Student Council will decide tonight whether to support the Honor Committee in its decision to hold a special election to vote eliminating the consideration of seriousness in cases of academic cheating.
Now a student only can be convicted of an honor offense if the action is deemed serious enough to compromise the University's community of trust.
The Committee's decision to move forward on holding a University-wide election to consider this matter has provoked tension between the two governing bodies.
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Council Chief Financial Officer John Finley said. "I don't think the Honor Committee knows what they're getting into by trying to run their own election."
Brock Jolly, Council vice president for administration, said he thought the Committee's decision to retain the right to hold referenda special elections was irresponsible.
"They are bending their rules because we would not bend ours" for them, Jolly said.
During University-wide student elections last week, Council denied the Committee's request to place the seriousness clause referendum on the ballot, forcing the Committee to make a decision about holding a special election of their own on the proposal.
Peter Leary, Committee vice chairman for education, said while the Committee has voted to reserve the right to hold its own special elections on the referendum, the Committee still hopes Council will oversee the process.
"In the case they choose not to work directly with us there are many ways they can work indirectly, such as allowing us the use of their [secured internet voting] server or voicing their support of our actions," Leary said.
A resolution sponsored by Council Commerce Rep. Dan Austin will appear before Council tonight. The resolution proposes that Council allow the referendum to appear on the server in an attempt to allow "students to vote on this referendum in the manner in which they are accustomed to ... Even with a conservative reading, allowing honor to use the server does not violate either of our Constitutions," Austin said.
Council College Rep. Nathan A. Cook said he supports the resolution "with a lot of reservations." Cook cited that Article VII Section I of the Council constitution states that Council shall hold referendum elections for the Committee "pursuant to the referenda provisions of [the Committee's and UJC's] constitutions."
Council President Taz Turner said tonight's meeting will be a chance for Council to tell the Committee how much help it can expect from Council.
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