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Since its inception in 1842, the Honor System has been a defining and evolving dimension of life at the University. Under the Honor System, University students have pledged to adhere to a common baseline of honorable behavior; that is, not to lie, cheat, or steal. This ideal of Honor is not imposed upon students; rather, by choosing to enroll at the University of Virginia, students commit themselves to a community that shares this ideal. Specifically, each student at the University signs a pledge to abide by the Honor System as part of their application for admission. Students also commit themselves to governing the system; the Honor Committee, as well as its support officer pool and hearing panels, is composed entirely of students.
The central purpose of the Honor System is to foster and uphold a Community of Trust in which students commit themselves to the pursuit of truth and enjoy the freedom to develop their intellectual and personal potential. Dishonest conduct, whether lying, cheating, or stealing, is incompatible with these pursuits, which can thrive only in an atmosphere of trust. The Honor System does not exist merely to punish students who commit Honor offenses; rather, its purpose is to promote and maintain a community where students can rely on each other to act honestly.
One benefit of the Honor System is a presumption of honor – each University student is presumed to act honorably unless their actions prove otherwise. This presumption accompanies a student in all of their dealings with fellow students, faculty members, administrators, and members of the local community. This positive conception of honor is the heart of the Honor System.
Individual responsibility is essential to maintaining the Community of Trust. The Honor System depends entirely upon the willingness of each student to live up to the standards set by the community of their fellow students. Any violation of the Honor Code by a University student constitutes a breach of the Community of Trust, which demands restoration. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each student to report conduct that may demonstrate a disregard for these basic principles of honor.
Case Process: A Broad Overview
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Anyone can report an alleged Honor offense to the Committee. Once a report is received, an Honor Advisor for the reporter and student, respectively, will be assigned to the case. Honor Advisors provide information and support throughout the entire case process, which includes interviews, evidence collection, and an Honor Hearing.
There are multiple opportunities prior to an Honor Hearing for a student who committed an Honor offense to come forward, make amends, and remain in or return to the Community of Trust. The first such opportunity is the Conscientious Retraction (CR). Students who believe they may have committed an Honor offense can admit to that offense and make amends while remaining in the Community of Trust by filing a CR. A CR can only be filed before a student has any reason to believe that they may be under suspicion for committing the offense.
The second such opportunity is the Informed Retraction (IR). Once reported, a student may admit guilt and seek to make amends for the reported conduct, and any additional offenses that they wish to admit, by filing an IR. Students will work with their reporter, affected parties, and a Panel for Sanction, consisting of Committee representatives, to agree upon appropriate sanctions that reflect the student’s recommitment to the Community of Trust. This honors a student’s capacity to make amends with adversely affected parties and recognizes their recommitment to the Community of Trust.
If a reported student is ineligible for or declines to submit an IR, the Committee conducts a full investigation which is presented to a panel of three Committee members who decide whether or not there is enough evidence to formally accuse the student of the alleged Honor offense. If the student is not formally accused, the case is dropped. If the student is formally accused, they may request an Honor Hearing, during which they will have the opportunity to present evidence and witnesses in their defense to a panel of their peers.
If a student fails to cooperate with the Honor process in a manner sufficient to establish ongoing communication about their case, the Committee may impose a registration block (barring further registration) and/or a transcript hold (resulting in the denial of transcript requests) until such communication has been established (or restored). If a student is the subject of an Honor accusation immediately prior to graduation, their degree will not be conferred, and their diploma will be withheld, pending the resolution of such accusation.
In March 2023, a student-wide vote altered the Honor System from single-sanction, in which the sanction for a guilty verdict was always a two-semester suspension, to multi-sanction, in which the consequences for committing an Honor offense are proportional to the act and consider both the sanctioning recommendation of the reporter and the circumstances of the student in question. This new system realizes an evolution in Honor and the Community of Trust in which rehabilitation, growth, and equity are foremost ideals.
