Mary Washington College - Battlefield Yearbook (Fredericksburg, VA)

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a case are, of course, upon their honor to disclose all pertinent facts. 7. If, after thorough trial, five of the six who compose the Honor Committee are convinced of the guilt of the accused, and shall so cast their otes in a secret ballot, the accused must lea e the Uni ersitv immediately. 8. In case the accused lea es the Uni ersity without trial by the Honor Committee, the ac- cuser shall notify the President of his department of the name of the offender and the nature of the offense. Following such notification, the Honor Committee shall take action to record the facts in the same manner as if the case had been tried before them. The status of the accused under such circumstances is the same as though he had been found guilty by the Honor Committee. 9. From the decision of the Honor Commit- tee, there shall be no appeal. 10. A case resulting in a verdict of guilty may be reopened onlv upon the production of new- evidence bearing directlv on the question of guilt. Any person seeking to reopen a case shall appear before the Honor Committe and state the nature of the e idence. The Committee shall then con- sider whether the evidence is sufEciently relevant to warrant a re-trial. If a case is reopened, it shall be entireh ' retried. 11. On the first Monday night of the session at a meeting of all first vear men, a speaker selected h the Honor Committee shall explain the principles of the Honor System. To further insure that evervone is acquainted A ' ith the system, members of the Honor Committee shall meet the first year men in small groups and dis- cuss the system with them in great detail. More important even than the svstem itself are the principles that underlie its successful opera- tion. Of primary importance is the fact that the students must be trusted. To quote from an exposition of the Honor Svstem published in 1935, Unless students have the feeling that they have the fullest trust and confidence placed in them they will have no incentive to throw all their personal energ - into the successful operation of the svstem. The obligation of maintaining the honor s stem rests direeth ' upon the students of the Uni ' ersit -. It is thev who are moralh ' obligated to in estigate suspicious circumstances and to see that guiltv students are detected. To quote again, this time from the current printed explanation which each student is asked to post in his room: It is imperati ' e that everyone recognize this dut ' of protecting the Honor System and the student bod ' . An one who sees a fellow student in suspicious circumstances and fails to imesti- gate the matter is himself guilt ' of a breach of honor. Lo alt ' to the student bod - demands that one make this investigation. This can no •a • be described as spving or tale-bearing. It is the finest expression of lovalt ' to a cherished tradition of honor among a community of self- governing students. The Flonor Committee, duly elected h the students, represents the opinion of the students in this Uni ' ersit - and is in no way responsible to the faculty. It is e ident from the ery nature of the Honor S stem that it should not be overloaded. Briefl - stated, the s stem demands that e erv student at the Uni ' ersitv conduct himself as an honorable gentleman. Students ha ' e been dis- missed for cheating in the classroom, ' iolating athletic or dance pledges, cheating at cards, cash- ing bad checks, and stealing or h ' ing under vary- ing circumstances. These are obviously dishonor- able actions. Manv other types of conduct, lepre- hensible and heartih ' condemned by the Honor Committee and all good citizens, are not included in the Honor S -stem because they are primarih- 29

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has shown that the students themsel es are its sternest guardians and executors. From the in- ception of the system in 1842 to the present time there is no record of anv faculty action against a student for violation of the Honor S stem. It is indeed a precious heritage. The actual machinery of the Honor Svstcm can best be understood b - reference to the printed Explanation of the Honor System with which each student is familarized upon his entrance to the Uni ' ersity. The outstanding features of pro- cedure in cases of suspected iolations of the s stem are as follows: 1. Any student believing that breacli of the Honor System has been committed shall, with the assistance of such students of the University as he may desire to call upon, investigate the matter as secretly and speedily as possible. After a thorough in estigation, if the} belie -e the sus- pected person guilty of a violation of honor, they shall demand that he explain his conduct. In case the investigating group is satisfied that the suspected student is not guilty of improper con- duct, there shall be no further proceedings, and nothing connected with the case shall be made public. If, after hearing his explanation, or after he has refused to make an explanation, the in estigators are still convinced of his guilt, they shall demand that he leave the University at once. 2. The accused must then either lea ' e the Uni- versity, or demand of the President of his Depart- ment that the Honor Committee be convened to try the case. The case shall be tried as soon there- after as is conveniently possible, giving primar} ' consideration to the accused. 3. The Honor Committee shall consist pri- marily of the Presidents of the five departments of the University. When sitting upon a trial, the Vice-President of the department of which the accused is a member shall constitute the sixth member of the Committee. 4. On the trail of a case, the President of the Department of which the accused is a member shall act as the Chairman. Minutes of the trial shall be kept by an employed stenographer if pos- sible, or by the departmental vice-president form- ing the sixth member of the Committee. These minutes shall be in the custody of the Honor Committee, and it shall be their duty to see that they are properly stored for safe-keeping from year to year. 5. On conviction of the accused, the Chairman shall report the name of the convicted student and the nature of the offense of which he was found guiltv to the Registrar, who shall notify his professors, parents, and the Alumni Secretary. In case the accused is declared innocent, the minutes of the trial shall be immediately destroyed. 6. At the trial before the Honor Committee, both sides mav be represented by counsel from the student bod ' , but not otherwise. Such counsel shall have the privilege of examining the witnesses with relation to the facts of the case, but no argument shall be permitted except at the request of and within the discretion of the Honor Com- mittee. The accused shall be at liberty to say what he chooses in his own defense. Witnesses in 28

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matters of personal concern. In the words of the Committee, it is essential that the Honor System shall concern itself solely with those offenses which are classified as dishonorable by the public opinion of the student generation involved. The students of the Uni ersit ' ha ' e successfully resisted every effort to place an ' thing under the Honor System which is not a matter of honor. In some institutions petty administrati e regulations have been made a part of the honor code. At Virginia a man ' s word of honor is highly re- garded. Its use to regulate trivialities is regarded as dangerous and inimical to the best interests of the Honor System. A man is dismissed by his fellow students not because he has broken a rule of the University but because he has broken his word of honor. The Honor System must be limited to matters that are clearh ' dishonorable. On one occasion William Minor Lile, for many years dean of the Law School at the University, was asked if he believed in the Honor System. Yes, as I do in the Christian religion, was his reply. Such an expression of faith is striking, yet it is shared by those who have lived closest to the University of Virginia. The passage of time has served only to demonstrate more forcefully the wisdom and effectiveness of a system of self- government that appeals to the best that is within us. Were Jefferson alive today, he would be especially proud of this aspect of life at the institution he fathered. The Honor System is truly a priceless heritage. To have experienced its influence is to have developed a feeling of ethical maturity and re- sponsibility that is both ennobling and enduring. Edward Alvey, Jr., ' 23 30