Honor Council

Honor Code

"I PLEDGE MYSELF TO UPHOLD THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF HONESTY IN MY UNIVERSITY LIFE AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE DISHONESTY ON THE PART OF OTHERS."

BYLAWS OF THE CONSTITUTION
--- REVISED 1980
--- REVISED 1987
--- REVISED 1993
--- REVISED 1994

In conformity with the desires expressed by the Engineering Student Body in the fall of 1980, the Honor System shall be continued in the School of Engineering. The purpose of this document is to outline the system of bylaws for the administration of the Honor Code.

1. The Honor Code shall apply to all undergraduate students seeking degrees through the School of Engineering, registered in School of Engineering courses. Graduate students in the School of Engineering are subject to the Academic Discipline Code published in the University of Mississippi M Book. Undergraduates from other disciplines who are registered for courses in the School of Engineering also are subject to the M Book's Code. The Honor Code shall be understood to apply to all academic areas of the School such as examinations, quizzes, laboratory reports, themes, computer programs, homework, and other possible assignments. Only that work specifically identified by the class instructor not to be under the Honor Code is excluded. The intent of the Honor Code is to recognize professional conduct and, thus, it shall be deemed a violation of the Honor Code to knowingly deceive, copy, paraphrase, or otherwise misrepresent your work in a manner inconsistent with professional conduct.
2. Enforcement of the Honor Code shall be the duty of each student and faculty member in the School of Engineering. Failure by a student to report a violation of the Honor Code will, in itself, be a violation of the Honor Code.
3. Academic dishonesty is serious. It is important to recognize that applications for graduate and professional school as well as applications for employment and professional licenses frequently require the applicant to state whether he or she has been found guilty of academic dishonesty. Moreover, when the penalties of suspension and expulsion are imposed for academic dishonesty, they will be recorded permanently on a student's transcript.
4. All students admitted to and registering in the School of Engineering shall have access to a copy of these bylaws and will be expected to read and uphold the provisions of the Honor Code.
5. The Honor Code shall be administered by a School of Engineering Honor Council which shall be composed of seven members. Honor Council Members shall be the vice-president of the Engineering Student Body, who shall serve as chair of the council, and six members of the student body, representing at least five departments, who each possess at least a 2.50 over-all GPA. The six student body members shall be appointed by the vice-president and approved by the executive council of the Engineering Student Body. The terms of office shall be for a period of one school year. A special Honor Council will be appointed by the Chair for the summer session. A non-voting faculty representative appointed by the Dean of the School of Engineering shall also serve on the Council.
6. Jurisdiction of the Honor Council: The School of Engineering Honor Code is applicable to, and the Honor Council has jurisdiction over all engineering undergraduate students taking courses within the School of Engineering. Engineering students in non-engineering courses will be subject to the Academic Discipline Code published in the University of Mississippi M Book. For example, an engineering student taking a School of Business course will be subject to the University M Book procedure, not the School of Engineering Honor Code.

Procedures

1. Violations of the Honor Code

   Violations of the Honor Code will be reported to the Honor Council Chair. The individual (student or faculty) making the report of a violation of the Honor Code must set forth in writing the specific facts in each case supporting the charge and provide the name or names of witnesses that should be called by the Honor Council.

2. Notifications

   1. The student affected shall be notified by letter of the specific charge and of time and place where the hearing shall be held. The hearing shall be held no less than five (5) working days (academic days) after the affected student receives notice of the alleged violation. The letter notification shall be mailed via certified mail.
   2. The notification shall specifically inform the affected student:
      1. that he/she is encouraged to consult with the Chair of the Honor Council about rescheduling the hearing if the date set for it is not convenient;
      2. that he/she may bring witnesses to testify in his/her behalf at the scheduled hearing;
      3. that he/she has, at his/her own expense, the right to counsel or other representation of his/her own choosing during any time that he/she may appear before the Honor Council and in subsequent appeals but that such counsel or representative may participate only in an advisory capacity (i.e., counsel may not make opening or closing statements, question witnesses and so on);
      4. that he/she may, upon request, obtain from the Chair of the Honor Council a copy of the entire report written by the person bringing the charge and submitted to the Honor Council; and,
      5. A sample letter of notification follows:

         ---

         Dear student name :

         You have been accused of violating the Honor Code in the School of Engineering. The alleged violation occurred on -date-, during Professor name's final exam in course name and number. Six students reported that they saw you consult a pad of notes in your backpack several times during the three hour exam and they allege that this consultation violated the Professor's instructions. You are entitled to a hearing before the Honor Council in accordance with the procedures in the School of Engineering's Honor Code. This hearing has been set for 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25 1995 in Carrier 209. If this time and date is not acceptable, please let me know on or before Friday, January 20, so that the hearing can be rescheduled for another date and time. At this hearing you have the right to make opening and closing statements, to present your own witnesses, and to cross-examine other witnesses. The hearing will be tape recorded and it also may be recorded by a court stenographer. You may, at your own expense, be assisted by an attorney or another representative, but that attorney's or representative's role at the hearing is advisory only. He or she will not be permitted to make statements, question witnesses, and so on. After the hearing is completed, the Honor Council will make a finding of guilt or innocence and, if you are found guilty of an Honor Code violation, the Council will decide upon a penalty. The penalties for Honor Code violations range from minor sanctions to suspension or expulsion. The Honor Council will issue a written decision. You have a right to appeal the Honor Council's decision and the penalty to the Dean. In order to appeal, you must deliver a written notice of appeal to the Dean's office within ten (10) working days of your receipt of the Honor Council's written decision. The Dean will promptly review the Honor Council's action. You do not have the right to an oral hearing before the Dean. The dean's decision is final except when the penalties of suspension or expulsion are imposed. In those cases, you may apply for review by the Chancellor and then to the IHL Board of Trustees. The time limit for filing a request for review in the Chancellor's Office is five (5) working days from receipt of the Dean's written decision. The regulations of the IHL Board allow thirty (30) days to apply for review of the Chancellor's decision to suspend or expel a student.

