Debunking myths about the Honor Council

Although the Honor Code is an essential and ubiquitous element of the Davidson College community, the Honor Council remains shrouded in mystery for many students. The entirely student-run Honor Council will be busy with cases as usual this semester, but it will also be striving to accomplish an important new goal: to remove the intimidating mystery surrounding the Council.

Dan Keller '12, the current Chair of the Honor Council, is especially interested in increasing student understanding. "A lot of students don't know what we're up to, but the Honor Council is so much more than hearings," he said.

"It's worth it for the students to know. We have a vision," Keller continued. "We're more than people who determine sanctions. I'm concerned about student awareness and developing that relationship."

To help build that awareness, the Honor Council presented its second annual Mock Trial to students as part of Wildcat Welcome Week this year. In the near future they also plan to present a panel to the students to facilitate a discussion about what constitutes "Official College Business."

"It is a qualifier for what makes things Honor Code issues, but it has a lot of gray area, it seems," said Keller.

Also in the plans is a faculty forum to encourage existing faculty and new leadership of the College to ask questions about and discuss the Honor Code in order to encourage them to maintain trust in the system.

While most students may never become actively involved with the inner workings of the Honor Council, 33 students who have been elected by their peers are deeply occupied with the daily functioning of the Council.

Notification of an Accusation

When a student is turned in for a suspected honor code violation, Tom Shandley, Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life, meets with the two Student Solicitors and two Defense Advisors to determine whether the case should be pursued.

The role of Student Solicitors is to "represent the interests of the community in honor code cases," said one of the two current Student Solicitors, Andrew Evans '12. They investigate cases they've received from Dean Shandley and then present those cases to the Honor Council.

Investigation usually involves interviews with the accused and with any relevant teachers or other witnesses.

"We basically defend the school, and we defend the Honor Code itself in an actual hearing," said Jack DeLoach '12, the other Student Solicitor.

On the other hand, the Defense Advisors defend the student. "I wouldn't liken it to an actual court case in an actual court setting," said DeLoach. "They try and present the story from the defendant's point of view."

The Defense Advisors do not try to prove a student innocent if he or she has admitted guilt to them; instead their role is focused on illuminating any extenuating circumstances the student might have faced at the time of the violation.

When students are accused of an Honor Code violation, they are first notified by Dean Shandley. Next, Student Solicitors meet with the student. Shandley noted that violations of the Honor Code typically occur because of students "trying to cut corners when pressures get high."

"Usually they're really sorry," said Evans about the nature of the Student Solicitors' meeting with the accused. "They're remorseful; there are usually tears. But they're generally glad that the process is there."

The Vice Chair (Nmeli Nnoromele '12) sets hearing times and sends the accused a "Notice of Hearing," which notifies him or her about when and where the hearing will take place. The Vice Chair is also responsible for recruiting six Council members for the hearing.

Hearings

This past fall semester, the council heard 13 cases, a higher number compared to previous semesters. However, Shandley pointed out that the number of cases per semester fluctuates. For example, there have been as few as two cases and as many as 26 cases in a semester.

The Honor Council is comprised of only student representatives, so faculty or staff members are only present at a hearing if they are appearing as witnesses. In the majority of cheating cases, a professor brings a charge against a student because, since he or she knows the student's academic ability intimately, the professor is in an ideal position to detect suspicious work.

It is generally more common for students to turn themselves in than for their peers to turn them in. "It's probably the most admirable, most amazing and most sure sign that the honor code is working when a student turns himself in," said Evans.

Hearings, which typically last five to seven hours, usually take place three to ten days after a case is determined to warrant investigation. The hearings typically take place late at night, and the location of these hearings changes from case-to-case. A defendant may choose to have an open hearing where the campus is invited to attend, but this is rare and hasn't happened in recent history.

During testimony, the Chair facilitates the hearing, and the Vice Chair is responsible for recording it.  As part of a hearing, the Student Solicitors present the case against the accused, while the Defense Advisors argue for the accused. Student Solicitors call in witnesses to present before the Council, including the accuser.