Honor System
THE CONCEPT OF HONOR —
One shall not lie, cheat, or steal.
For more than a hundred years the Honor System has been one of Sewanee’s most cherished institutions. The Honor Code is an attempt to formulate that system. But no code can adequately define honor. Honor is an ideal and an obligation. It exists in the human spirit and it lives in the relations between human beings. |
What happens if a student violates the Honor Code?
The Honor Code at Sewanee is one of this community’s most important traditions. It is, however, more than a tradition. It represents a way of living. The code is based on the idea that lying, cheating, and stealing are not acts of honor. For over a hundred years Sewanee students have sought to live in accordance with this ideal. Upon entrance to the University every student signs a form signifying acceptance of the Code. Its key provisions are stated in a leaflet sent to new students before orientation in the fall. The same statement is included in the college catalog or on the web at
http://www2.sewanee.edu/catalog_student_life/student_governance.
The Honor Council, which is composed entirely of students, is charged with the responsibility of dealing with Honor Code-related cases. Rules for the conduct of hearings are contained in the leaflet on the Honor Code and in the College Catalog.
There are several things, which may be especially important for parents to understand about the Honor Code at Sewanee. Development of character is considered important in Sewanee and so is the Honor Code. They are related to one another, but they are not completely the same. To be charged with or even found guilty of a code violation can happen to a student who is highly regarded and also considered honorable. All students can make mistakes. Your son or daughter needs to be encouraged, regardless of his/her past experiences and records, to remain vigilant in the observance of the code. When a violation occurs, intentionality is essentially impossible to judge, and Honor Council outcomes tend to be based on whether the code itself was breached.
Support from parents for the institution and its Honor Code is important and much appreciated. When a question is raised about a potential impropriety, the Honor Council has no recourse but to investigate. That is how the system, if it is to be in place, must work. When a case arises, parental indignation based on some sense that an offspring’s character has been maligned is less helpful than a sense of support for the process at what is inevitably a difficult time for all concerned.
If found guilty of an academic offense (cheating on a pledged assignment or test or plagiarism), a student is required to withdraw from the University. A student found guilty of an offense other than an academic offense may, under certain circumstances, be granted probation “under certain circumstances, be granted probation and other specified penalties rather than suspension.” Probation is automatically revoked if the student on probation is found guilty of another violation of the Honor Code.
A student who has withdrawn because of an Honor Council violation is not allowed to re-enroll in the University until after a specified time has elapsed following the semester in which the violation took place. The same provision applies to students who withdraw in the face of an Honor Council proceeding. A student in such a situation must apply to the college for readmission. Readmission is not automatic.
Students who withdraw from the University for any reason are required to leave the campus within twenty-four hours.
The Office of the Dean of the College serves in an advisory role to the Honor Council. Questions should be directed to the Associate Dean of the College.
