The Honor Committee voted unanimously Sunday night to send a proposal to the student body that would change the wording of the seriousness clause of the Honor Constitution. Committee members also discussed a referendum on the consensus clause that was added independently of the Committee. At the same meeting, the Committee chose not to send to the student body a proposal that would require Committee members to serve on Honor juries.
"I think there is a common misconception among the student body about the seriousness clause," said Alex Hawkins, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for Student Reporting, which proposed the change. According to Hawkins, students think that the seriousness clause asks whether the act is serious enough to merit expulsion. "[That is] not what is in our Constitution," he said.
The proposal would replace every mention of the word "serious" or "seriousness" in the Honor Constitution with the words "not trivial" or "non trivial."
Lauren Ross, vice chair for investigations, said the Honor support officers generally support the proposal.
Additionally, during the Committee's meeting Sunday night, a proposal that would add two Honor Committee members to every trial jury did not receive the two-thirds vote necessary to send it on the student body. Fourteen of the present members voted in favor of the proposal, two voted against it and two abstained.
Members of the Honor Committee also discussed the consensus clause that will appear on the ballot during the spring elections.
Students for the Preservation of Honor, a group of students who support the single sanction, gathered about 2,700 signatures; according to member and second-year College student Daniel Lautzenheiser.
The University Board of Elections' Web site states that any referenda may appear on the ballot that has at least 950 student signatures.
The proposed change to the Committee's Constitution would require that any change to the single sanction be approved by at least 33 percent of the student body. Currently, any provision of the Constitution can be change by 10 percent of the student body votes in the election.
The Committee debated whether or not to endorse the proposal next Sunday night.
"I think ignoring it completely,we can't do that," Committee Chair David Hobbs said. "If you have an opinion on it personally, you're still able to voice that. If you think that the Committee should take action on this you need to prepare something on it for next week."
Students will have the chance to vote on the referenda beginning Feb. 24, according to the University Board of Elections' web site. The polls will remain open until 6 p.m. March 1.
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