6.5 HONOR CODE
Any school, college or program may establish, with the approval of the Office of the Provost, an honor code or comparable system governed by the students with approval by and/or appeal to the faculty of such a college. When such an honor code or comparable system has been established by a college, the code shall apply, and the procedures for disposition of cases of academic offenses shall not apply, only to suspected offenses by students enrolled in that school, college or program, regardless of whether the offenses are committed in courses offered by the same or a different college.
An honor code that applies to students enrolled in a program or curriculum of the Graduate School must be approved by the Graduate Faculty and the Dean of the Graduate School.
A student found guilty of committing an offense subject to an honor code may appeal that finding through Academic Ombud Services to the University Appeals Board. The University Appeals Board, however, shall not normally sit as a de novo fact finding body, but shall limit its review to ensuring that the college’s academic honors board or committee adequately followed its own written procedures in determining guilt or innocence and that the finding of guilt is supported by the preponderance of evidence. If the honor code is not student governed, as determined by the Office of the Provost, during the approval process of the honor code, the affected student reserves the right to appeal the case to the University Appeals Board and be heard de novo.
However, if the University Appeals Board, by the majority of those present, believes the student’s rights under the Administrative Regulations and the applicable rules of the academic unit governing academic relationships have been substantially violated, the University Appeals Board may conduct a de novo hearing on the issue of guilt.
If the University Appeals Board, by majority of those present, believes the findings or determination of the honor council or committee are not supported by the preponderance of the evidence, the University Appeals Board may reverse the finding of guilt and there shall be no further proceedings in the case.
College academic honor councils or committees shall maintain a verbatim record of their proceedings to ensure that the University Appeals Board is able to perform this function.
The punishment meted out to a student governed by such a system shall be as designated thereby except that actual suspension, dismissal or expulsion shall be imposed only with the recommendation of the dean of the college and upon approval by the President of the University.
Note: The Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy and the J. David Rosenberg College of Law have adopted honor codes. Copies are available in the deans’ offices of these colleges.
Note: The Office of the Provost recognizes that the J. David Rosenberg College of Law Honor Code is not student governed.