Academic institutions, recognizing the reality of academic dishonesty, are seeking solutions to reduce instances of cheating, plagiarism, and other breaches of academic integrity. As a response, many academic institutions establish “honor councils,” internal organizations that seek to maintain and promote integrity within schools and universities.
Typically, honor councils consist of a body of students and faculty members who work together to advance academic honesty and to create an environment in which students can express their opinions freely while respecting other people’s work and ideas. The effective collaboration of students, faculty, and administrators is key in promoting professional and ethical behavior.
A common initiative of honor councils is to ask students to sign an “honor pledge” before taking an exam, and some universities ask that students sign honor pledges before turning in each assignment. At the University of Virginia, for instance, students declare, “On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received help on this assignment” before submitting any assignment.1
Many universities consider honor pledges a written commitment from students to abide by established ethical standards. However, this is not always the case. Although many students are sincere about signing an honor pledge, other students sign honor pledges without intending to comply with the honor code. Nathalie Saade, a psychology student at the American University of Beirut, recalls recently signing an honor pledge on a business exam. She says, “Even though some students do not take the pledge seriously, it is still important. Whether or not it creates in them a sense of responsibility and morality, it does remind students of the existence of the honor code.” Saade adds, “The psychology department at AUB does not include an honor pledge, but I think AUB must consider applying it to all faculties.”
Honor councils sometimes also act as disciplinary entities. In such situations, students who commit dishonest acts are referred to the honor council, and the council investigates the individual case and hands down sanctions if necessary.
Some honor councils offer seminars for students who are found at fault for academic dishonesty. At Vanderbilt University, the honor council provides an educational online seminar. According to Daniel Swinton, the Dean and Director of the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, the seminar “encourages reflection, fosters learning, and provides more educational sanction.”2 Seminars like these are a means through which students are educated about, and not just penalized for, academic dishonesty.
Other honor councils engage students through positive reinforcement, such as asking students to nominate fellow peers as “ethics ambassadors.” At Duke University, students can nominate anyone on campus who has done something worthy to demonstrate “particular strength of character.” The nominee is recognized for his/her deed by becoming the new face of honor on campus.3
Apart from finding appealing ways to motivate students, honor councils must also ensure that students know of the council’s existence and understand what their institution’s honor council does. Reed College is seeking to reevaluate its honor council’s purpose and objectives to better meet the needs of its campus community. Lizzie Sandercock, an honor council member at Reed College, encourages honor councils to promote their aims more directly. According to Sandercock, students were not informed about the purpose of the college’s honor council, did not participate in the honor council’s meetings, and never visited the honor council during regular office hours.4
Because notions of honor and honesty are not set in stone, honor councils have the potential to nurture academic integrity in students. Signing an honor pledge, voting for ethics ambassadors, and participating in seminars are important measures to begin creating a culture of academic integrity on campus.
1 University of Virginia. (n.d.). The code of honor. Retrieved from http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/shorthistory/code.html
2 Simon, A. (2011). Are you Cheating? InsideVandy.com. Retrieved from http://www.insidevandy.com/drupal/node/16839
3 Duke University Honor Council. (2009). Ethics ambassadors. Retrieved from http://honorcouncil.groups.duke.edu/
4 Canter, J. (2011). Honor council reevaluates, looks to take action. The Quest. Retrieved from http://www.reedquest.org/2011/02/honor-council-reevaluates-looks-to-take-action/