Site Administration The College of William and Mary

Judicial Affairs

Resources for Potential Accusers

Why Report
Sanctions
Faculty Resources-How to Confront and How to Report
Student Resources
Contact Information

Why Report?

The Honor Code's strength lies in the community's willingness to use it and report matters that are worthy of investigation. By reporting potential violations, the community is assured that situtations in which our Code may have been violated are addressed in a fair and consistent manner.

Reporting...

  • demonstrates to other students that the Honor Code is working.

While confidentiality prevents us from making it common knowledge that a particular student has broken the Code, the Council releases reports detailing the verdicts and sanctions to the student body at the end of the semester.

  • provides for peer review.

The Honor Council is an organization elected by the student body and is entirely student run. From start to finish, the accused student and accusers are in contact with one of the 24 Honor Council members involved in each stage of our process.

  • provides consistency in judgments and, if necessary, sanctions.

The Honor Council process provides the only venue where violations are reviewed with consistency. If, for instance, faculty members operate outside of the official process, one student may receive a completely different outcome as another for substantially similar conduct. In addition, as the Dean of Students Office maintains records of all findings of violations, the system is the only place where repeated patterns of behavior can be discovered and addressed. If each faculty member acts on his/her own, there is no way to know whether a student's act is an isolated, one-time event or the product of a pattern of behavior.

Below you will find resources for both students and faculty. These resources will help guide you through our process. We feel that when potential accusers have a greater understanding of what the Honor Code process entails, many more are willing to submit an accusation. We hope that the information below will answer all of your questions, but, if they do not, please contact us!

 

What is the Response -- Sanctions?

Not every case that goes through our process moves to the hearing phase, and, not every student who has a hearing is found guilty. If found guilty, however, the student will recieve a sanction. They range from warnings to permanent dismissal. For a detailed look at all of our sanctions, both primary and secondary, and what they mean, see our Sanctions section.

 

Faculty Resources--How to Confront and How to Report

If you have a student that you suspect of either lying, cheating, or stealing:

  1. Approach the student and arrange a meeting with him or her. At the meeting, discuss your observations and request that the student provide you with an explanation. If the student offers an explanation that leads you to conclude that there is no violation, forget the matter (you cannot take punitive action outside of the honor process). If the student's explanation does not negate your concern about a potential violation, you must report the matter for investigation by the appropriate council. If you are unsure about whether a student may have violated the code (or the procedures for moving forward), please contact the Dean of Students Office.

  2. Inform the student that you must report the matter. Provide the student with 24 hours to report themselves to the Honor Council, and then complete a Report of Potential Violation form. Bring the form and supporting documentation to the Dean of Students Office (109 Campus Center), or we will be happy to pick the materials up at your office upon request. Please make copies of all documents you are submitting to the Honor Council.

If a student comes to you to report an Honor Violation:

Sometimes, students feel uncomfortable accusing a peer of an Honor Violation. If they come to you, encourage the student to confront the classmate and follow through with the accusation themselves. Feel free to direct them to this website if they have any questions on how to proceed. If the student is still uncomfortable you may file the accusation yourself following the steps above. The student, however, must understand that the Honor Council will still need to interview him or her, and he or she will have a duty to cooperate with any investigation and/or hearing.

What happens after the accusation is submitted?

For a quick overview, refer to our Process Page. Shortly after submission, you will receive contact from the Chair and the lead investigator. The investigator will begin an investigation, and he or she will contact you to identify a date and time that would be convenient for the investigating committee to interview you and receive additional relevant information.

If the case proceeds to a hearing, it is likely that you will be called as a witness. The Council will work to identify a date and time for the hearing that is convenient for all parties, although typically hearings occur on weekday evenings around 6:00 PM. During the hearing, you will be asked to present your reasons for submitting an accusation, the situation surrounding the accusation, and any other relevant information. The panel and the accused student will have the opportunity to ask you questions. This is not a cross-examination. The round of questioning is an attempt to clarify any information that the panel needs to make an informed decision.

After questioning is over, you may make a final statement, which can include your recommendations for sanctioning. You also have the option for remaining through the presentation of evidence, or you may leave after your testimony concludes (we recommend remaining if possible, as often additional information comes to light, and it is helpful to receive the faculty member's perspective).

Following the hearing, the Dean of Student's Office will notify you of the outcome and the Honor Council's recommendations. When it comes to the final grade, assignment grade, or any other factors that affect your class, the Honor Council will make recommendations (either a failing grade on the assignment or in the course overall), but the ultimate decision on any grade penalty is yours.  

 

Student Resources

If you suspect someone in your class has committed an honor violation...

The first step is to confront the behavior. While it is difficult to accuse a peer of wrongdoing, the Honor Code is designed to allow the student an opportunity to explain his or her actions. Make sure you meet the student in private, to preserve confidentiality. Having a copy of the Honor Code is helpful, because it allows you to point to the relevant code language.

  1. Approach the student and arrange a private place to discuss the matter with him or her. Discuss your observations and request that the student provide you with an explanation. If the student offers an explanation that leads you to conclude that there is no violation, forget the matter (you cannot take punitive action outside of the honor process). If the student's explanation does not negate your concern about a potential violation, you must report the matter for investigation by the appropriate council. If you are unsure about whether a student may have violated the code (or the procedures for moving forward), please contact the Dean of Students Office.

  2. Inform the student that you must report the matter. Provide the student with 24 hours to report themselves to the Honor Council, and then complete a Report of Potential Violation form. Bring the form and supporting documentation to the Dean of Students Office (109 Campus Center), or we will be happy to pick the materials up at your office upon request. Please make copies of all documents you are submitting to the Honor Council.

  3. Contact the Honor Council at 221-3305 if you have any questions leading up to the begining of our investigation.

If you feel uncomfortable, go to your professor for help. They are valuable resources! Also, feel free to call the Dean of Students Office for advice and guidance, 221-2510.

 

Important Contact Information

The Honor Council:
Chair: Matt Dinan
Vice-Chair: Will Eaton
Office: Campus Center 167
Office hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 3pm
Office Telephone: (757) 221-3305
Fax (label it Attn: Honor Council): (757) 221-2538
Dean of Students Office: (757) 221-2510
Email the Honor Council

The Dean of Student Office
Campus Center, Room 109
College of William and Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Phone: (757) 221-2510
Fax: (757) 221-2538 (Fax)
Email Dean of Students Office

Office of Judicial Affairs
 Dave Gilbert, Associate Dean of Students/Director of Judicial AffairsCampus Center, Room 109
Offfice: (757) 221-2510
Fax: (757) 221-2538
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Email Dean Gilbert


As a Member of the William & Mary community. I pledge, on my Honor, not to lie, cheat, or steal in either my academic or personal life. I understand that such acts violate the Honor Code and undermine the community of trust of which we are all stewards.

-- The William and Mary Honor Pledge