2008 Woodie Awards
Honor for students, ethics for all
New University ethics code for employees brings talk of student honor code
By: Meghan Kazer
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: News
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With the recent discussion of ethics on DePauw's campus, the issue of an honor code has been brought to the table. DePauw has petitioned for an honor code in the past, and students, faculty and administrators all have an opinion on the matter.
Vice president for academic affairs Neal Abraham made an announcement at the Nov. 5 faculty meeting about the new code of ethics for employees and for the University. He said the question of an ethics code for students was raised.
Cindy Babington, dean of students, said Student Congress was in favor of an honor code about 10 years ago. However, when it was put to a vote, it did not pass "by a handful of votes."
Babington said she went to Knox College, a school with a long history of having an honor code.
"We had an honor code that was 150 years old or something, and it was a big deal, I mean it was huge," she said. "You went there and you were very proud of the tradition. You upheld it because it was so much a part of that academic tradition."
Abraham said constituents of an honor code "typically include a promise by students that they will not give or receive assistance that has them represent work of others as their own." This includes, he said, turning in work which someone else has done, receiving help on a take home exam or having another student write your paper.
In addition, Abraham said the honor code also maintains an obligation students have to report any form of cheating they witness.
"I think the biggest impediment from a student point of view may be the obligation to report others," he said.
Responsibility is also put on the student in terms of exams, Abraham said.
"Self-scheduling" of final exams is present at many schools with this system. A professor will put the final exams into the registrar during a final exam period, and when the student chose to come, the student would pick up the exam and take it to a room where there is a proctor.
Professor Rebecca Bordt has worked previously at the University of Notre Dame and Yale University, both of which have honor codes. Bordt said via e-mail that she didn't think an honor code would be as different from what is currently in place.
Vice president for academic affairs Neal Abraham made an announcement at the Nov. 5 faculty meeting about the new code of ethics for employees and for the University. He said the question of an ethics code for students was raised.
Cindy Babington, dean of students, said Student Congress was in favor of an honor code about 10 years ago. However, when it was put to a vote, it did not pass "by a handful of votes."
Babington said she went to Knox College, a school with a long history of having an honor code.
"We had an honor code that was 150 years old or something, and it was a big deal, I mean it was huge," she said. "You went there and you were very proud of the tradition. You upheld it because it was so much a part of that academic tradition."
Abraham said constituents of an honor code "typically include a promise by students that they will not give or receive assistance that has them represent work of others as their own." This includes, he said, turning in work which someone else has done, receiving help on a take home exam or having another student write your paper.
In addition, Abraham said the honor code also maintains an obligation students have to report any form of cheating they witness.
"I think the biggest impediment from a student point of view may be the obligation to report others," he said.
Responsibility is also put on the student in terms of exams, Abraham said.
"Self-scheduling" of final exams is present at many schools with this system. A professor will put the final exams into the registrar during a final exam period, and when the student chose to come, the student would pick up the exam and take it to a room where there is a proctor.
Professor Rebecca Bordt has worked previously at the University of Notre Dame and Yale University, both of which have honor codes. Bordt said via e-mail that she didn't think an honor code would be as different from what is currently in place.
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