The Honor Committee held a community forum meeting in the Dome Room of the Rotunda last night where they discussed by-law changes involving bad faith reporting of cases. The Committee also fielded a number of questions from attendees.
"I think this meeting might be a first step toward addressing a clear problem with the Honor Committee -- that of its lack of transparency," said A-J Aronstein, vice chair for community relations, in opening remarks.
The meeting began with representative introductions. Members of the executive committee also explained their roles within the Committee.
Chairs of the subcommittees that deal with faculty, diversity, the single sanction and academic integrity also discussed the work they have been doing this semester.
Diane Gigantino, chair of the faculty advisory subcommittee, said her group updates faculty on the doings of the Committee as well as soliciting faculty opinions.
"It is a student-run system but faculty do play a role and we do want to get their opinion," Gigantino said.
Toby Zhang said the Diversity Advisory Board is currently working on issues of "spotlighting and dimming" concerning race and the Honor system.
Laura Holland said the ad-hoc committee for the single sanction is currently looking into alternatives to the sanction and ways by which the Committee could implement other sanctions.
Becca Green, chair of the subcommittee on academic integrity, said her committee will soon begin a flyering campaign aimed at reminding students what a community of trust can do for them.
"There are things that the honor system does every day besides the trial process that affect our lives," Green said.
Committee members then discussed possible ways to deal with students who submit a bad-faith report of an honor offense. Such students could be sent to the University Judiciary Committee.
"We need to hash out the specific language and it would eventually go to the Board of Visitors for approval," Honor Chair Alison Tramba said.
The Committee will vote on the proposed change, along with others, in the coming weeks, Tramba added.
More than 50 University community members attended the meeting, including Faculty Senate Chair Kenneth Schwartz, Darden Dean Robert Bruner and Maurice Apprey, interim head of the Office of African-American Affairs.
The meeting closed with a question-and-answer session.
Third-year College student Nick Feucht asked the Committee what it planned to do about the perceived reputation of Honor in the community.
Feucht encouraged the Committee to "not necessarily change what we have but change how it's seen -- from a Committee that enforces honor to a community that guides honor."
Other concerns included the Committee's perception of itself.
Second-year College student Vadim Elenev told the Committee, "You are a representative body. It worries me a bit that a lot of what you say has been based on the assumption of a correction position."
Vice Chair for Trials Jay Trickett said the Honor Committee aims to educate students about the system as it currently stands.
"When we talk about education we're not talking about propaganda. We're talking about basic things like what is an honor offense," Trickett said. "We're not trying to tell you there should be a conscientious retraction -- we're telling you there is one."
Audience members also asked questions concerning discussion of alternatives to the single sanction.
Holland said the Committee is concerned with ways in which other sanctions could be implemented before the ideas are "fleshed out."
Aronstein said he considered the event a success.
"We had a great turnout and great conversation," Aronstein said.
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