The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, September 12, 1972 :: University of Virginia Library

"The Honor System is a
standard of behavior in student
life, required of students
attending the University of
Virginia by their fellow
students This standard of
behavior promotes a spirit of
community conducive to
mutual trust among
students Over the years the
definition of dishonorable
conduct has varied in detail,
but these essential elements
have persisted lying, cheating,
and stealing."

Revised Blue Sheet

These excerpts are from the
introductory paragraph of the
Honor Committee's newly
revised Blue Sheet explaining
the University's Honor System.
First-year students will receive
the Blue Sheet from their
counselors or advisors during
orientation

The University's Honor
Committee approved "a major
revision" of the Blue Sheet last
March. The changes
emphasized clarity and
readability by incorporating
contemporary language,
however, no changes were
made in the sanction or scope
of the system.

The revisions mark recent
efforts to make the Honor
System effective and
responsive to the current
student body

"This fall provides a great
chance for the Honor
Committee to lead the student
body forward to greater
understanding of the Honor
System." said College President
and Honor Committee
Chairman Gordon Peerman

Committee Begins Study

"Everyone must understand
and support the system to
make it effective," he
continued "We will strive to
make the system contemporary
to the needs of the student
body"

The committee has begun a
study to establish standards for
psychiatric defense, which
would ensure more protection
for the individual on trial

Working toward a
re-evaluation of the system's
scope, the committee plans to
poll area merchants "to
establish their credence in the
University's Honor System." A
limited student evaluation
survey might also be taken

The system, first conceived
in 1842 after the assassination
of a professor during a riot
against faculty surveillance of
examinations, provided only
for an exam pledge In 1909
the increasing size of the
University forced the
establishment of a formal
procedure, the Honor Code

Since its conception the
Honor System has been faced
with the difficulty of adjusting
to current student opinion

In 1956 the Honor
Committee Chairman extended
the system's scope to make
lying for liquor an Honor
offense In 1969, however a
student poll indicated that the
student body did not consider
this situation reprehensible
the committee reversed the
previous decision that year

The committee also felt that
it was unreasonable to apply
the Honor System to all facets
of a student's life,
Geographical boundaries were
soon established to include
only areas within
Charlottesville and Albemarle
county

Appeal System

The appeal system was also
expanded in 1969 to include
the possibility of appeal on the
basis of a "good cause", which
was defined as violation of the
rights of the accused or
procedural error which could
have effected the outcome of
the trial.

Last spring questions about
the code's scope and penalty
system were climaxed with the
Honor Committee elections.
Some students doubted the
fairness of the single-sanction
penalty of mandatory
expulsion. They proposed a
two-sanction or graduated
penalty which would
coordinate the gravity of the
crime with the penalty A
referendum measuring student
support of the single-sanction
was placed on the March 27
election ballot The results
showed that 68 per cent of the
voters favored the present
single sanction.

The referendum, however,
demonstrated that at least a
third of the voters were
dissatisfied with the present
system. Mr Peerman indicated
that the Committee will
concentrate on studying the
code's scope this year

Efforts will also be made to
ensure that all students
understand the code. Mr.
Peerman cited the counselors'
role as a crucial element in the
Honor System's success. He
also said that the Honor
Committee would utilize all
University publications to
improve communications.

CD/Bob Humphrey

Chairman C.G. Peerman And Vice-Chairman M.F. Warner

"Everyone Must Understand And Support The Honor System."