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"Code of honor" redirects here, for the first season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation see Code of Honor.

An honor code or honor system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people (at least within the community) can be trusted to act honorably. Those who are in violation of the honor code can be subject to various sanctions, including expulsion from the institution.

In America, the first student-policed honor system was instituted in 1779 at the College of William and Mary at the behest of Virginia's then-Governor Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had graduated from William & Mary in 1762 and inked a basic honor system for his college.

Jefferson later envisioned a similar honor system for his University of Virginia; it was at first based on strict laws limiting student behavior, but later based on student self-government. However, he never lived to see it in practice there. UVA's early years were marked by contentious relations between students and the faculty, which culminated on November 12, 1840, when John Davis, a professor, was shot to death in an attempt to quell a disturbance on The Lawn. Davis refused to identify his assailant, stating that an honorable man would step forward on his own. On July 4, 1842, Henry St. George Tucker, then a professor at UVA, proposed that in the future, students sign examinations in the form "I, A.B., do hereby certify on my honor that I have derived no assistance during the time of this examination from any source whatsoever." The idea succeeded with the students. The wording of the honor pledge has changed over time, and the definition of what constitutes an honor offense has evolved as well, at times including matters such as cheating at card games or insulting ladies. As of 2006, an honor offense is defined as an act of lying, cheating, or stealing, performed intentionally, of sufficient gravity such that open toleration of the act would impair the community of trust sufficiently enough to warrant expulsion of the offender. Despite the evolution of the system over the years, UVA's Honor System has remained unique in that it is administered entirely by the University's students.[1]

However, Jefferson's vision of a student self-governed system remains largely unrealized at other universities. Most schools adopting honor codes limit their application to the academic realm. More comprehensive systems -- not unlike Haverford's and Davidson's-- where students ratify and enforce social and academic codes, are rare.

Today, some of the most notable and most stringent honor codes exist at the U.S. federal military academies--the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The military academy honor codes not only govern the cadets' and midshipmen's lives at the academies, but are deemed essential to the development of military officers who are worthy of the public trust. As such, the codes are not limited merely to academic situations or to conduct on campus; cadets and midshipmen are expected to live by the codes' ethical standards at all times. Furthermore, they may not tolerate violations by other cadets or midshipmen--toleration itself being a violation of the code. Under the academies' honor codes, violation of the code is generally dealt with by disenrollment of the offender.[2]

Another school with a very strict honor code is Brigham Young University. The university not only mandates honest behavior, but incorporates various aspects of Christian living; drinking, smoking, drug use, and premarital sex are all banned. Also, the code includes standards for dress and grooming. Men must be clean shaven and men and women cannot wear short shorts or other revealing clothing.[3]

Enforcement of honor codes differ from campus to campus as well. UVA opts for a student-run honor code which involves student input and is generally limited to academic concerns. Haverford College holds an honor code which is ratified (or not) by students yearly and run by an elected body, Honor Council. This code is concerned with an academic as well as a social component, demanding equal respect among students, in contrast to the military academies' focus on hierarchy. Davidson College also holds a dual honor code. An urban legend surrounds the Davidson code stating that a student was put on trial for not reporting an extra can of soda dispensed by a vending machine.

[edit] Sample honor codes

• "As a Member of the William & Mary community I pledge, on my Honor, not to lie, cheat, or steal in either my academic or personal life. I understand that such acts violate the Honor Code and undermine the community of trust of which we are all stewards." - The College of William and Mary
• " As Haverford students, we seek an environment in which members of a diverse student body can live together, interact, and learn from one another in ways that protect both personal freedom and community standards. If a diverse community is to prosper, its members must attempt to come to terms with their differences; this goal is only possible if students seek mutual understanding by means of respectful communication. By holding us accountable for our words and actions, the Honor Code acts as an educational tool, instructing us to resolve conflicts by engaging others in dialogues that yield greater awareness for all parties involved. By encouraging respectful conduct, we hope to create an atmosphere conducive to learning and growing." - Preamble, Haverford College Honor Code [[4]]
• "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." - U.S. Military Academy Honor Code
• "We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." - U.S. Air Force Academy Honor Code
• "I have neither given or received nor have I tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid." - Valparaiso University Honor Code (http://www.valpo.edu/student/honor/)
• "Stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of the circle? No. Never! I'd die first!" - Karl G. Maeser, founder of Brigham Young University
• "No member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community." - California Institute of Technology Honor Code
• "On my honor as a University of Colorado student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance." - University of Colorado Honor Code
• "To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the University Community have set forth this honor code." - George Mason University Honor Code [5]
• "Because I believe that integrity is essential, I promise not to lie, cheat or steal" -T.M.I.—The Episcopal School of Texas
• "Students at Stanford are expected to show both within and without the University such respect for order, morality, personal honor and the rights of others as is demanded of good citizens. Failure to do this will be sufficient cause for removal from the University."' - Stanford University Fundamental Standard