Honor Referendum and New Committee Updates

Dear friends, 

I am writing to update you on how the Honor Committee will proceed in light of last month’s referendum vote. For the first time since our Honor System’s inception in 1842, we students have voted to transform our system from single-sanction to multi-sanction, in which the consequences for committing an Honor offense will be proportional to the act and take into consideration the circumstances of the student in question. This new system realizes an evolution in Honor and our Community of Trust in which rehabilitation, growth, and equity are foremost ideals. To review a summary of changes or the full text of the new Constitution, which goes into effect July 1st, please visit our website. 

Last week, your school’s elected Honor Committee representatives began their term and will meet weekly on Sundays at 7:00 PM on the fourth floor of Newcomb Hall. We are currently developing the procedures for the upcoming change, and your input will help create a fair and effective system, one that belongs to every student at the University. Please join us during public comment, which occurs at every meeting, and find your representatives’ contact information on the Honor website. As temporary stewards of the System, we are privileged to meet with, listen to, and advocate for you during our term.

At our first Committee meeting yesterday, representatives discussed how the system should process cases that are reported between the referendum date of March 2nd and its ratification date of July 1st. In the spirit of the referendum, the Committee has resolved to give all newly reported students the option of either having their case proceed under the single-sanction system or placing their case on hold until the multi-sanction system goes into effect this summer. 

As always, we thank you for your participation in student self-governance and your continued commitment to the evolving projects of Honor and our Community of Trust. No achievements of the last term, or the years prior, would have been possible without your consistent demands for change and betterment. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] and have a great week. 

Best, 
Hamza, Chair of the Honor Committee