Honor code

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"Code of honor" redirects here, for the first season episode of see Code of Honor.

An honor code or honor system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people (at least within the community) can be trusted to act honorably. Those who are in violation of the honor code can be subject to various sanctions, including expulsion from the institution.

In America, the first student-policed honor system was instituted in 1779 at the College of William and Mary at the behest of Virginia's then-Governor Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had graduated from William & Mary in 1762 and inked a basic honor system for his college.

Recent Honor Trial held at the University of Virginia. The Cavalier Daily, November 14, 2005.

Jefferson later envisioned a similar honor system for his University of Virginia; it was at first based on strict laws limiting student behavior, but later based on student self-government. Unfortunately, he never lived to see it in practice there. In 1842, Henry St. George Tucker, then a professor at the University of Virginia, revised the university's honor code in the wake of an investigation involving the shooting of a university professor. The idea was to have students "vouch" for one another and agree to report misbehavior. In this spirit, Tucker revised the honor code to include the following pledge: "I do hereby certify on honor that I have derived no assistance during the time of this examination from any source whatever, whether oral, written or in print." [link] This pledge has, in one form or another, since been adopted into the honor systems of other American universities.

However, Jefferson's vision of a student self-governed system remains largely unrealized. Most schools adopting honor codes limit their application to the academic realm. More comprehensive systems -- not unlike Haverford's and Davidson's-- where students ratify and enforce social and academic codes, are rare.

Today, some of the most notable and most stringent honor codes are currently in place at the U.S. federal military academies--the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The military academy honor codes not only govern the cadets' and midshipmen's lives at the academies, but are looked at as essential to the development of military officers who are worthy of the public trust. As such, the codes are not limited merely to academic situations or to conduct on campus; cadets and midshipmen are expected to live by the codes' ethical standards at all times. Under the academies' honor codes, violation of the code is generally dealt with by disenrollment of the offender.[link]

Enforcement of honor codes differ from campus to campus as well. UVA opts for an administration-run honor code which involves student input and is generally limited to academic concerns. Haverford College holds an honor code which is ratified (or not) by students yearly and run by an elected body, Honor Council. This code is concerned with an academic as well as a social component, demanding equal respect among students, in contrast to the military academies' focus on hierarchy. Davidson College also holds a dual honor code. An urban legend surrounds the Davidson code stating that a student was put on trial for not reporting an extra can of soda dispensed by a vending machine.

Sample honor codes

"I hereby certify on my honor that I have neither given nor received any assistance during this examination." - University of Virginia
"I will not lie, cheat, or steal to gain academic advantage, nor tolerate those that do."
" As Haverford students, we seek an environment in which members of a diverse student body can live together, interact, and learn from one another in ways that protect both personal freedom and community standards. If a diverse community is to prosper, its members must attempt to come to terms with their differences; this goal is only possible if students seek mutual understanding by means of respectful communication. By holding us accountable for our words and actions, the Honor Code acts as an educational tool, instructing us to resolve conflicts by engaging others in dialogues that yield greater awareness for all parties involved. By encouraging respectful conduct, we hope to create an atmosphere conducive to learning and growing." - Preamble, Haverford College Honor Code
"A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." - U.S. Military Academy Honor Code
"We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." - U.S. Air Force Academy Honor Code
"I affirm that I have adhered to the honor code in this examination." - Oberlin College Honor Code
"I have neither given or received nor have I tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid." - Valparaiso University Honor Code (http://www.valpo.edu/student/honor/)
"No member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community." - California Institute of Technology Honor Code
"On my honor as a University of Colorado student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance." - University of Colorado Honor Code
"I pledge my honor that I have abided by the Stevens Honor System." - Stevens Institute of Technology Honor Code
"To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the University Community have set forth this honor code." - George Mason University Honor Code [link]
"Because I believe that integriry is esential, I promise not to lie, cheat or steal" -T.M.I.—The Episcopal School of Texas

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