University of Virginia Library

Single Penalty Scrutinized

an act of cheating within the
classroom.

In an address to an entering class
Bernard P. Chamberlain stated in
1960: "The whole point and
purpose of the Honor System is
that in an honorable society if any
member elects to be dishonorable
he simply forfeits his right and
privilege to remain a member of
that society. This is necessary in
order to maintain the mutual trust
and security among the members.
Therefore, any honorable member
may and must demand that
another member committing dishonor
shall leave the group immediately
and permanently."

The debate between individual
concepts of honor could go on
forever, but Committee members
say that the determining factor is
how far the current student generation
believes the system should go.
The scope of the system should be
the subject of periodic polls determining
student opinion so that a
consensus can be maintained, according
to many past chairmen of
the Honor Committee.

Some critics of the system who
are outside the student community
do not believe that students are
capable of administering the system
or making wise decisions. One
father whose son was dismissed
from the University for a breach of
the system called the Honor Committee
a "Kangaroo Court." He
argued that the future of students
at the University "should not be
put into the hands of a small group
of boys, elected in popularity
contest, playing God."

The Committee's reply to this
argument has been that the system
is completely a student operation.
A student at the University is
responsible to no one else but his
fellow students for his actions.
Present members of the Committee
have emphasized that in an age
when students have been demanding
more control over University
life, the Honor System stands as an
example of what can be accomplished
when students are given
the responsibility to govern their
own actions.

In the last decade there has been
much criticism about the secrecy of
the affairs of the Committee. In an
effort to bring the workings of a
trial "above ground," the Committee
instituted the right of an
accused to have an open trial.

Present Chairman Whitt Clement
has stated that a potential problem
for the system is the individual
ethic or personal moral view of
some students. All do admit that it
is often hard to find a common
ground of honor in a large university
with a diverse student body.

Next: A 'look at the legal
criticisms of the system.'