The Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee presented its "Faculty Perspectives on the Honor System" report to the Honor Committee last night to keep the University community apprised of faculty members' concerns with honor.
Architecture Prof. Kenneth Schwartz, who also chairs the Academic Affairs Committee, said the statement is an update on the Faculty Senate's previous position statement adopted last April.
"In a sense, this is updating that position and adding some meat on the bones," Schwartz told the Honor Committee. "This most recent statement simply is put forward for your consideration to give you a sense of where the faculty sees these issues today."
The report addressed some faculty concerns with the system, specifically the low student initiation rate that faculty attribute to the single sanction, Schwartz said.
"There seems to be something awry," Schwartz said. "Many, many faculty members believe the single sanction is at the heart of the problem. The common refrain one hears from faculty is 'All roads lead to the single sanction.'"
Schwartz said he recognizes the system is student-run, but he said faculty members play a crucial role in supporting and maintaining the community of trust
"The Faculty Senate consciously chose not to propose specific recommendations," Schwartz said. "However, we are clearly signaling our frustration with the status quo."
Honor Committee Chair Meghan Sullivan said while the honor system is governed by students, faculty members are responsible for helping students preserve the system.
"As members of this community, they have a right to be heard," Sullivan said.
Schwartz said while there is no conclusive evidence to support the hypothesis that the low rate of student initiations is directly linked to the single sanction, the general consensus among faculty members is that the single sanction deters students from initiating cases.
"I do know that the academic death sentence of the single sanction has repercussions but it also has positive qualities as well," he said.
In their statement, the Academic Affairs Committee said they hope that students will "develop and adopt a reformed sanction policy" because they "believe this will result in a strengthened honor system with greater student and faculty participation and respect."
Sullivan said ultimately it is the students' prerogative to address honor policies like the single sanction.
"Faculty should respect the fact that this community can engage in a debate about its policies," Sullivan said.
Schwartz said the Academic Affairs Committee currently is constructing a survey to acquire more complete information from which they can draw formal conclusions regarding faculty members' level of support for the honor system. Potential survey questions will be presented to the Honor Committee and the Faculty Senate for review, he said.
"Reinforcing the status quo does not seem to be moving the system forward," Schwartz said. "The basic goal here is simply to articulate faculty perspectives in the general sense, and how that plays out is a student issue."
Sullivan said the Committee will take the time necessary to consider the Faculty Senate's report and once they develop a formal response they will present at a future Faculty Senate meeting.
"It is my hope and the Committee's hope that we can go address the faculty," she said.
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