By Andrea Park & Sarah Pfander
Gargoyle staff reporters
Posted Friday, May 19, 2006, The OG, news

Uni is one step closer to having an honor code.

The Student-Faculty Advisory Committee has finished writing a draft of the code, which was distributed to teachers on Thursday. SFAC has worked on the draft since last fall, when several faculty members suggested that Uni adopt a code and create an honor council to deal with cases of cheating.

The code builds on the infrastructure of the current cheating policy and would work in conjunction with the Student Handbook's three-offense rule.

If faculty members approve the code, SFAC recommends these follow-up actions:

1. The honor code should be emphasized with subbie buddies, transfer buddies, and peer college counselors.

2. Teachers should discuss the code on the first day of their classes. Teachers should spell out in their syllabuses the consequences of violating the code.

3. SFAC should spend 2006-07 working on plans for an honor council, a process which might take two or three years to complete. Having a code in place should precede establishing a council.

4. Uni should implement the revisions to Section 7.10 (“Academic Dishonesty”) of the Student Handbook that were recommended last year. The revisions include changes in penalties.

The current handbook reads:

• 1st Offense: A grade of zero shall be recorded for the test/assignment.

• 2nd Offense: A failing grade in the course, and the student will be removed from the course. The student will also be placed on Disciplinary Probation.
• 3rd Offense: A failing grade in the course, removal from the class, and the Assistant Director will appoint a Disciplinary Review Committee to determine whether or not the student should be dismissed from the school for academic dishonesty.

The revisions read:

• 1st Offense: A grade of zero shalll be recorded for the test/assignment.

• 2nd Offense: If the 2nd offense occurs in a different course than the first offense, the student shall receive a zero on the assignment and be placed on Disciplinary Probation. If it is a second offense in the same course, the student shall receive a failing grade in the course, and will be placed on Disciplinary Probation.
• 3rd Offense: The Assistant Director will appoint a Disciplinary Review Committee to determine whether or not the student should be dismissed from the school for academic dishonesty, or determine conditions for continued Disciplinary Probation and appropriate penalties.

“The previous cheating policy was long and wordy, and it didn't discuss any core values,” explains SFAC secretary/treasurer Eunice How. “The new honor code not only addresses these values, but also discusses them in a more obviously Uni-based context. I believe this honor code and the required pledge [at the end of the code] will make Uni students more aware of what is expected of them. And the new cheating policy will be more conducive to many students' situations.”

So what does the honor code say? Here is the draft (click here for a standalone version):

HONOR CODE

In the diverse community at University Laboratory High School, students are self-motivated to become creative, inquisitive, and trustworthy individuals. Students with strong desires for intellectual and personal growth require a supportive and challenging academic environment, founded on mutual respect, openness, and trust. The freedom and ownership at the school, given to everyone, impose a high level of integrity and responsibility.

CORE VALUES

• Respect
Uni High is special in that it brings together people of diverse backgrounds who strive for the common goal of intellectual growth and social responsibility. Because of the diverse opinions and beliefs of the students and staff, respect is one of Uni's core values. Respect is accorded not only to people and their beliefs but also to the freedoms awarded through open campus and a student lounge. All members of the Uni High community are expected to show respect and in turn have the right to be respected by others.

• Honesty
In the Uni environment, community members are expected to conduct themselves as honest individuals. Cheating, lying, and plagiarizing will not be tolerated. As honest individuals, Uni members must hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and trust.

• Accountability
Uni High's open atmosphere and understanding that students will act in a forthright manner demands that a student be accountable for his/her actions. Whether one is performing in the classroom, attending an extracurricular event, participating in a field trip, competing in an athletic event, or traveling overseas with a school trip, a Uni student is representing the entire community. A Uni student is accountable for his or her action and is expected to do the right thing.

PLEDGE

As a member of the Uni High Community, I pledge to treat others with mutual respect, to take responsibility for my words and actions, and to adhere to our shared values of honesty and academic integrity put forth by the honor code. I understand that there will be consequences for being unethical or for violating the principles shared by the community.

I pledge to follow the Honor Code as written above.