At last night's meeting, the Honor Committee discussed the issue and implications of the consensus clause, a referendum on the spring ballot.
The consensus clause is an amendment to the Honor constitution which specifies that any changes to the sanctioning power of the Committee be approved by a majority of the student body.
The consensus clause was placed on the ballot through a student petition and consequently was not addressed by the Committee.
"The Committee doesn't have a specific opinion either way," Honor Committee Chair Meghan Sullivan said.
Most members of the Committee agreed that education about the consensus clause had been adequate.
"We've tried our best to ensure that our educators know how to explain what it is and what it means to vote for or against it," Sullivan said.
Sullivan opened the floor for representatives to discuss questions that have come up on this issue from their constituents.
"The consensus is definitely that it's fairly transparent, that it's not about consensus -- it's about the single sanction," Committee Secretary Elisabeth Epps said. "Most people understand it's incredibly hypocritical."
Committee member Matt Miller raised the question of what would happen if both the consensus clause and the Sanction Reform Committee's referendum passed. Currently on the ballot, the referendum asks whether the Committee should seek alternatives to the single sanction.
The two referenda are not mutually exclusive, as the consensus clause only raises the criteria by which a change to the single sanction could be obtained.
Since the consensus clause could pass under the current constitution by a 60 percent majority of voters, some Committee members questioned whether the clause could change those very standards under which it was enacted.
Sullivan said this would be a valid change to the Honor constitution.
"If it's passed under the current standard, it would change that standard to a much higher standard," she said.
Sullivan emphasized that the Committee does not have a position on this issue.
"Without having the policy come through the Committee, we can only react to it," she said.
Should the consensus clause pass, any amendments to the clause itself must also be approved by a majority of the student body.
The consensus clause could be repealed by a majority of the student body or by the Board of Visitors, Sullivan said.
"The power of the Honor Committee comes from the BOV, and it has the power to intervene, but this has never happened before," she said.
The consensus clause is on the spring ballot and polls are open through Mar. 2.
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