I have been frustrated lately with the uninformed opinions about the recent open honor trial, especially the notion of “triviality.” Triviality doesn’t necessarily refer to the gravity of the assignment or the seriousness of the class, but rather refers to whether the act in question would compromise the community of trust. The honor code applies to all assignments, in all classes, right through the end of fourth year, as it certainly should. Would anyone argue that we are allowed to cheat in easy classes, or when we are a month away from graduating? I want professors to trust me when I say that I had a family emergency or that my printer broke, whether I am in a pass/fail one credit seminar or a 200-person lecture class, whether I’m a first-year student or it’s the last day of college classes. To me, this is why I think Jason Smith’s actions cannot be considered trivial. Lying about your reason for not completing an assignment or for missing class affects every single academic interaction at this University.
I do not support the single sanction for a myriad of reasons, but under our current system, Smith received a fair trial and just outcome. I would urge the current campaign “Justice for Jason Smith” to stop talking about this trial and put the vast amounts of energy they have into working with honor in the formulation of an acceptable and effective multiple sanction system. Then, future students who violate our community of trust can still be punished for their actions without the automatic cruel punishment of expulsion. The current campaign is misleading and uninformed, and ultimately not constructive — neither for Smith nor the community of trust.
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