The rules of the Honor System apply to any person who was a University student at the time an alleged Honor offense was committed. Students who leave or have left the University for any reason (including transfer, withdrawal, leave of absence, graduation, or other failure to return to the University for any reason), at any time, whether before a case is reported or thereafter, are subject to the Honor System, so long as a case is reported within two years from the date of the alleged offense.
The current rules and procedures of the Honor Committee, as embodied in its By-laws and Constitution (as they may be amended or updated from time to time), are available directly from the Honor Committee and also may be viewed online at honor.virginia.edu/documents. While these documents describe, among other things, the organization and procedures of the Honor System, they are not meant to be exhaustive or to extend to every imaginable circumstance, and they do not constitute a contract between the University and University students, past or present. Questions regarding the By-laws and Constitution, or any aspect of Honor Committee practice or procedure, should be addressed directly to Honor Committee representatives or the Chair, who can be reached at honor@virginia.edu or (434) 924-7438.
The Honor Committee is responsible for the overall administration of the Honor System. The Committee is composed of two representatives from each of the 13 schools of the University except for the College of Arts & Sciences, which has five representatives, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which has three representatives. The Committee elects a seven-member Executive Committee, which consists of the Chair, Vice Chair for Hearings, Vice Chair for Investigations, Vice Chair for Sanctions, Vice Chair for the Undergraduate Community, Vice Chair for the Graduate Community, and Vice Chair for Operations. Honor Committee members are elected each spring by the student body.
The Honor Committee selects student Support Officers each year who are responsible for various aspects of the Honor System. Support Officers advise students and reporters involved in Honor cases; conduct investigations; assist with hearings and sanctioning; and disseminate information about the Honor System. The Honor Committee selects Support Officers each fall through an application and interview process.
In 1990, the student body reaffirmed a 1980 referendum to allow randomly selected students to serve as panelists in Honor Hearings. It is the right of the accused to be judged by a panel of peers; therefore, students are called upon to serve as panelists to help determine the guilt or innocence of an accused student. In 2023, a standardized Honor Hearing panel composition was created to include seven randomly selected students and five Honor Committee representatives. This 12-member body makes the determination of guilt or innocence, while the determination of the sanction(s) is made solely by the five Honor Committee representatives on the panel.
To ensure that the hearing process remains as equitable and expedient as possible, students are obligated to respond to the Panelist notification emails forwarded by the Honor Committee. Once secured as a Panelist, students are expected to appear on the designated Hearing date. Failure to meet these obligations is considered a breach of the University Standards of Conduct and may result in an appropriate sanction as determined by the University Judiciary Committee. By devoting one day to sitting as a Panelist in an Honor Hearing, students help to guarantee that the Honor System remains a vital and responsive aspect of University life. Honor Hearings generally last one full day. Each Hearing is conducted by a Hearing Chair, an experienced Honor Committee member who provides knowledge of Honor Committee practice and procedure.
Reporting an Honor Offense
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If you suspect that an Honor offense may have been committed, you should submit a Contact Honor form submission, which can be found at honor.virginia.edu/contact and will be received by the Vice Chair for Investigations (VCI). The VCI can facilitate officially filing a report or assigning you an Honor Advisor to provide more information.
You can also contact your school’s Honor Committee representative who can serve as a resource to you; contact information can be found at honor.virginia.edu/representatives. Additionally, you can contact the Honor Committee phone line at (434) 924-7602.
Discussing the matter with the VCI, other Honor Committee representative, or Honor Advisor is confidential and does not bind you to initiate an Honor case.
Notices and other significant correspondence from the Honor Committee shall be delivered to students at their respective “Primary Email Address,” as outlined in Email as Official Means of University Communication with Students section of The Record. Pursuant to this section, the “Primary Email Address” is the address to which the University sends official email notifications, formatted as “computingID@virginia.edu.” Students are expected to check this email account regularly and are responsible for any consequences resulting from failure to check this account. Except as specifically otherwise provided, the Primary Email Address shall be deemed to be effective notice when sent, whether or not the recipient actually opens and/or reads the notice.
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