         Please consult the Honor Code and the description of the Honor Council's procedures therein.

         Sincerely,

         ---

3. Procedure for waiving formal hearing

   In the event a student desires to waive a formal hearing, he/she may confer with the Honor Council Chair. If no hearing is desired and/or there is no intention to contest the charge, his/her case may be referred to the Dean of the School of Engineering by the Honor Council. The Dean will have the right to execute a waiver of hearing and the punishment for the particular offense shall be imposed.

4. Conduct of the hearing

   1. Hearings shall be closed to the public.
   2. The hearings shall be conducted in an orderly manner by the rules of parliamentary procedure.
   3. If the accused student is proven guilty, a written record of the Honor Council's findings shall be maintained in the student's engineering file. In all hearings involving serious charges where suspension or expulsion may be ordered, a tape recording of the hearing shall be kept and, when economically feasible, the hearing also shall be recorded by a court reporter. The accused student may, at his/her expense, obtain a written transcript of the proceedings.
   4. The accused shall have an opportunity to be heard in his/her own defense, either by oral testimony or written affidavit. No recommendation for the imposition of sanctions may be based solely upon the failure of the accused student to answer charges or to appear at the hearing. And, in any event, all findings of fact and recommendations shall be based solely upon the evidence presented, and shall be based upon clear and convincing proof of violation of policies, rules and regulations by the student as charged.
   5. The accused shall have the opportunity to hear and refute all testimony against him. He/She shall have the right to question witnesses testifying against them. Where the evidence is presented in writing, he/she will have the right to see and refute such written testimony. The accused may present any evidence in his/her own behalf, may reply to charges in his/her words, and may present witnesses in his/her own behalf.
   6. All witnesses shall give testimony under oath. If a witness elects not to appear, his/her affidavit may be used.
   7. The burden of proof shall rest upon those bringing the charge and all matters upon which the decision is based must be introduced as evidence during the hearing.
   8. The student's status at the University will not be altered pending final action on the charge.

5. Findings and Recommendations

   After hearing all evidence in the case, the Honor Council shall make a determination as to whether a violation of the Honor Code has occurred. To find a student guilty of a violation a majority vote of the members of the Honor Council is required. Within five (5) working days of the completion of the hearing, the Honor Council shall present to the affected student and the Dean of the School of Engineering a written decision, containing findings of fact and conclusions, explaining their action. This time limit may be extended under unusual or extenuating circumstances if the Dean so approves. The affected student's receipt of the written decision starts the running of the time during which he or she can appeal to the Dean.

6. Penalties

   Upon finding a student guilty of a violation of the Honor Code, the Honor Council shall impose an appropriate penalty. Penalties range from sanctions such as having to rewrite a paper to receiving an "F" in a course to suspension and expulsion. The penalties of suspension and expulsion must be presented to the Chancellor for approval before they may be imposed.

7. Final Authority

   Action of the Honor Council shall be final in cases where no violation of the Honor Code has occurred. In cases where the Honor Council finds that a violation has occurred, the Dean of the School of Engineering shall review the decision, on the record, within ten (10) working days of the affected student's receipt of the Honor Council's written decision. The affected student does not have the right to appear before the Dean and present argument or additional evidence. The Dean has the right to affirm the findings and recommendations of the Council, to reduce the recommended penalties, or to reverse the findings of the Council. In addition, the Dean shall have the right to remand the matter to the Council for further consideration. The Dean shall explain his decision in writing and this written decision shall be furnished to the accused student and a copy shall be furnished to the Honor Council.

   The Engineering Faculty recognizes the importance of the Honor Code and will carry out recommendations of the Honor Council as approved by the Dean of Engineering.

   Action of the Dean of the School of Engineering shall be final in all cases where the Honor Council finds that a violation of the Honor Code has occurred except where penalties of suspension or expulsion are recommended. Penalties involving suspension or expulsion are subject to review by the Chancellor. The affected student shall have the right to appeal the imposition of those penalties in writing within five (5) working days of the student's receipt of the Dean's written decision.

8. Appeal

   If a student should desire to appeal the decision of the Chancellor in cases involving suspension or expulsion, he/she may request a review of his/her case by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning by submitting a written application for review to the Board within thirty (30) days of his/her receipt of the Chancellor's written decision. Such appeal will be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Board.