Insufficient student ownership of the honor system and the hotly-contested single sanction issue dominated an informal roundtable discussion between a group of faculty members and students last night in Jefferson Hall.
The discussion was co-sponsored by the Honor Committee and the Second-Year Council.
"The point of a program like tonight is to remind students that there are living issues going on with honor every day," Second-Year Council President Ross Baird said.
Seven professors from the College, the Darden School, the Engineering School, the Commerce School and the Nursing School addressed their feelings about the honor system.
Astronomy Prof. Charles Tolbert said one of his main concerns is the low number of student-initiated cases. With faculty initiating some 80 percent of cases, Tolbert questioned whether the system still is student-run.
During a question-and-answer session, one student asked whether it is fair to chastise students for not initiating cases when faculty members have more opportunities to identify honor violations.
Politics Prof. James R. Sofka said while it seems logical to assume that more of the burden of initiating cases would fall on the faculty, students still should take part in upholding the community of trust to the best of their ability.
"I don't believe the fact that faculty are initiating these cases is a bad thing as long as the students are doing their part in the areas in which they can," Sofka said.
As a testament to the seriousness of some their concerns, Tolbert said a number of faculty members are thinking about "opting out" of the honor system because they would prefer to deal with honor offenses on their own.
"I think it's something the students need to be seriously concerned about," he said.
Engineering Undergraduate Dean Paxton Marshall said one of his concerns is the University's definition of honor. While the honor code identifies dishonorable behavior as lying, cheating or stealing, Paxton said dishonorable conduct, such as racial hate crimes, can transcend those three acts.
Much of the discussion centered on the issue of the single sanction.
Tolbert said he is opposed to the single sanction because it deters students from initiating cases and does not offer students a chance for redemption.
Commerce Prof. William Kehoe said the single sanction is fundamental to the honor system because it suits the "prime directive" of the University -- students will not lie, cheat or steal.
"I believe the single sanction, by golly, is just fine," Kehoe said.
One student asked the panelists what their recommendations would be for a better sanctioning system.
Tolbert said he is in favor of a two-level system in which a student would only be subject to expulsion if he or she committed a second honor offense.
Marshall said the sanctioning system must be simple, clear and offer a chance for redemption. He said a student should fail the course for his or her first honor offense and be expelled if convicted of a second offense.
Baird said he thought the program went very well despite a less than stellar turnout. About a dozen students attended the event.
"I think the decent turnout reflected that there's a kind of a student interest," he said. "Students need to realize how their careers at the University are invested in this concept of honor."
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