The Honor Committee will have to speed up their year-long search for a legal advisor after their current advisor confirmed yesterday that he will not work in the General Counsel's office after the end of this year.
Earl Dudley, law professor and general counsel, has worked with the Honor Committee through the General Counsel's office for five years, but said he will resign in May.
The move comes as the Committee faces three lawsuits seeking more than $13.3 million.
Board of Visitors member Benjamin Warthen said he and other Board members had tried to encourage Dudley to stay, but he had wanted to move on.
"At the moment we are disappointed that Mr. Dudley is leaving, but he has other mountains to climb," Warthen said. "He was not as enthusiastic as we were" about continuing as legal advisor.
Warthen added he was unaware of any prospects to replace Dudley in the near future.
Committee Chairman Hunter Ferguson said the Committee is in the process of looking to replace Dudley with a new legal advisor.
"We hope to have something firm by the end of February," Ferguson said. "It's taking a long time."
The Committee may receive some help with the search from Alumni Hall.
Jack Syer, executive director of Alumni Hall, said University alumni are concerned about the honor system and would like to help. Alumni Hall has made plans for an endowment of at least $2 million to help the honor system.
"We feel pretty confident that we can raise meaningful money" to help the Committee, Syer said.
He said the recent lawsuits against the Committee underscore the need for a legal advisor.
"We think it's important that [the transition to a new legal advisor] happens quickly, but we defer to the Honor Committee to make" the decision, Syer added. "We think it's very important that there be some carry over between Mr. Dudley and the next person."
Ferguson said Alumni Hall also may help fund other areas of the honor system. This would allow the University to use the money that now is set aside for the Committee in other areas.
"One of the things is to raise money to augment salaries, [but Alumni Hall may also] supplement currently funded areas and free up money for some less funded areas," he said.
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