Proposals aimed at increasing the efficiency of the honor system and preventing students from prolonging trials were deliberated during last night's Honor Committee meeting.
Josh Hess, vice chair for community relations, noted the three proposals "are intended to [apply to] students admitting guilt and the incentive to delay [trials]."
Based on the current bylaws, according to Hess, situations arise in which students accused of honor offenses would have an incentive to delay the trial into the following semester to receive credits they otherwise would not receive.
There is also an incentive to avoid trial to temporarily maintain a "clean" transcript for employment interviews, vice chair for trials Brian O'Neill added.
"The first proposal addresses concerns that there is not any incentive for students to LAG [leave admitting guilt]", O'Neill said.
Currently, both students who LAG and those found guilty receive a notation of "Enrollment Discontinued," he explained, and the new proposal would give students who leave admitting guilt the notation of "Withdrawn," the notation given to students voluntarily withdrawing from the University.
Hess noted that to mitigate trial delay, all three proposals would be most effective in conjunction. The first proposal alone would not significantly impact a student's incentive to be truthful, he said, and the two other proposals addressing trial dates and trial manipulation, respectively, would ensure honor offenses are dealt with fairly and in a timely manner.
"Under our current system students can suggest any trial dates, and [the second proposal] tries to reasonably constrain that," Hess said.
According to Hess, the Committee would provide the accused student with several possible trial dates, and the student would be responsible to provide a "good-faith" reason to significantly postpone the trial.
Along with preventing manipulation of the trial process, O'Neill said the proposal would make trials easier for the accused student, jury and the Committee because all parties will receive uniform dates.
"If the Executive Committee feels like the accused student is not being open to Honor and we unanimously think they are just trying to get credit, we can request the Faculty Senate to delete credit if the student is ultimately dismissed," Hess said.
If passed, Hess said, he could not imagine the Committee requesting deletion of credit, but this would have an impact on students attempting to delay their trial.
Committee Chair Ben Cooper noted University students have the right to delay trials for legitimate reasons but should not be able to avoid trials because of the effects of delays on both the honor system and the accused student.
"From [previous] personal experience as an advisor, it is in everyone's best interest for the trial to go as quickly as possible," Cooper said. "I worry our procedure does not highlight the importance of that"
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