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PAGE EIGHT THE FIAT LUX, ALFRED, NEW YORK TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1962
Honor System
(Continued from Page 3)
The clearest method of demonstrating
the mechanics of an honor system
Is to concentrate on its Judicial
aspects. This will also reveal many
other factors including: 1) by what
procedure a case reaches the honor
court, 2) what standards or rules
Of honor have been violated, and 3)
what factors are taken into' consideration
in determining the guilt or
Innocence of the accused.
College A Is a non-sectarian institution.
It has a judicial branch of
student government which consists
of seven elected members (two
sophomores', three juniors, two seniors):
1. Offenses failure to fulfill assembly
requirements by one assembly.
Rules Students are required to attend
half of the aggregate number
of assemblies each Semester.
Penalty: Attend two extra assem
biles next semester.
2. Offenses Two juniors smoking
In their rooms.
Rule: No smoking in rooms exthose
specified.
Background: Both girls seemed to
Indicate a generally indifferent attitude
toward the honor code. At
the same time, they were not antagonistic.
The board felt that their attitude
might be the result of living
Wider rather ineffective honor system
In preparatory school. Because
of the grav'ty of the offense, a
strict penalty was in order.
Penalty: Three weeks ©ampusing.
College B's honor system is divided
into two equal branches, the
academic honor system" and the social
honor system. The academic
Infringements are dealt with by a
>board composed of four faculty
members (including the Dean of
Students and the College Physician)
and three students. The social
violations are considered by a board
of eight students representing the
different classes. The student who
haS infringed upon- the social honor
system comes before the board
himself, with his house president,
and explains the reasons for the offense.
Then there iS questioning and
conversation as the board points
out the reasons for the rules and
the individual responsibility under
the honor system. The offender of
•the academic honor system usually
does not apoear before the board,
•often because he is in a rather agitnti-rf
if ate. Therefore, the chairman
of the honor board, a student, talks
to him at length and presents his
ca=p to the board.
The following illustrates the procedure
taken by this school in reaction
to violations of the academic
lionor system:
1. Thirteen library books not
signed out from the college library
were found in a student's room.
They had been taken over the period
of the freshman year through
the senior year.
2. Any book taken from the library
must be signed out with the
student's full name and class.
• 3. The student, a senior, gave
her own testimony to the chairman
ini
of the honor board, who represented
her to the rest of the board. She
was extremely frank, admitting openly
her actions. She had not really
thought of It as dishonest. No
one else had been Inconvenienced
as there were many copies of some,
and others were rarely taken out.
4. The chairman spoke:
a. to a professor who knew her
well, about her general honesty,
her personality, and her
outlook on life.
b. to her house president, for her
house citizenship.
c. to the head of the group with
which she Spent her Junior
year abroad, for her citizenship
there.
d. to the vocational office for her
summer Job recommendation.
6. She suddenly realized the magnitude
of her action, and in spending
a good deal of time with the
chairman of the board, came to understand
herself and her way of
life far more thoroughly.
6. The board considered grades,
{attitude, pressures, the student's
future life, and the college community
in general.
7. The student asked to leave the
college immediately to see a psychiatrist.
She asked to be given the
opportunity of readmisslon, as early
as her psychiatrist thought advisable.
The following is an example of
an offense against the social honor
system at the same college:
1. The offender was sent to' the
board for being late three times
and for not doing the jobs In the
house. All students in this college
are required to work once a week.
2. The offender being a freshman,
the board tried to explain the necessity
for each student playing her
part in the academic community,
and the responsibilities which the
honor System places on each person.
3. The penalty imposed was seven
days of oampusing and three trips
of taking reserve books from the
library to the students in the infirmary.
Besides handling cases against
the Honor Code, the Board of College
E "strives to prevent breaches
of honor before they occur, by reminders
to the student body such
as posters, assembly talks and notices
of the Board's meetings." Violations
of both social and academic
natures were noted during the period
of observation, but we have chosen
to present only one of the academic
cases here.
1. Academic Honor — Examinations
and Quizzes.
2. Sophomores, four, no previous
offense.
3. Reported by a member of the
class who witnessed the offense.
4. Case — the four girls, when
told of a pop-quiz, opened their
notes and studied while the questions
were put on the board. They
assured the Board that they did not
look at the questions while studying,
and thus didn't consider it
cheating, asd so didn't report it as
such. Now they see the unfairness
to' the remainder of the class, who
did not have the advantage of a
last-minute look at their notes.
5. Decision — The offenders
agreed that the Instructor should
be Informed of their action so she
could grade accordingly. It was recommended
that in the future they
consider such actions to be covered
by the Honor Code.
The Judiciary Committee In this
school functions separately from
the Student Council. It Is composed
of two representatives from, the
senior, Junior and sophomore classes,
and one freshman, elected after
the first semester. The Chairman
of the Judicial Committee has a
seat on the Student Council.
The case chosen from the report
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of College F illustrates their principle
oi "mutual responsibility."
This Is a responsibility placed upon
the individual and the group to prevent
or check any harmful attitudes
or undesirable conduct reflecting
discredit upon the individual. Reporting
Individuals guilty of infringements
against the honor system
also is implied here.
Offeiise: Two girls reported by
dormmates for smoking in their
room.
Rule: There is not adequate protection
from fire In the old-fashioned
dormitories: therefore, girls are
not allowed to smoke In their
rooms. There IS a smoker provided
in each building which Is permanently
open.
Background: Both girls spoke before
the Board and said they didn't
believe in the Honor System, or
the way in which it worked. Their
reason for smoking In their room
was that they were mad at the other
girls in the dorm. They were
"testing" the mutual responsibility
phase of the system by not report-1
lng themselves within forty-eight
hours after the violation occurred.
Their dormmates did not report
them, so mutual responsibility did
come into effect. Their attitude toward
the Honor System was very
negative. They felt that they were
"forced"' to smoke in their room
when they wanted to study. They
seemed to blame their violation
completely upon others. During the
Board's discussion of this cjase,
they considered the seriousness of
the violation (fire hazard) and the
poor attitude of the girls.
Penalty: The penalty decided upon
was social discipline for a period
of two weeks and confidential probation
for second semester.
The Honor Board of the college is
composed of eight Students and six
members of the administration.
'Civil Service
Interviews
The New York State Department
of Civil Service will hold
Interviews on Monday, October
29. Interested students should
see Dean Powers to schedule
the Interview.
PHI EPSILON PI
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