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 will be asked to sign a form signifying acceptance of this Honor Code. Each examination, quiz, or other paper which is to be graded will carry 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.
