Being Accused of an Honor Code Violation

If a student is suspected of an Honor Code Violation, the following steps will be taken:

• An Honor Council member will be assigned to investigate the allegations. The investigating member will go over the evidence with the student and ask for an explanation of the incident.
• The Honor Council will invite the student to appear before the Council when it considers all the evidence. At that time, the student will be given written notice of the suspected violation specifying the course involved. The student will be asked to describe actions and motivations relevant to the incident.
• The suspected student has the right to waive the Honor Council hearing and go directly before the Faculty Committee on Discipline.
• The Honor Council will make a recommendation to the Faculty Committee on Discipline. The student will be notified by mail of the recommendation and the reasons for the decision.
• The Faculty Committee on Discipline will review the recommendation made by the Honor Council. The Committee will ask the student to appear for a hearing. The Faculty Committee will render a decision and will notify the student by mail. (The student may appeal the Committee's decision to the Executive Committee of the College.)
• If the violation is reported while the Honor Council is adjourned for the spring and summer, the case will be handled as soon as possible at the start of the fall term.  Alternatively, the case may be brought directly to the Faculty Committee on Discipline until they adjourn for the spring and summer.

Protection of the Suspected Student

A student suspected of a violation will first discuss the matter with a member of the Honor Council assigned to investigate the case. The suspected student will appear before the Honor Council.ⁱ  In this informal procedure, the suspected student deals at first only with other students. This creates an atmosphere where the case can be stated fully without any inhibitions caused by the presence of faculty members or administrators. Although the hearings are confidential, the suspected student may bring a friend or advisor. The College of Engineering maintains records of all Honor Code convictions. However, all Honor Council and Faculty Committee on Discipline records are strictly confidential and do not go into the student's regular file.