University of Virginia Library

Alan Featherstone

1) To my knowledge, I am the only candidate
for the office of President who favors a system
of graduated penalties in which permanent
expulsion from the University would still
remain as a penalty — but only as the most
severe punishment for only the most heinous
offenses. I consider myself to be neither a
traditionalist nor a reformer. I only claim to be
contemporary.

2) The single penalty — permanent expulsion
from the University — is too severe because, in
practice, it is the only penalty. I favor a system

of graduated penalties for students found guilty
of an honor violation in which a unanimous
vote is required for permanent expulsion from
the University & instead of the four-fifths now
required. Any lesser vote would require a lesser
penalty or acquittal.

The honor system should be concerned with
all actions of students in which reliance is
placed upon them as being University students.
With the scope of the system thus denied; any
limitation of the system by geographical
boundaries is superfluous.

3) Concerning the Vending Machine case I
know only what was reported in the CD. Given
this limited knowledge I will venture an
opinion. I am pleased that the Honor
Committee took the initiative to reverse itself
when it felt it had acted unjustly. The question
in this case centers around the student opinion
of the seriousness of this offense. My
knowledge of current student opinion on the
case suggests that the Honor Committee acted
correctly under the present system. However,
the overwhelming consensus among students is
that the case should not have resulted in an
acquittal — which may be a timely argument
for a system of graduated penalties.