Honor Code Violation Procedure and Processing

The Honor Code

“I have neither given or received, nor have I tolerated others’ use of unauthorized aid.”

This statement is written on all homework, quizzes, and exams at Valparaiso University. Every student must write out the Honor Code in full and sign it for all work submitted for academic credit. The Honor Code expresses the promise of the student not to cheat through either action or inaction. The use of these words expresses the faith of the faculty in the student body.

Valparaiso University is proud to be one of a select few universities to operate under a student-run honor system. The Honor Code was established in 1943 by students with the support of the faculty. Signing one’s name to the honor code not only ensures academic pride and integrity of oneself and others but also one’s commitment to a future composed of honest work and integrity.

The Honor System is a cherished tradition of Valparaiso University. Covering all work submitted for academic credit, the Honor System is based on the highest principles of ethics and honesty in class work and campus life. The Honor System is also regarded as an expression of the Christian character of the University.

To access the links that are a part of the Honor Code process please go to Honor Council.  The purpose of this website serves as a guide to find information on reporting a violation, what students are to do if accused of a violation, and the constitution. 

The Honor Code Constitution

The Honor Code Constitution establishes the Honor System and its governing bodies as an independent system made up of students, faculty, and staff in the furtherance of integrity and education at Valparaiso University. 

The constitution defines and outlines the Honor System and the Honor Council’s membership, responsibilities, procedures, decisions and penalties.  For detailed information please go to:  The Honor Code Constitution

The Office of the Registrar’s Responsibility and Processing

The Office of the Registrar acts as a medium between the faculty, the Honor Council, and the student to record an accusation of a violation on the student’s record.  A grade of NR is assigned until a hearing is scheduled and a verdict has been reached to determine if the student is responsible. 

The Office of the Registrar will receive communication from the Honor Council detailing the outcome of the case. The outcome could consist of not guilty, responsible, guilty, student will appeal, or guilty with the option of restorative justice.  If the student is approved to complete an educational task for restorative justice, and completes it, the case will be expunged from the student’s record.  This will enable the student to be awarded an earned grade at the end of term and could prevent dismissal if it is their second offense. 

A faculty member, or another student, can report an honor code violation. 

A confidential excel spreadsheet is kept to record:

Student ID
Last Name
First Name
Semester
Completed Credits
Course Title and Number
Professor
Initial Notification of Violation
Date of Email Decision
Decision Action (Potential Outcome)– Not Responsible, Case Dismissed, Procedural Error, Appeal, Appeal Denied, Responsible, Responsible with Restorative Justice Case Expunged, Case Withdrawn
Letter Received from Provost
Date Letter Received from Provost
NR Grade assigned
Penalty Grade or Earned Grade Received and Date
Case Closed
Comments – comments usually include if the student is being suspended, tries to withdraw, is completing and educational task for restorative justice, or any reminder notes.

Tracking the Honor Code case is a valuable tool to avoid student records not being fully communicated and processed.  We have had several situations where the Honor Council has contacted our office to find out if we received specific information when their email software was not working properly.  Plus, it is good to have if students contact us about the status of their case.

Workflow of an Honor Code Case.

The Office of the Registrar receives an initial email notification when a student has been accused of an Honor Code Violation.

The Office of the Registrar adds an NR grade to the course on the students record in which the violation occurred, along with the comment:  Honor Code violation pending hearing (specify the date the email was received).  Timestamp and save the comment.    

Once the hearing has taken place, the Honor Council will send an email of the outcome.  Possible outcomes: 

Responsible – An Honor Code Violation Grade Report must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the Professor of the course.  The Honor Council will send the grade report to the professor to complete and the professor will wait until the end of the semester to send it to us.  This is necessary because the student’s grade has a potential of being reduced by 1/3 letter grade for first offence, zero on the assignment, or both.   Second offence is failure in the course and suspension; third offense is failure in the course and expulsion.  

The Office of the Registrar records the grade and adds comments detailing the verdict. 

Responsible / Restorative Justice – The student has the option of appealing the verdict, or if approved, completing an assigned educational task for restorative justice to have the case expunged from their record.

Once the assigned educational task, or appeal, has been completed the Honor Council will notify us accordingly. 

The professor will report the grade at the appropriate time.  Comments of the outcome must be noted on the course in STAC. 

Not Responsible – If the verdict is in the middle of the semester and the student is not guilty, we can remove the grade of NR for end of semester grading.  A comment is needed on the course in STAC that this has been done.  The NR must be removed from STAC and RGCS (XRGT).  If the NR hasn’t been removed, the professor must send the grade to us by email. 

The Office of the Registrar records the grade and adds comments detailing the verdict. 

Dismissed – The Honor Council can choose to dismiss a case if there is not enough evidence, there has been a procedural error, the accuser retracts the report.  While the Office of the Registrar receives an email that the case has been dismissed, there is no follow up letter from the Provost’s office confirming the dismissal.  This is also true in situations where the case has been withdrawn. 

The Honor Council sends an email to the professor to report the earned grade at the end of the semester.

Appealed – Student has been given the opportunity to appeal the verdict having a deadline in which to do so.  Once the deadline has passed, the Honor Council will send an email if the appeal was approved, or not, and request the grade from the professor.
 

The Standard Grade Report form that goes through Perceptive for professors reporting grades changes cannot be used in lieu of the Honor Code Violation Grade Report because there is different terminology for the Honor Code form.

The Honor Council emails consist of:

Initial Notification
Outcome of hearing
Notifications that the student has submitted an appeal and the deadline
Appeal decisions
Honor Code Violation Grade Report request to Professor (Registrar on copy)
Notification of case dismissed, or withdrawn
Outcome, Provost’s email letter to student
Notification of second offense and suspension with term designation
Notification of Expulsion with term designation
Notification of an Alleged Honor Code Violation Referral – Case referred to University’s Honor Council or Executive Board, requesting additional evidence pertaining to the case.