University of Virginia Library

The Honor System

Committee Faces Many Duties

By Bill Fryer
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Fourth In A Series

When students think of the
Honor Committee's duties,
they put trials at the top of the
list. Certainly trials should be
classified as one of the central
responsibilities of the
Committee, but trails alone do
not make the whole of the
Committee's job.

Research, communication,
and administration are three
broad areas which require
much of the Committee
members' time. According to
present Chairman Whitt
Clement, while increasing
student enrollment in the
University, these areas have
demanded much more
attention.

Student Opinion

Besides the regular duties which
concern the Honor Committee, this
year's Committee has undertaken
the task of discovering a reliable
method by which student opinion
can be measured. As Mr. Clement
has stated, "One very real problem
that exists here is that 'consensus of
honor.' For any honor system to
serve as an effective code of
conduct it must of course have
widespread student support."

Terry Cox, the former President
of the Architecture School,
reasoned that if any provision of
the system lacks credibility with
the present student generation, the
whole Honor System could be
thrown into jeopardy.

Honor Study

The Committee approached the
problem through a study led by the
President of the Graduate Business
School, Lee Chapman, in which
various alternatives in measuring
opinion were examined. The
committee felt that any reform
should be initiated by the student
body through their opinions on
provisions of the system.

After much discussion and study
on review procedures, this year's
Committee has created a new
mechanism for instituting reform
when necessary, which includes
both the ideas of petitioning and
voting.

In order to carry out the
primary function of conducting
trials, the Committee feels that it
must at times legislate regarding its
trial procedures and regarding the
standard to be used in determining
whether one's conduct is
honorable. According to the new
policy, "the Honor Committee shall
continue to initiate revision in the
Honor System both substantively
and procedurally when it considers
such revision necessary for the
continued smooth operation of the
system."

Referendum

After a change has been
instituted by the Committee,
however, it can be subject to a
referendum if petitions, asking for a
student body vote, are signed by at
least 20 per cent of the students in
each of at least seven of the ten
schools.

For the referendum to count 60
per cent of the student body must
vote, and for Committee's
decision to be upheld, 67 per cent
of those voting must vote in favor
of the Committee's decision. If less
than 60 per cent of the student
body votes a second referendum
will be held. If 60 per cent fail to
vote at that time, the Committee's
decision will be deemed to be
upheld.

What Reform?

Of course, the Committee still
must decide when reform is needed
in the system. Currently, the
Committee is working with opinion
polls to give them a reliable idea
about how the students here think
in terms of the Honor System.
Members of the present Committee
readily admit that just finding a
viable mechanism for change has
taken up much of their investigative
time this year.

Next year's Committee will be
faced with the problem of really
finding out what the students
believe on any questionable
provision or area of the system.
They will also have the
responsibility of deciding just when
there is a lack of consensus which
warrants a change. If there is a big

enough lack of consensus, the new
Committee will have to devise an
intelligent alternative which will
alleviate the problem.

Next year's Committee will also
be faced with the annual problems
which are confronted in
administering the system. One of
the biggest tasks of the Committee
is the chore of presenting an
effective orientation to new
students. The work on this huge
project starts soon after election
time and culminates in September.
While many University students are
enjoying their summer vacations
the Honor Committee spends the
summer in hot Charlottesville busy
at work.

There is much more work than
just orientating the new first-year
men in September. All of the new
graduate students, new faculty
members, and summer school
students receive an intensive
presentation of the workings and
principles of the system.

As part of this communication
the Committee attempts to make
sure that the incoming student is
aware that he is entering a
community of mutual trust bound
by an honor system. According to
Mr. Clement the new student
"touches base" with the system
seven times before he really
into his own daily University
routine.

After reading a short
explanation of the Honor System,
the hopeful University student signs
an agreement to aide by it when
applying for admittance. During the
summer incoming students receive
letters from the Committee and
from the President of their
particular school welcoming them
to the University and briefly
explaining the system. A "Blue
Sheet" is enclosed with these
letters.

Immediately as the new student
arrives in September he receives a
letter from the Committee
delivered by his dormitory
counselor. During his orientation he
hears an address on the system by a
distinguished Faculty member or
alumni, an explanation of the
system by his counselor, and asks
members of the Committee often
perplexing questions during their
September visits to the dorms. The |