Student Governance

Honor System THE CONCEPT OF HONOR — One shall not lie, cheat, or steal. For more than a hundred years the Honor System has been one of Sewanee’s most cherished institutions. The Honor Code is an attempt to formulate that system. But no code can adequately define honor. Honor is an ideal and an obligation. It exists in the human spirit and it lives in the relations between human beings.

The Honor Code
Resolutions which have been adopted by the student body from time to time to further an understanding of the Honor System include the following:

First, that any adequate conception of Honor demands that an honorable person shall not lie or cheat or steal.

Second, that membership in the student body carries with it a peculiar responsibility for the punctilious observance of those standards of conduct which govern an honorable person in every walk of life.

Third, that, since the integrity of the degrees granted by the University must depend in large degree upon the Honor Code, all students in every class must regard themselves as particularly bound by their honor not to cheat in any form, and as likewise bound in honor not to fail to report any cheating that comes to their knowledge.

Fourth, that plagiarism is a form of cheating because the plagiarist copies or imitates the language and thoughts of others and passes the result off as an original work. Plagiarism includes the failure to identify a direct quotation by the use of quotation marks or another accepted convention which delimits and identifies the quotation clearly, paraphrasing the work of another without an acknowledgement of the source, or using the ideas of another, even though expressed in different words, without giving proper credit.

Fifth, the same paper may not be submitted in more than one course without the prior permission of the instructors in those courses.

Sixth, because the preservation of equal access to scholarly materials is essential in any academic community, it is a violation of the Honor Code to fail to check out a book taken from the library, or to remove from the building without proper authorization non-circulating materials such as reference books, periodicals, or reserved books.

The Pledge
Upon entrance to the University every student agrees to abide by this Honor System and is asked to sign a form signifying acceptance of this Honor Code. Each examination, quiz, or other paper which is to be graded carries the written pledge: “I hereby certify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this paper. (Signature).” The abbreviation “Pledged” followed by the student’s signature has the same meaning and may be acceptable on papers other than final examinations.

The Honor Council
An important part of Sewanee’s Honor System is its maintenance and administration by the students. For this purpose students elect an Honor Council consisting of four seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, and one freshman. All members are elected by their respective classes. Following the election of new members in the spring, current and newly elected members of the Honor Council shall elect a Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. The council may invite a student from the School of Theology to participate, without vote, in its proceedings.

The election and organization of this council, its jurisdiction, its rules of procedure, and other relevant matters are subject to oversight by the Order of Gownsmen and the Student Assembly, which may recommend changes from time to time. Before becoming effective any changes are submitted to a referendum vote by the entire student body and must receive approval of two-thirds of those voting, and of the Vice Chancellor. The jurisdiction of the Honor Code is not restricted to the Domain of the University. Cases may arise, however, because of distance or other circumstances, for which a fair hearing is impractical. The council shall release case-related statistics, mindful of the students’ right of confidentiality, to be made available to the student body.

Although it is each student’s responsibility to know the content of the code, the Chair of the Honor Council undertakes each year to familiarize new students with its meaning and significance and to remind the faculty and staff of their responsibility to support the code.


Rules of Conduct for Hearings Before the Honor Council, Appeals, and Penalties

Rules for the Operation of the Honor Code During the Summer School

The Order of Gownsmen
Among Sewanee’s many customs, none perhaps is more distinctive than the wearing of the gown by students and faculty. Gowns were originally authorized to be worn by all students in 1871, and the Order of Gownsmen (OG) was established in 1873 at the instigation of Chaplain William Porcher DuBose. The students who are members of the OG have worn the gown as a badge of academic distinction ever since.  The OG was the original and only form of the student government until the 1960s, when the Delegate Assembly was created.  Even at that time, all parts of the student government, including the Delegate Assembly, the Honor Council, the Pan-Hellenic Council, the Student Vestry, and the Discipline Committee, were all directly responsible to the Order.  In the 1970s and the 1980s, this was changed; however, the Order remains the oldest and premier branch of the student government.

Today, the Order works along side the Student Assembly to voice student opinion through legislative action and exercises other forms of influence.  It is also uniquely charged with the maintenance and promotion of the spirit, traditions, and ideals of the University. In addition, the OG  runs the Election Committee, which is composed of all Proctors and is chaired by the President of the Order. Undergraduates earn membership in the OG as seniors (students with 96 or more hours) if their academic average for the previous two semesters at Sewanee or at a foreign study program sanctioned by the University is 3.00; as juniors (students with 64-95 hours) if their academic average for the previous two semesters is 3.20; as sophomores (students with 24-63 hours) if their academic average for the previous two semesters is 3.40.

