University of Virginia Library

Kip Klein

1) The Honor Code must be constantly open to
revision by the student body in order to
survive. There are some candidates who
advocate working within the framework of the
Honor Code as it is now. There are others who
touch upon the ideas of limited scope and
graduated penalties; however, they tend to
underemphasize these points. It is my belief
that the questions of scope and penalties are
the most important subjects of the election. It
is for this reason that I have stressed them in
my platform. These areas must bend with the
changing winds of student opinion if the Honor
System is to work. This is why I state, in all
seriousness, that the Honor Code, to be
effective, must be flexible.

2) There seems to be a growing consensus
among the student body that the single penalty
system is too harsh in many situations. A
referendum should be held, and the Honor
System should be changed in compliance with
student opinion. The decision must lie within
us, the students; for it is our Honor Code. As
for my personal beliefs, I hold the opinion that
a graduated system of penalties should be
enacted. Honor, like any other absolute in this
world, must be tempered with reality. When we
act, we do not ask ourselves if our actions are
perfectly good or absolutely bad. Instead, we
ask ourselves questions of relativism. Along this
line, our penalties should not be absolute but
graduated according to the seriousness of the
offense.

The Honor Code is now binding anywhere in
Albemarle County. This means that there are
many areas in which the system is now binding
yet unenforceable. Such a situation leads to a
decline in respect for that system. I believe that
we should omit these areas by limiting the
scope of the Honor Code to the University, all
University functions, and all situations in which
the student represents the University. This
would include dealings between the students
and townspeople.

3) In the recent vending matching case the "all
or nothing" penalty system proved to be an
enormous handicap. I believe that stealing two

soft drinks should not warrant expulsion;
however, I also believe that such an incident is
an honor offense. The Honor Committee,
through its decision to drop the case, caused a
great deal of controversy and polarization
among the students. The committee, by
recognizing that this incident is an honor
offense and taking no action, has thrown a large
inconsistency into the Honor Code. For these
reasons I do not agree with this decision. The
Honor Committee would have caused less
polarization and inconsistency if it had used a
graduated penalty in this case. The power of
change should be used carelessly; but in this
case, however, it should have been used.