Honor FAQs for Faculty

Why should I report a violation?

The Honor Code's strength lies in the community's willingness to support it and to report instances that may violate our community's values. By reporting potential violations, the community also can ensure that situations in which our Code may have been violated are addressed in a fair and consistent manner.

Reporting a violation

Protects students from disadvantage/maintains a level playing field - when students violate our Code it affects the community in ways seen and unseen. Students who do not cheat suffer a relative disadvantage when others do, and the pressure to perform academically can lead to a decision by others to cheat when they observe students cheat without consequence. We strive to maintain a level playing field on which students receive evaluations based on their own work and ability. When another student cuts corners, it impacts others who strive to conduct themselves with integrity.
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 judgments 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 student run with advising from Community Values & Restorative Practices. From start to finish, the faculty reporter and respondent receive contact and updates from the Honor Council and CVRP at each stage of the process.
Provides consistency in judgments and, if necessary, sanctions -The Honor Council process provides the only venue where violations are reviewed for consistency. If, for instance, faculty members operate outside of the official process, one student may receive vastly different outcomes for violations committed in different courses
Provides the university the ability to identify and address repeated patterns of behavior - As CVRP maintains records of all findings of violations, this record system is the only place where repeated patterns of behavior can be discovered and addressed. If each faculty member acts on their 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.

How do I confront & report a violation?

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

Approach the student and arrange a meeting with him or her. At the meeting, discuss your observations as neutrally as possible 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 Community Values & Restorative Practices.
Inform the student that you must report the matter and do so within five working days. Inform the student that you are doing so and that the Honor Council will contact them soon. Complete a report on our online report form. On this form, you can upload documents--if you have documents or other information in addition to the online report you may bring them to CVRP (383 Sadler Center), or we will be happy to pick the materials up at your office upon request. Make and retain a copy of all documents you are submitting.

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 process themselves. Feel free to direct them to this website or to CVRP's staff if they have any questions on how to proceed. If the student still is uncomfortable, you, as the professor of the course, can file the report yourself. The student, however, must understand that the Honor Council will still need to interview them, and the student will have a duty to cooperate with any investigation and any subsequent proceedings. The Code contains numerous protections against retaliation, harassment, threats, and intimidation, and we will protect the student vigorously from any reprisal resulting from their cooperation.

What happens after the report is submitted?

Shortly after submission, you will receive an email from the Chair of the Honor Council. The assigned Honor Council investigator 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 panel, you likely will be called as a witness. The Council will work to identify a date and time for the panel that is convenient for all parties, although typically panels occur on weekday evenings around 6:00 PM. If you cannot be present for the proceeding, the Council can arrange to have you participate via phone or Zoom. During the proceeding, the panel will ask you to present your observations, the situation surrounding the alleged violation, and any other relevant information. The panel and the student will have the opportunity to ask you questions. This is not a cross-examination, and you can expect to be treated with respect throughout the process. 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. You also have the option for remaining through the presentation of additional information, or you may leave after you conclude your portion (we recommend remaining if possible, as often additional information comes to light, and it is helpful to hear your perspective; you also have the opportunity to ask questions of the student in order to clarify any of the student's statements).

If the student is found in violation, the Honor Council will move into a sanctions phase to determine the appropriate sanction. The Council will impose a primary sanction ranging from a warning to permanent dismissal, and it can issue secondary sanctions/educational measures such as community service, reflection exercises, restitution, academic coaching, and counseling. If the student is found responsible for an academic violation in your course, the Council will make a grade recommendation (either a failing grade on the assignment or in the course); however, the ultimate grade determination is the purview of the instructor. We encourage you to consider the Council's recommendation, as it is is informed by the outcomes of similar cases and ensures some level of consistency among cases.

What does the Honor Council consider for sanctions?

The Nature of the Violation and the Harm Created by the Act(s)

What harm or potential harm was created by the student's conduct? What was the harm (or potential harm) created by the act?
How would this act, if repeated by others, affect our community and the trust enjoyed by students?
How much planning or forethought did the student's act entail?

Extraordinary Circumstances Surrounding the Violation

Are there any compelling personal circumstances (death of family member, traumatic experience, etc.) that were present at the time of the violation? How did those circumstances affect the student's judgment and behavior? Absent these factors, is it likely the violation would have occurred?
Special interests (such as involvement in student organizations, athletics, etc.) are not considered mitigating.

Development and Educational Impact

What factors contributed to the student's decision-making and behavior at the time? What, if anything, has the student done to address those factors? How might the Council provide the student opportunities to address these factors?
Was the student's behavior a result of a deficit of knowledge or skills? If so, how might the Council issue sanctions to fill these gaps?
Has the student adequately reflected on the matters under review? Do they exhibit a full understanding of the factors and circumstances that led to their violation? Do they appreciate fully the impact of their actions on others?
Does the student display a thorough understanding of their obligations as a member of our community?
Prior Violations/Previous Disciplinary History
- Does the student have any prior honor or disciplinary violations?
- Is this violation indicative of a broader pattern of behavior?
- What has the student learned from past incidents?
- Is this situation similar to past incidents in type or nature?