Honor code up for faculty review

Author: Annie Onishi

The Middlebury College Honor Code, the document obligating every student to uphold his or her academic integrity, is undergoing its triennial update this year. The Community Council approved the recommendations made by the Honor Code Review Committee (HCRC) at its last meeting, and the changes will go to the faculty for further approval.

The HCRC is composed of a dean, a faculty member and three students. Professor of History Don Wyatt, the faculty member on the Committee said, "Students represented the majority voice in the writing of the report [because of the make-up of the Committee]. The HCRC met on a weekly basis for a period of seven months, from October 2004 to April 2005. During that period, much input was received from students, especially student members of the Academic and the Community Judicial Boards."

The Honor Code is not undergoing any drastic changes, and the general principles of academic integrity and honesty will remain constant. According to Wyatt, "There are only two [changes] that directly affect students." He also stressed, "The changes in the Honor Code language remain recommendations at this point."

The changes to which Wyatt refers are slight amendments to language. Wyatt said, "The first is a relatively slight modification of handbook language concerning the submission of the same paper or a paper that is substantially the same for more than one course. This practice is already forbidden under our rules, constituting plagiarism and thus a violation of the Honor Code, unless a student has secured the consent of the instructors involved." The current language in the Honor Code reads: "…without prior consent of each faculty member involved." The proposed change reads: "…without prior written consent of both instructors involved."

The other recommended change that would directly affect students and their academic lives is the change regarding the reporting of academic dishonesty. The current language says that "anyone in the college community who is aware of an instance of academic dishonesty is morally obligated to report it to the Academic Judicial Board." Wyatt said, "The proposed amended language would add: 'Students also are, however, strongly encouraged to confront their peers at the first opportunity to do so.'"

In accordance with its by-laws, the Honor Code is reviewed and re-approved every three years. Wyatt said, "This reaffirmation last occurred in 2001. Needless to say, that process is running somewhat behind schedule this time."

The next step in the process is faculty approval. Wyatt and Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson said that the vote will occur at the next faculty meeting in February. This vote is not really an opportunity for criticisms, suggestions or additions of any sort. Wyatt said of the process, "Editing of any kind immediately before a faculty vote is discouraged. The Honor Code Review Committee's report has already been extensively vetted by Community Council."

According to Wyatt, the Honor Code has been a staple at Middlebury College since the 1960s. President James Armstrong instated the Code after his arrival from Princeton University, whose long-standing honor code Armstrong "much admired." Wyatt said, "Armstrong moved to install an honor code because he believed the demonstration of honesty to be a fundamental hallmark of students' taking responsibility for their own educations and lives."