(This is the fourth article in a four-part weekly series examining the way members of the University view the honor system.)
Four years ago, during the first semester of his first year, Vineet Aggarwal entered one of his classes ready to take a big test. Having prepared extensively, he was surprised and disappointed when the professor told the entire class they had to leave their bookbags in the aisle to minimize the possibility of cheating.
"In a school with an honor system, it shouldn't be like that," said Aggarwal, who is a fourth year in the Engineering School. "From that point onward, my opinion of honor" deteriorated.
Graduating fourth years have a unique perspective on honor because of their knowledge and experiences with the system. Throughout their four years, students' perceptions of honor change and evolve just as they themselves change and evolve.
Unlike Aggarwal, fourth-year Commerce student Kennon Poteat said his opinion of honor became increasingly positive throughout his four years.
Poteat served as an honor counsel for two and a half years before he ran for a seat on the Committee. Once elected, he served as vice chairman for trials, which required scheduling cases and overseeing counsel.
"I didn't think about honor much in high school - everybody cheated," Poteat said. "So it was refreshing to see that most students [at the University] really are honorable. In the last four years, I've seen students really getting involved [in honor], and the Committee has started focusing on the larger picture instead of minor details. That's a real benefit."
Fourth-year College student Ramez Karkar transferred to the University after his first year from Wake Forest University, which also has an honor system.
"When I was accepted at U.Va., I got the honor video, but I didn't really take it seriously," Karkar said. "But as I progressed through college, I realized the benefits [of the system]. It's good for professors because they can trust you."
And it benefits students because "at least you know everyone is on the same level - the people you're competing with for a grade aren't cheating all the time," he added.
Fourth-year College student Gonzalo Carrion said he liked the honor system initially but grew disillusioned with it because of his experiences.
"It is a very beautiful and noble idea but too romantic to be applicable in our times," Carrion said. "I was introduced to it and I loved it, at the start. My umbrella was stolen the next day" at Observatory Hill dining hall.
Carrion served as a juror in an honor trial during his first year and initiated a case against a student two years later.
"I pressed charges on someone who blatantly lied in a UJC case - the proof was on the record. But it didn't even pass the [investigative] panel," he said. "How is it that cheating on a test can get someone expelled, but that lying in a UJC trial will not?"
Fourth-year Education student Katie Tracy said her opinion of honor also has changed since her first year.
"I think I respected it more as a first year. I assumed because it was in place it worked efficiently and effectively, but now I think students are discouraged with it," Tracy said.
Tracy, who is a former captain of both the women's soccer team and the women's basketball team, said as a student athlete, she has heard more complaints about the system than the average student. Many student athletes believe they are unfairly targeted by the honor system.
"It's tarnished my image of the system," Tracy said.
All of the fourth years interviewed had opinions on what aspects of the honor system need to be reformed. The single sanction was the issue about which they expressed concern most often.
"It's tough to have a single-sanction honor code when people disagree on what is considered serious," said Tracy, noting that earlier this spring the student body defeated an amendment to remove consideration of seriousness in cases of academic cheating.
"It seems very severe," said Karkar. "But, just as in the real world, you have to face consequences if you do something bad."
"Unless there is concrete proof with 100 percent certainty, no one should be kicked out," said Aggarwal, adding that he thinks a friend of his was expelled on false charges.
"Maybe there should be a less severe punishment" in case there is a mistake, he said.
"The main problem I see is the way the system is administered is too legalistic," Poteat said. "For a civilian type of school, the single sanction is hard to operate."
"But there are some alternative models the Committee is considering," he said. "Having such a large-scale discussion throughout the past year has been very positive."
Overall, fourth years agreed the honor system is still viable at the University.
"You have to have an honor system - it really does affect people's behavior," said Karkar.
"Honor affects me on a daily basis - it's always in the back of my mind and it gives me a different way of looking at ethics," said Poteat.
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