The Honor Committee discussed the conscientious retraction campaign and the upcoming community forum meeting last night. The Committee also continued to discuss possible changes to the investigation process.
According to Vice Chair for Education Kendall Fox, the Committee is beginning a conscientious retraction campaign to educate the community about existence of conscientious retractions as well as the details of the process.
"I think the conscientious retraction is a really important part of our system since we have such a serious penalty," Fox said. This option is for a student who is "essentially an honorable person and [is] willing to take responsibility for [his or her] actions."
Fox added that a lot of people do not know about the opportunity to file a conscientious retraction.
The Committee has flyered Grounds and will be handing out cups on the Lawn outlining the process as well as putting information on buses and table tents, Fox added.
A-J Aronstein, vice chair for community relations, said the Committee is planning on having another community forum next week in the Rotunda.
The time will likely not be 8 p.m. because of the opening men's basketball game, Aronstein said.
Committee Chair Alison Tramba said the Committee is planning on voting on by-law changes and introducing the faculty survey at the meeting.
By-law changes will address conscientious retraction wording, reports made in bad faith, jurisdiction over Semester at Sea and Northern Virginia sites and the withholding of the degrees of accused students.
The Committee's discussion also focused on the "transformation" proposal submitted by Vice Chair for Trials Jay Trickett.
The proposal would treat the reporter like any other witness and include a longer investigation process involving rebuttal interviews. The investigation panel would not involve any of the parties but only the investigation log.
First-year Law student Josh Hess, honor counsel, encouraged the Committee to pass the proposal.
"Work backwards from implementation and tweak it after passing it," Hess said.
Aronstein said he thought accused students should be able to face their accusers. He added he thought reporters should have the right to stay in the trial room during the proceedings.
Tramba said discussion on the proposal will continue in the coming weeks but that the Committee "will probably not discuss it" at the community forum next week.
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