University of Virginia Library

No Honor

Concerning the
announcement in The Cavalier
Daily on February 11, 1972 I
am forced to write this letter.
As a foreign student (I am
from Germany) I consider the
activities in and around the
University very carefully and
critically.

Quite a lot time I got down
to the Honor Committee, to its
problems and its objects in
view. This was done mainly in
discussions with other
students, who come from USA
and foreign countries other
than mine.

From these discussions and
my experience at a German
University, I hoped students
would look for better
alternatives than keeping an
Honor Code which leans on
history and the memory of
Thomas Jefferson. According
to the specific attitude of the
American students this
remained a hope.

The dismissal of that
student from the Engineering
School, which you announced
a couple of days ago, provides
now enough arguments for my
being no longer silent, but
telling you what a German is
thinking about a system, which
is representing and keeping
honesty of an American
University.

But let's come to the facts.
It is a matter of fact that this
particular student from the
Engineering School did
something wrong, and there is
no doubt that he cheated in
the sense of the Honor Code.
So far I agree with you, but I
decline strictly that kind of
punishment you did.

What is that a penalty
considering the offense of the
student? You dismissed a
student, who plagiarized (that
happened last semester) and
now you dismiss a student,
who didn't solve only one
problem in the right way, but
turned in correctly. Where are
the distinctions in both
punishments since these two
offenses are so different
according to their seriousness?
Where do you take the right
from to judge of people like
you and me so
inexorably? Where do you take
the right from to use
punishments, which
contradicts every humanity
and justice? Does that fit into
the democratic image of an
American University?

Do you actually realize
what such a punishment means
to a student? Losing the money
for tuition and fees, getting rid
of his lease, leaving his friends,
and in particularly looking for
another University, losing
perhaps one semester of study?
Did you consider that under
specific circumstances you also
punish his roommate(s), who
has to look for another one?

This attitude which you
bring to light so undoubtedly is
another typical example of the
American complacency and
self-justice under the
anonymity of the Committee,
which unfortunately happens
so often to a foreign student.
By this the Honor Committee
compromises itself and shows
its evident incapacity. I only
regret that on the part of the
students who underlie this
self-righteous system of Honor
Codes, there is not protest, no
complaint, no reaction.

As far as this concerns me
(I am student of U.Va.), I try
to convince as many
students as possible of the
doubtfulness of this Honor
Code. Furthermore, I'll write
detailed reports to my German
University, to the Fulbright
Commission, and to the
Akademisches Auslandsamt der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland,
and to the International
Institute of Education, New
York, in order to inform
students, who intend to come
to U.Va, about the Honor
Committee and its real
activities.

This is my only and
democratic contribution for
the abolition of this Honor
Committee.