University of Virginia Library

Love Of Freedom

Some find authority for the
Honor System in the words of
Thomas Jefferson. "The human
character," he wrote, "is
susceptible of other incitements to
correct conduct more worthy of
employ than fear, and of better
effect." Mr. Jefferson possessed an
inordinate love of freedom as well
as a deep faith in human
responsibility under conditions of
minimum restraint. When properly
disciplined men would scarcely
need the presence of a controlling
power at all. What central power
existed would be concerned less
with curbing human excesses than
with creating an environment
condone to individual progress
and satisfaction. In large measure
the Honor System has underwritten
Mr. Jefferson's ideal of individual
responsibility at the University by
providing students an opportunity
to develop their own potentialities
with a minimum of outside
interference.

Why despite human
imperfection everywhere does
Virginia's Honor System continue
to function? The answer lies in the
careful restriction of the system's
jurisdiction to fundamentals.
Throughout its history the Honor
System has maintained a sharp
distinction between honor and
university regulations. The Honor
System is not concerned with
questions of excessive drinking,
sexual immorality, the use of drugs,
the shooting out of street lights,
disorderly conduct, the passing of
bad checks, or the failure of
personal debts. Such offenses may
demand punishment by a
disciplinary committee of the
University or by civil authorities,
but they are not strictly violations
of the Honor Code.