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The Honor Committee handles violations of the Honor Code, which covers only in-class examinations. The Committee on Discipline handles all other academic violations (i.e. plagiarism, lab reports, homework, take-home exams) as well as disciplinary infractions. The Honor Committee is composed solely of students, whereas the Committee on Discipline has faculty, deans, and students.
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One person’s word against another’s is never enough evidence for a conviction. In cases involving a single witness, the committee requires corroborating physical evidence (i.e. examinations, notes, outside experts, etc.) in order to find an accused student guilty.
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The investigation and hearing process is completely confidential. If the reporting witness is a student, his/her name remains anonymous to all but the Honor Committee Chair and the two Honor Committee members assigned to investigate the case. However, if the reporting witness is a faculty member, his/her name will be available to the student in question upon request. In all cases, the student in question's identity is held absolutely confidential.
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Approximately 15-20 suspected violations are reported to the Honor Committee each year. The committee investigates each one, and about one-third of reported incidents will go forward to a hearing. The number of students found guilty of violating the Honor Code varies from year to year.
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"I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination." – followed by the student’s signature.
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Re-signing the pledge personalizes the contract between the professors and students. It serves to reaffirm each student’s commitment to uphold the Honor Code.
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The committee will always evaluate to what extent a student was informed of class policies, but generally speaking, ignorance is not a defense for an Honor Code violation. It is always the responsibility of the student to know what is and is not allowed on a particular exam. If there is ever a doubt regarding the class policy on exams, please ask your professor for clarification.
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If a student reports a violation within a reasonable amount of time and cooperates with the Honor Committee, he/she is not violating the Honor Code. Failure to report a violation within a reasonable period of time constitutes a violation of the Code.
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The Constitution of the Honor System can be changed by a petition of 200 students followed by a three-fourths vote in a student referendum, or upon the initiative of seven of the Honor Committee members followed by a three-fourths vote of the Undergraduate Student Government.
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The penalties include a reprimand, disciplinary probation, a one-semester or a one, two or three year suspension, and expulsion. Censure can be added to all penalties to underscore the seriousness of the violation.