Spring Break
Honor code would improve Drexel
Roger McCain
Issue date: 6/6/08 Section: Ed-Op
Dear Editor,
While on leave from Drexel for the academic year 2007-08, during the unpaid part of my leave, I spent spring term as Taylor Distinguished Visiting Professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. One purpose of an arrangement like that is to bring back whatever can be learned to Drexel.
Trinity and Drexel are very different - Trinity, a Presbyterian institution, focuses on the liberal arts and religion, though it has departments of engineering and business administration - but there is one thing Trinity has that I believe Drexel ought to consider imitating: the honor code and honor council. These institutions were jointly adopted by the Trinity Faculty Senate and Student Government in 2003, and require each entering freshman to sign an agreement that she or he will abide by the honor code. Students were brought under the honor code as they entered as freshmen, so that with the freshman class of 2007, all Trinity students are bound by the honor code.
Trinity's honor code and honor council are "a student owned, student run academic integrity system." The student government nominates and the president of Trinity University appoints 17 students to be members of the honor council. The honor council hears and judges allegations of violations of academic integrity and recommends sanctions, which may vary from a non-credit electronic short course on academic authority to a recommendation of a zero on an assignment, or more severe sanctions in extreme cases. The faculty award grades but are likely as a rule to follow such a recommendation. Faculty advisors to the honor council assist but do not control the process.
When my Trinity students turned in homework, quizzes and examinations, the first page would have the word "pledged" and the student's signature. "Pledged" is short for, "On my honor, I have neither given nor received any unauthorized assistance on this work." Such a signed pledge is a commitment, and in my experience Drexel and Trinity students take their signature seriously as a commitment. I believe Drexel could benefit by moving toward a system of this kind. At my age, it would be optimistic for me to look forward to a time when Drexel students pledge their integrity on every submission and sign the pledge - but let's be optimistic: perhaps that time will come.
Roger McCain
Professor
Department of Economics
LeBow College, Drexel University
While on leave from Drexel for the academic year 2007-08, during the unpaid part of my leave, I spent spring term as Taylor Distinguished Visiting Professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. One purpose of an arrangement like that is to bring back whatever can be learned to Drexel.
Trinity and Drexel are very different - Trinity, a Presbyterian institution, focuses on the liberal arts and religion, though it has departments of engineering and business administration - but there is one thing Trinity has that I believe Drexel ought to consider imitating: the honor code and honor council. These institutions were jointly adopted by the Trinity Faculty Senate and Student Government in 2003, and require each entering freshman to sign an agreement that she or he will abide by the honor code. Students were brought under the honor code as they entered as freshmen, so that with the freshman class of 2007, all Trinity students are bound by the honor code.
Trinity's honor code and honor council are "a student owned, student run academic integrity system." The student government nominates and the president of Trinity University appoints 17 students to be members of the honor council. The honor council hears and judges allegations of violations of academic integrity and recommends sanctions, which may vary from a non-credit electronic short course on academic authority to a recommendation of a zero on an assignment, or more severe sanctions in extreme cases. The faculty award grades but are likely as a rule to follow such a recommendation. Faculty advisors to the honor council assist but do not control the process.
When my Trinity students turned in homework, quizzes and examinations, the first page would have the word "pledged" and the student's signature. "Pledged" is short for, "On my honor, I have neither given nor received any unauthorized assistance on this work." Such a signed pledge is a commitment, and in my experience Drexel and Trinity students take their signature seriously as a commitment. I believe Drexel could benefit by moving toward a system of this kind. At my age, it would be optimistic for me to look forward to a time when Drexel students pledge their integrity on every submission and sign the pledge - but let's be optimistic: perhaps that time will come.
Roger McCain
Professor
Department of Economics
LeBow College, Drexel University
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jaclyn O'Connor
posted 7/02/08 @ 1:27 AM EST
As a member of Drexel USGA and its Academic Affairs Committee in 2005, I drafted an Honor Code, that is similar to what you discuss in this article. My hope was to begin its institution by having students sign it before an exam or with a term paper, sort of like the "pledged" idea. (Continued…)
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