The Honor Committee debated one of the enduring tenets of the honor system last night - the single sanction of expulsion for those convicted of an offense.
The proposal, introduced by Darden representative Lamont Soverall reads that, "dismissed students would have the possibility of receiving re-admittance to the University provided they can demonstrate that they no longer pose a tangible threat to the 'community of trust.'" Specifics on how to determine this were discussed, but not finalized.
Soverall introduced the proposal in order to fill what he said were gaps in the system for those who truly are remorseful after the period expired when the student could have made a conscientious retraction.
"I observed a situation where the system was not serving its true purpose," he said in an interview.
Soverall added that the system should admit the fact that some people have shortcomings and could learn alot from their experience with the system. "Different students have different learning curves and need more time for reflection and growth," he said.
The proposal met heated debate in the Committee meeting last night on both sides of the issue and on both practical and philosophical grounds and considerations.
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Some Committee members supported the idea because of concerns that many cases of honor violations are not reported because witnesses do not want people to be expelled.
Others disagreed with the proposal, citing the pride of receiving a University diploma under an honor system with a single sanction.
The only thing that is certain after debate is that discussion on this issue is just beginning. Debate among Committee members will continue throughout the following weeks and could culminate in a referendum during the Spring Elections in late February if the Committee comes to a consensus and drafts a constitutional amendment for the student body to consider.
Committee Chairman Thomas Hall said that through the last 30 years, this debate has tended to come up every five to seven years, and that 1995 was the last time a referendum was brought to the student body. The single sanction was upheld in that referendum.
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