University of Virginia Library

Student Controlled Tradition

Honor System Promotes Mutual Respect

"The basic purpose of the
Honor System is to enable
students and members of the
University community to trust
one another in all of their
dealings. Through this spirit of
mutual trust comes pride and
self-respect for each individual
living in a community governed
by such an Honor System,"
according to the present
Chairman of the Honor
Committee, David Morris.

The System simply requires
that a man or woman shall act
honorably in all the relations
and phases of student life.
Student life includes all actions
of students in Charlottesville
and Albemarle County and in
addition actions in other
situations where a student is
trusted because of his status as
a University student.

Under the System a student
may not lie, cheat, or steal. If
he does any of these three
things, he runs the risk of being
accused of a breach of honor by a
fellow student. He may then
request an honor trial before the
Honor Committee, which is
composed of the student Presidents
or Vice-Presidents of the ten
schools of the University.

A verdict of "guilty" by the
Honor Committee results in
permanent expulsion from the
University of the offender. There is
but one penalty-dismissal.

According to Mr. Morris, the
student living under the System
benefits in both intangible and
tangible ways. Aside from the
benefits in both intangible and
tangible ways. Aside from the
intangible feelings of self-respects
and pride, there are many tangible
benefits such as unproctored tests,
competing for grades on a fair basis,
take-home quizzes, one's word is
accepted as true, check cashing
privileges, and many more.

For the System to continue to
work, it is of course necessary that
each student support the principles
of the System collectively and
individually. The Committee states
that "we as students must be
willing to confront face-to-face a
student suspected of a violation of
honor. This necessity of personal
confrontation excludes any
possibility of spying or
tale-bearing."

An accusation is made after an
investigation is conducted by the
accuser just as speedily and quietly
as possible and only after the
suspected offender has failed to
give an adequate explanation of his
actions. The accused may then
request a trial and will be provided
with a student counsel from the
School of Law. The accuser should
be firmly convinced of the quilt of
the suspected student before an
accusation is made.

The Honor Committee has run
into some trials recently in which
there was considerable confusion
because the accusers or the accused
did not follow the prescribed
procedure out of ignorance. It is
extremely important that each
student have a working
understanding of the "Blue Sheet"
and that he understands what is
required of him under the System.

In an effort to overcome these
difficulties, the Honor Committee
has sought to present a more
coherent and standard picture of
the System to the new students. An
extensive outline of guidelines has
been devised for the counselors in
helping them to orient the entering
student.

Along this line the Committee
completed a poll on student
opinion and knowledge of the
System and is currently analyzing
the results. Such polls have resulted
in some changes in the System in
the past.

In other major action the
Committee changed the "Blue
Sheet" last year to allow the
convicted student to appeal if he
shows "good cause" to a second
committee composed of officers of
the schools who did not sit on the
original trial. A student who has
been found guilty by the
Committee may always request a
new trial if new evidence is found
which bears directly on the
question of quilt or innocence.

The appeal procedure in no way
changes what has been called "the
finest exemplification of student
self-government." It allows the
various vice-presidents to play a
more active role on the Committee
and does provide one more
guarantee to the accused that he
will receive a fair and just trial.