Over the next few weeks, University students will be bombarded with information concerning four honor referenda that will appear on the Student Council ballot at the end of February.
Honor educators are mounting one of the largest education campaigns in recent history to inform students around Grounds about the proposed amendments to the Honor constitution.
The proposed amendments include changing the role of oral advocates at trial, removing consideration of seriousness in cases of academic cheating, changing the composition of juries and changing the vote required for a guilty verdict.
"This education effort is unequal to anything the Honor Committee has attempted" in the past, Honor Committee Chairman Thomas Hall said.
Throughout the month of February, honor educators plan to hold forums, meet with several student organizations, pass out informative pamphlets, and lobby faculty members for support of the referenda. If passed, these ammendments could have an important impact on how the honor system is administered and how it applies to University students.
"People really want to know what's going on," Vice Chairman for Education Luke Mitchell said.
Our purpose is to inform and to encourage people to realize the advantages of the proposals, Mitchell said.
As part of their effort, honor educators will meet with student groups including the Asian Student Union, the Organization of Young Filipino Americans, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Society of Black Engineers.
"I think the heads of organizations want their members to be well-informed," Mitchell said.
Honor representatives also will meet with members of the Inter-Fraternity Council to try to get an endorsement for the referenda, Mitchell said.
"So far, they've been pretty positive about it," he said.
Honor educators plan to distribute pamphlets on the Lawn and outside University Hall during the Virginia-Duke basketball game Feb. 13.
The pamphlets give facts on the changes that are going to take place and "explain, historically, how these proposals came about," Vice Chair for Investigations Ginny Rothschild said.
At an open honor forum held last night in Minor Hall, experts on the proposed changes, including Honor Committee members and Board of Visitors member Gordon F. Rainey Jr., explained the proposals and answered students' questions.
"There are people who are opposed to [the proposals] ... but we hope there will be more in favor of them," Mitchell said.
Honor Committee members also will hold a forum in conjunction with First-Year Council, to target the questions and concerns of first-year students, and a forum at North Grounds for graduate students.
"Our last forum had strong attendance and the people who were there really cared," Mitchell said.
The four referenda, based on changes suggested by the Honor System Review Commission in its report released in November, are the result of months of work by the Committee. The education campaign is the culmination of this effort.
"If I were a betting man, I would say ... [the referenda] will pass by a big margin," Mitchell said.
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