Philosophy
As a liberal arts college, Virginia Wesleyan is committed to values of citizenship and social responsibility fundamental to a community of scholars. People who join this academic community agree to maintain academic honesty.
The purpose of the Honor Code at Virginia Wesleyan College is to foster an environment of learning based upon trustworthiness and willingness to assume personal responsibility for honorable behavior. Responsibility for safeguarding honor and trust belongs to the entire academic community; therefore, students need to assume increasing measures of responsibility for honorable behavior in themselves and others as they advance academically.
Students enter college with a variety of experiences and values concerning academic honesty; it may take time for them to develop the personal responsibility essential to a community founded on trust. A liberal arts education develops each student's ability to think and act with integrity. Students and faculty need to consider how honor and trust shape the life of an academic community. Consequently, the attitudes and beliefs embodied in such a code are part of the education of undergraduate students. Faculty, staff and students need to assume the responsibility for integrating the intent of this code, over time, into individual courses and our entire academic program.
Practical steps to build effective levels of trust and responsibility include classroom discussions of the honor code. In the presentation of papers and projects, students and faculty need to be clear with each other about expectations and methods of documentation. Faculty should explain appropriate use of source materials; students should make sure that they understand their professors' expectations and that they protect the College's resource materials. Honor and trust will grow in such an environment.
Definitions
Cheating
Cheating is the deliberate submission of work for a grade or credit that is not one's own or that violates professors' implied or stated instructions concerning the type and amount of aid permitted. The student who gives prohibited aid shall be considered as responsible as the student who receives it.
- Copying answers from a fellow student during a test is cheating.
- The use of testing materials from past testing periods as study guides is cheating if such practice is prohibited by the professor.
- The use of unauthorized notes or tapes during testing is cheating.
- Obtaining or giving unauthorized information about the content of a test is cheating.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the oral and/or written presentation of words, facts or ideas belonging to another source without proper acknowledgment.
Lying
Lying means making a statement that one knows is false with the intent to deceive a fellow member of the College community in relation to academic matters. Falsifying personal or College documents by mutilation, addition or deletion is lying.
Academic Theft
Academic Theft is the removal or mutilation of academic materials, including library resources, computer software and laboratory equipment, thereby depriving others of opportunities to use such materials.
Falsifying Data
Falsifying Data is the deliberate fabrication or miof research data and results.
Responsibilities and Rights
Students
Every VWC student has the following responsibilities:
- To request that a course instructor review a concern he/she has regarding an act he/she observed.
- To request that a course instructor investigate a questionable action by another student.
- To request that the academic dean investigate a questionable action by another student.
- To confront another student observed violating the Honor Code.
- To appear before the Honor Council if requested to do so.
A student accused of violating the Honor Code has the following rights and is responsible for exercising those rights:
- To be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
- To have a written statement of the charges.
- To have written notice of the date, time and place of his/her hearing.
- To refer matters involving a violation of the Honor Code immediately to the Honor Council if the student feels that the situation cannot be resolved between the faculty member and him/her.
- To request in writing a continuance be granted for good cause.
- To have an advocate from the College community.
- To have a neutral body hear and consider the evidence.
- To obtain witnesses in his/her behalf.
- To question witnesses.
- To testify in his/her behalf.
- To have an explanation in writing of the reasons for the decision reached.
- To be free from any penalty if exonerated.
Faculty
Every VWC faculty member has the following rights and responsibilities:
- To resolve violations of the Honor Code by private discussion with the student(s) in question, and to report actions taken to the Dean of the College.
- To refer matters involving a violation of the Honor Code immediately to the Honor Council if the faculty member feels the situation cannot be resolved between the student and professor.
- To provide a written statement of the charges for the chairperson of the Honor Council.
- To have a written notice of the date, time and place of any hearing in which he/she has an official interest.
- To testify before the Honor Council.
- To request that a continuance be granted for good cause.
Procedures for Dealing with Violations
The charging party must submit a written statement of the charge identifying specifically how the honor code has been violated. After a formal written charge has been received by the chairperson of the Honor Council, the chairperson and two Council members (faculty and student appointed by the chairperson) may hold a prehearing review. This review determines if there is sufficient cause and evidence for a hearing. Alternatively, they may immediately determine that a hearing shall be held.
If it is determined that the case shall be heard, the meeting of the Honor Council will take place as soon as possible and in no case later than one week. All individuals involved will be notified in writing about the time and place of the Honor Council meeting. This notice will also instruct these individuals that the meeting will occur in their presence or absence. The chairperson of the Council will preside, and three faculty members and three student members must be present.
In any Honor Council hearing, neither strict rules of evidence nor any right to legal counsel shall apply. The proceedings shall be conducted so as to achieve fundamental fairness and prompt resolution. At the Honor Council hearing only those persons (other than the Council itself) directly involved in incident may be present. A written record and a recording will be kept of all meetings.
Within twenty-four hours after the Honor Council meeting, the chairperson shall give a written report of the council's decision to the plaintiff(s), defendant(s), the Dean of the College, and the Dean of Students. This report shall include a written account explaining the reasons for the decision reached. If a Level 2 or Level 3 penalty is imposed, the Dean of Students will be called upon to assist in the process of withdrawal from the College. Ordinarily, this will occur within forty-eight hours of the decision.