In accordance with faculty legislation, gownsmen must be inducted into the Order to be considered a member; students who cannot be present for the induction ceremony because they are abroad are inducted in absentia.  Students who have not earned the GPA to be a member of the Order, but who have passed their comprehensive examination, are automatically inducted into the Order as de facto members once they have passed their comprehensive examinations.

In accordance with the provisions of the Student Government Constitution, the OG serves as a force for channeling student opinion to promote positive change. Besides the OG’s substantial legislative authority through its appointment power to student and faculty committees, the OG’s Executive Committee and task forces are unique methods for investigating the problems and concerns of the University Community. The degree to which the OG is involved in University life is determined by the President and body itself. The OG adopted its own constitution in 2007, which gives further structure to its organization and responsibilities.

Furthermore, as the head of the oldest branch of the student government, the President of the Order is, by precedent, the most senior officer of the student government.

Student Assembly
In 1969, the Order of Gownsmen created the Delegate Assembly, in an effort to create a more democratic and equitably representative body for the all students at the University.  At that time, the Delegate Assembly had concurrent legislative and representative powers and responsibilities with the OG, with the exception that the OG could veto or require the reconsideration of any actions of the Delegate Assembly.  This structure was later changed, and the Delegate Assembly was reorganized into the Student Assembly (SA) in the 1970s.

The present Student Government Constitution was approved by student referendum in the spring of 2007.  The Constitution establishes the SA as the branch of the student government, which is specifically charged with representing the entire student body.

The executive officers of the Assembly are a Speaker, a Secretary, and occasionally a Treasurer elected each spring from the student body at large. In the fall representatives are elected from each college dormitory, the School of Theology, and non-dormitory students, in the ratio of one representative to each thirty students. In addition, the Executive Committee of the SA may appoint members-at-large.  Furthermore, the Interfraternity and Intersorority Councils have non-voting delegates who attend SA meetings.

The Assembly represents student opinion and makes recommendations to the Faculty and Administration; it legislates in matters of student affairs subject to ratification by the Faculty and Administration; and it recommends to the Provost and Deans of Students the allocation of student activity funds through the Student Activities Fee Committee.  It is also uniquely responsible for approving charters for new student organizations.

Student Executive Committee
The Student Executive Committee is comprised of the Speaker, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Student Assembly; the President, Secretary, and Parliamentarian of the Order of Gownsmen; the Head Proctors; the Chairs of the Honor Council and Discipline Committee; the Editor of The Sewanee Purple; and the Student Trustees.  The Speaker of the Student Assembly serves as chair of the committee.

The Student Executive Committee shall have the following responsibilities: 1) to meet on a regular basis to facilitate communication among the various student organizations; 2) to serve as a possible venue for resolving conflicts among members of student government or for hearing grievances of the student body against the student government; 3) to participate in the Proctor selection process, if appropriate.

Student Life Committee
The Student Life Committee shall be comprised of the Speaker, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Student Assembly; the President, Secretary, and Parliamentarian of the Order of Gownsmen; the Head Proctors; the Head Assistant Proctors; the Chairs of the Honor Council and Discipline Committee; the Editor of The Sewanee Purple; the Head Residential Computer Consultants; the Student Trustees of the College and School of Theology; the President of the St. Luke’s Student Body; the Chairs of the Interfraternity and Intersorority Councils; the Manager of the Women’s Center at Bairnwick; the President of the African American Alliance; the President of the Gay-Straight Alliance; and the Chair of the Activities Fee Committee. The Senior Trustee serves as chair of the committee.

Student Discipline Committee
While most routine matters of student discipline are handled by the Deans of Students, some matters may be referred to the Student Discipline Committee, a nine member body elected by undergraduate students which makes recommendations to the Deans of Students. The Discipline Committee, following written notification to the student involved and a subsequent hearing to examine pertinent information and hear testimony, has the power to recommend a range of penalties including, but not limited to fines, assigned community service, oral or written reprimands, social probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Constitution of the Student Government may be found at http://www.sewanee.edu/og/const/SG