HONOR SYSTEM
The Honor System at Knox is described in detail in its own separate publication,
in the Student Handbook, or online at http://www.knox.edu/prebuilt/PDFs/HonorSystem.pdf.
There is also "An Honor Code FAQ for Faculty" on the Faculty Development
Program website, with answers to eighteen frequently asked questions: http://deptorg.knox.edu/facdev/HonorCodeFAQ.html.
The success of the Honor System depends on faculty as well as students, so
it's important to educate yourself about how it works. Do look at the
official description and the FAQ; in the meantime, here are two key points:
In the meantime, there are two things to know:
- Adjudication of honor code violations is in the hands of the Honor
Board, not the individual faculty member in whose course the purported violation
occurred. It is your responsibility to bring possible cases to the Honor
Board; it is the Honor Board's responsibility to decide whether or not a
violation of the Honor Code occurred. Proceedings are initiated by a call
to one of the co-chairs of the Honor Board; their names are in the back of
the college directory. If you're not sure if a particular incident is a potential
violation, any member of the Honor Board would be happy to talk it over with
you. You can also get advice from other faculty members (including the Associate
Dean of the College, who is an ex officio member of the Honor Board).
- Be as clear as you can in each course you teach what your expectations
are about things such as documentation, limits on collaborative endeavor,
rules for take-home exams, etc. Some students may come from educational systems
with different expectations from ours, and may have been trained that good
work consists of echoing the writings of authorities, often with little or
no attribution. Putting expectations in writing (on the syllabus or on the
assignment) in addition to talking about them in class can help avert problems
later. There's one way you can talk to your students about academic honesty
without hectoring them: remind them that it really means something when they
put their name on an examination or paper.