State of the Honor Code: 2009-2010

As Chief Justice I am pleased to present a summary of the cases heard by Honor Code Council in the 2009-2010 academic year. The committee heard a total of 31 cases. Of these cases 21 were of an academic nature, while 10 were social. In three cases Honor Code Council found that no violation of the Honor Code had occurred. Nine of the academic cases heard were conducted through the new Faculty-Student Resolution Process (FSRP). Of these cases all of the decisions were ratified.

Of the academic cases heard, 13 involved plagiarism, five involved cheating on an exam, and one involved the submission of the same paper for multiple classes. Social cases heard included five cases of theft and three cases that involved misuse on FirstClass.

Sanctions given to students found in violation of the Honor Code are both punitive and educational. The punitive aspects of sanctions for the past academic year ranged from deduction of points on an assignment to suspension. The educational aspect of a hearing decision often included learning research skills from the PLTC, citation instruction from the Writing Program, or consulting with a class dean.

A large change in procedure in the 2007-2008 year was the addition of the Faculty Student Resolution Process (FSRP). These numbers will be included in all future State of the Honor Code addresses. We have reason to believe that this process is working well, and bringing cases to the committee that were previously dealt with "in house" by professors.

I hope this report gives you all a better understanding of the current state of our Honor Code. Honor Code Council is continually struck by how professors, students, administrators, Campus Police, and the Registrar's Office trust our process to reach fair and unbiased decisions for alleged violations. In order for our Honor Code to be effective, and for our community to continue to uphold the ideals of honesty, integrity, and respect that we hold dear, this commitment must continue.