news-record.com

If you had the privilege of going to college, you know something about honor codes.

I’m of the generation of students who signed a pledge on the cover of each and every blue exam book: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this examination, quiz or paper.”

Frankly, I had to work hard for my grades and that honor code meant something to me. It said a lot about integrity, honesty, trust and self-esteem.

And it still does.

At High Point University, incoming freshman are introduced to the honor code in a much more formal, ceremonial and contractual way. It’s a ritual of freshman orientation, wrapping up a weekend of moving onto campus, bidding parents farewell and accepting the many responsibilities confronting a college student.

And I’ve got to think that it makes a significant impact on these students as they matriculate into higher education and into adulthood.

The Sunday night of move-in weekend in late August, all 1,200-plus freshmen gathered at the Millis Center for their academic orientation. Present were the deans of all the university’s schools, the president of the student body, the chief of the university’s student judicial board and the university’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, Dennis Carroll.

Once the students had been introduced to the school’s academic standards and expectations and the processes in place to handle infractions, each student received a copy of the honor code. It’s a pledge they were — and are — expected to take to heart.

In fact, it’s a pledge that is written on a 6-by-8-foot parchmentlike banner that holds a space for each and every student to sign. It’s a sign that will be framed and will hang in a place of honor on campus — a place they will see weekly, if not daily, to remind them of their commitment to honor.

Carroll got the idea of formalizing the honor code that had been in place at HPU for decades with a signing ceremony and a visual symbol of this contract from Davidson College. “It clearly seems to me that the best liberal arts colleges do this,” Carroll said. “I take very seriously our affiliation with the church and that’s part of the reason we have students sign this code. It’s part of the heritage and legacy of our institution.”

In essence, it’s a contract that holds each student accountable to the university’s code of honor — a code of honor that will last for life: “We the students of High Point University believe that honesty and integrity are essential to student development, whether personal, social or academic. Therefore, we assert that:

• “Every student is honor-bound to refrain from conduct which is unbecoming of a High Point University student and which brings discredit to the students and/or to the University.” Carroll explains that HPU intentionally does not give specific examples of conduct unbecoming of a HPU student. “They need to come up with their own definitions. It’s part of the maturation process.”
•  “Every student is honor-bound to refrain from cheating.” “Cheating has become very sophisticated. With text messaging, iPhones and googling, cheating has gone beyond cheat notes and copying someone’s paper,” Carroll explained.
•  “Every student is honor-bound to refrain from collusion.” “Collusion means working with somebody else to cheat on a project,” Carroll said. Sharing exam questions and answers. Planning cheating schemes.
• “Every student is honor-bound to refrain from plagiarism.” “The Internet has made it easy to compromise integrity,” Carroll said. Because of the Internet, papers on “Merchant of Venice,” for example, abound, so the temptation to cut and paste and even copy papers in their entirety is strong. Today’s college students can even go to websites and purchase and download papers. Carroll assures students that professors are a few steps ahead of the cheaters. Websites, such as www.turnitin.com, evaluate student papers and instantly detect plagiarism. Rest assured: Plagiarize a paper and you will be caught.
•  “Every student is honor-bound to confront a violation of the University Honor Code.” This element of the honor code is a tough one. Turning a blind eye to a violation of the honor code is just as wrong as committing an offense. “Don’t be afraid to turn in violations. Students who do will be supported,” Carroll said.
• “Every student is encouraged to report a violation of the University Honor Code.” At HPU, as at most other colleges, processes are in place to deal with honor code violations. Thanks to HPU’s thorough academic orientation, freshman now know that they have a student body president, a judicial board consisting of four faculty members and 13 students on their side ready to hear evidence and render judgment.

Classes are now under way at HPU and no doubt students have already taken a few exams — and faced a few temptations.

But the words of their provost now echo in their head: “Please pay attention. We live in a world where it is tempting to take shortcuts.

But to compromise your academic integrity not only is self-deceiving, but it is unfair to the remainder of the community — including your professors. You may remember the great line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” 'To thine own self be true.’”

In essence, college is a lesson for life, Carroll said.

Perhaps the most important lesson a student will learn.

Contact Cathy Weaver at CWeaverNR@gmail.com