Staff Editorial: How honorable is the honor code?
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Opinions
From a newspaper's perspective, issues of avoiding plagiarism and academic integrity are near and dear to the Sophian's heart. However, we believe that the Smith College Honor Code is in danger and needs to be reevaluated. Although students are notified about the Honor Code, and all students sign the code when first coming to the college, we still see too many examples of cheating and other violations.
Although the Honor Code is mentioned frequently, we believe it is done in a manner that is easy for students to ignore. The Honor Code we all signed in our first days at Smith was not even printed on a full sheet of paper. The Honor Code is not displayed in classrooms or put up during exams, as it is in other honor-code schools. Students have no outlet to seriously consider what it means to go to an honor-code school, the way students at Haverford do. Each applicant of Haverford must write an essay on the subject. Another solution might be for students to physically have to copy out the Honor Code, at least one time. Any study-skills expert will tell you that you remember what you write out much more than you remember what you read or what is read out loud to you.
We believe the problem goes beyond lack of presence and notification. The Honor Code needs to be stronger. Although the Honor Code should ultimately weigh on the individual, one solution would be to require students to turn in cheaters. As is, there are no consequences for not turning in violators. Most honor codes at other schools have stronger wording that requires such action. Also, all rules should be emphasized. The only sections of the Honor Code that seem to be enforced are turning in library books on time and not taking too much time on examinations, which seems arbitrary compared to harsher offenses like cheating, lying to a professor and non-academic violations - theft, harassment, discrimination, etc.
Besides strengthening the Honor Code, we think the student body should receive more information about the people who do violate the Honor Code and the consequences they receive. As much as public shame should not be encouraged, we should all know when the Honor Code is violated. Then it would be clearer what is expected of us. Notifications could be e-mailed, as when serious incidents occur on campus: "A student cheated on her paper today by using the Internet and not citing her source." Otherwise, people think the Honor Code only pertains to exams. This solution may be a bit extreme, but it does seem important to let students know about infractions.
The Sophian sees various degrees of honor and dishonor on campus and thinks that the time for change, or at least greater awareness, is at hand.
Although the Honor Code is mentioned frequently, we believe it is done in a manner that is easy for students to ignore. The Honor Code we all signed in our first days at Smith was not even printed on a full sheet of paper. The Honor Code is not displayed in classrooms or put up during exams, as it is in other honor-code schools. Students have no outlet to seriously consider what it means to go to an honor-code school, the way students at Haverford do. Each applicant of Haverford must write an essay on the subject. Another solution might be for students to physically have to copy out the Honor Code, at least one time. Any study-skills expert will tell you that you remember what you write out much more than you remember what you read or what is read out loud to you.
We believe the problem goes beyond lack of presence and notification. The Honor Code needs to be stronger. Although the Honor Code should ultimately weigh on the individual, one solution would be to require students to turn in cheaters. As is, there are no consequences for not turning in violators. Most honor codes at other schools have stronger wording that requires such action. Also, all rules should be emphasized. The only sections of the Honor Code that seem to be enforced are turning in library books on time and not taking too much time on examinations, which seems arbitrary compared to harsher offenses like cheating, lying to a professor and non-academic violations - theft, harassment, discrimination, etc.
Besides strengthening the Honor Code, we think the student body should receive more information about the people who do violate the Honor Code and the consequences they receive. As much as public shame should not be encouraged, we should all know when the Honor Code is violated. Then it would be clearer what is expected of us. Notifications could be e-mailed, as when serious incidents occur on campus: "A student cheated on her paper today by using the Internet and not citing her source." Otherwise, people think the Honor Code only pertains to exams. This solution may be a bit extreme, but it does seem important to let students know about infractions.
The Sophian sees various degrees of honor and dishonor on campus and thinks that the time for change, or at least greater awareness, is at hand.
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