Academic honor code

An honor code or honor system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people (at least within the community) can be trusted to act honorably. Those who are in violation of the honor code can be subject to various sanctions, including expulsion from the institution.

In America, the first student-policed honor system was instituted in 1779 at the College of William and Mary at the behest of Virginia's then-Governor Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had graduated from William & Mary in 1762 and inked a basic honor system for his college.

Jefferson later envisioned a similar honor system for his University of Virginia; it was at first based on laws limiting student behavior, but later based on student self-government. Unfortunately, he never lived to see it in practice there. In 1842, St. George Tucker, then a professor at the University of Virginia, revised the university's honor code in the wake of an investigation involving the shooting of a university professor. The idea was to have students "vouch" for one another and agree to report misbehavior. In this spirit, Tucker revised the honor code to include the following pledge: "I do hereby certify on honor that I have derived no assistance during the time of this examination from any source whatever, whether oral, written or in print." [1] This pledge has, in one form or another, since been adopted into the honor systems of other American universities.

Jefferson's vision of a student self-governed system remains largely unrealized. Most schools adopting honor codes limit their application to the academic realm. Models like Haverford College, where students ratify and enforce social and acadmeic codes, are rare.

Sample Honor Codes

• "I hereby certify on my honor that I have neither given nor received any assistance during this examination."
• " As Haverford students, we seek an environment in which members of a diverse student body can live together, interact, and learn from one another in ways that protect both personal freedom and community standards. If a diverse community is to prosper, its members must attempt to come to terms with their differences; this goal is only possible if students seek mutual understanding by means of respectful communication. By holding us accountable for our words and actions, the Honor Code acts as an educational tool, instructing us to resolve conflicts by engaging others in dialogues that yield greater awareness for all parties involved. By encouraging respectful conduct, we hope to create an atmosphere conducive to learning and growing." Preamble, Haverford College Honor Code
• "I will not lie, cheat, or steal to gain academic advantage, nor tolerate those that do."