If an individual is found guilty and is dismissed from the College, the evidence and records of the proceedings should be maintained permanently in the office of the Dean of the College.
If an individual is found guilty, is suspended and is then readmitted to the College, the evidence and records of the proceedings should be kept in the office of the Dean of the College and then destroyed after the graduation of the person. If an individual is found not guilty, the evidence and records of the proceedings shall be held for two weeks and then destroyed.
The student's name, the charge, the date and the decision in each case should be kept permanently in the office of the Dean of the College.
Penalties
The Graduated Penalty System
Virginia Wesleyan College operates under a graduated penalty system. In this system there is no set penalty for each violation of the Honor Code. Once it is determined a student has violated the Honor Code, it is first the responsibility of the individual faculty member and then the Honor Council to determine what penalty is justified in a case. The penalties consist of the following:
Level 1
(Faculty are able to implement Level 1 penalties for purely academic violations without referring the matter to the Honor Council)
- Verbal reprimand
- Written reprimand
- Failure of assignment or test
- Failure of course
Any other appropriate sanction short of suspension may be recommended at Level 1, but must be approved by the Honor Council following a hearing.
Faculty are urged to check with the Dean of the College to determine if a student has a previous offense of the Honor Code before taking action. If the student has committed a previous offense, the Dean of the College may recommend that the faculty member refer the new violation directly to the Honor Council. All punitive actions taken by faculty must be reported to ththe College who will keep a record of actions taken.
Level 2
Suspension from the College for any period up to a maximum of four (4) semesters and loss of credit in one or more courses enrolled in at the time of the violation.
Level 3
Separation from Virginia Wesleyan College and loss of credit in all courses enrolled in at the time of violation.
Procedure for Appeal or Request for a New Hearing
Procedure
The person requesting an appeal or a new hearing shall file a written notice with the Dean of the College within seven days following the original hearing (weekend and holidays excluded). In the case of new evidence, however, this time period may be extended by the chairperson.
Requests shall be dated and contain a statement of the grounds for the new hearing or appeal and the signature of the person making the request. Requests shall specify whether an appeal or a new hearing is requested.
New Hearing
Grounds for a new hearing include the discovery of new facts that even in the exercise of due diligence were unavailable at the time of the hearing and which could alter the outcome.
Requests for a new hearing must include the following:
- A statement of new evidence.
- The names of those individuals who will present this evidence.
- Reasons for omission of evidence from original hearing.
- Reasons that this evidence could contribute to a decision other than that which was originally made.
Duties of the New Hearing and Appeals Committee in response to Request for New Hearing:
This committee will review the request and determine if the request has merit. If the committee finds the request has merit it has the power to call for a new hearing. If a new hearing is indicated then the full Honor Council procedure will be repeated, this time to include the new evidence.
Appeal
There are two grounds for appeal: excessive sanctions or material violation(s) of the hearing procedure.
Excessive Sanctions: If the appeal is based on excessive sanction, specific information must be cited indicating why the sanction is unreasonable in light of the charges or history of violations.
Duties of the New Hearing and Appeals Committee in response to a request for an appeal based on excessive sanction:
This committee will review the request for appeal and determine if the request has merit. If the New Hearing and Appeals committee decides to consider the appeal, it has the power to:
- Uphold the original decision.
- Uphold the original decision but alter part or all of a previously imposed penalty.
- Exonerate the student.
Material Violation(s) of Procedure: If the appeal is based on a violation(s) of hearing procedure it must include:
- Citation of specific procedures in the Honor Code which were omitted or improperly followed.
- Reason(s) why procedural error was not mentioned in the original hearing.
- Reason(s) why correction of error can contribute to a decision other than that which was originally made.
Duties of the New Hearing and Appeals Committee in response to a request for an appeal based on a material violation(s) of hearing procedure:
This committee will review the request to determine if the request has merit. If the New Hearing and Appeals Committee decides to consider the appeal, it has the power to:
- Determine no material violation(s) of procedure occurred and uphold the original decision.
- Find material violation(s) of procedure occurred and declare the original decision void due to procedural error. In such case, the committee may, but shall not be obligated to, remand the case to the Honor Council with directions to correct violation(s) of procedure.
Membership of the Honor Council and of the New Hearing and Appeals Committee
Chairperson: The Honor Council Chairperson shall be a faculty member appointed for a two-year term by the Dean of the College in consultation with the divisional chairpersons and the student body president. The chairperson shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Council. The chairperson shall decide the outcome of all Council determinations which result in a tie.
Faculty: The faculty members of the Honor Council shall consist of three members and three alternates. One member and one alternate will be elected from each division of the College. Each member and each alternate shall serve a three-year term. Membership shall be staggered so that two or more faculty members do not rotate off the Council on the same year.
Students: The student members of the Honor Council shall consist of three members and three alternates, to be appointed by the student body president and the President of the College. Each member will serve a one year term. The Dean of Students may appoint interim student members when necessary, if regular members and alternates are unavailable to serve.
n addition to conducting hearings, the Honor Council is responsible for educating faculty, staff, and students on a yearly basis on matters regarding the Honor Code.
Members of the New Hearing and Appeals Committee
The New Hearing and Appeals Committee will consist of the Dean of the College, one faculty member to be elected in the fall semester, and the Student Government Association president.