical to the educational process, to the institution’s mission, and to student’s personal and academic success.

Although not exhaustive, the following are some of the ways in which the College community can learn about (and embrace) the honors system:

  • Presentation to all first year students through the RCC. The Honor Council could provide a common orientation, followed by in class discussions with Peer Mentors and faculty.
  • Peer Mentors, Residential Assistants, and Student Government Association members incorporate a training block as part of their preparation.
  • An online website will be developed with links, expanded details, and descriptions of academic integrity concepts. Specific examples may be cited.
  • Peer education is highly effective, and all efforts should be made to encourage peer education (through the Honor Council).
  • Each faculty member should address the issue of academic integrity not only in the syllabus, but also in class throughout the term.

Acknowledgements

This policy is adapted, with permission, from the University of Maryland, the University of Richmond, and Washington and Lee University. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of many other schools including Trinity University (TX), Birmingham Southern College, James Madison University, Wheaton College, Gettysburg College, Vanderbilt University, Rhodes College, St. Olaf College, University of Miami, Davidson College, Emory University, University of Denver, Valparaiso University and Bucknell University.