University of Virginia Library

Honor Poll Studies
Merchant Relations

By JEFF LANE

The University's Honor
Committee is conducting a poll
of area businessmen to
determine the effectiveness of
the Honor System in merchant
student relationships.

The poll, conducted by Bad
Check Committee Chairman
Bill Garner, comprises the first
phase of a year-long effort to
re-evaluate the Honor System.

"Our primary concern is to
determine to what extent local
merchants base store policies
on the existence of the Honor
System," said Gordon
Peerman, Honor Committee
Chairman. "Determining just
what the System should
cover is a real problem."

The eight point survey given
to local businessmen in Barracks
Road, down town
Charlottesville, and the Corner,
is planned to give a perspective
of the merchants' familiarity
with the Honor System and
any shortcomings such as the
bad check problem.

Public Relations Effort

"The poll is a public
relations effort as such to
improve these
student-merchant
relationships," added Mr.
Peerman.

Whereas the Honor
Committee spent much of last
year in debate over the single
sanction controversy, the
Committee is now concerned
with determining the scope of
the Honor System.

Presently the system is
enforced throughout
Albemarle County. However,
according to Mr. Peerman,
"there is the alternative of
redefining the System's scope to
include only students'
relationships with other
students, faculty and staff.

The committee hopes to
have the poll completed by the
end of next week. After
examining the results, a survey
of students will be initiated in
order to compile a true
representation of student
sentiment on the Honor
System.

Poll Fulfills Promise

The poll is an initial step in
fulfillment of Mr. Peerman's
campaign promise of last year
to conduct an investigation of
the scope of the system before
making any alteration of the
single sanction policy.

"The University does not
exist in a vacuum and any
change made in the Honor
System would have
repercussions in the
Charlottesville community,"
Mr. Peerman explained.

Under the single sanction,
the Honor System calls for the
permanent dismissal of any
student found guilty of lying,
cheating, or stealing. A
proposed system of graduated
punishment was rejected in a
referendum taken last Spring.

Due to the far-reaching
importance of the Honor
System at the University, the
Honor Committee must
determine which acts the
students feel should be within
the jurisdiction of the Honor
System.