Centenary > Student Handbook > Honor Court Constitution

Honor Court Constitution

(Adopted April 10, 1995)

Article I. Honor Code

Each student who enrolls in Centenary College undergraduate classes becomes a part of the Centenary Honor System and is responsible to the Honor Code in both day and night classes. The Honor Code of Centenary College is founded on the idea that honor is that intangible quality which, if it pervades all phases of campus life, will tend to foster a spirit of dignity and personal integrity. Inherent in the system must be the premise that students will not tolerate a violation of the Honor Code. With such a goal, the Honor System is established with the realization that honor must be fostered and not forced, and with the awareness that it will be successful only through the combined and cooperative efforts of faculty, administration and students.

Article II. The Pledge

Students are required to write the following pledge at the end of any examination or piece of independent work: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this examination (paper), nor have I seen anyone else do so.” If the student has received aid or has suspicion of a violation of the Honor Code, the following clause is to be added to the pledge “...except as I shall report immediately to the Honor Court.”

The complete pledge will be written out in hand by the student, shall not be abbreviated, and should never be written until the test or paper has been completed for submission to the professor. Any violation shall be reported immediately to the Honor Court.

Article III. Organization Of The Court

Section One: Composition

The Honor Court shall consist of 10 (ten) student members nominated by the faculty and student body. Five (5) members of the Court shall vote on each case. The Court shall be advised by two (2) faculty members.

Section Two: Nominations

Nominations shall be made by the student body and the faculty to fill any vacancies in the Honor Court. The Court shall then choose sufficient names from the list to fill vacancies on the Court. The new Court shall assume its duties upon election. In the event that vacancies on the Court should develop at a time other than the end of the school year, the vacancies shall be filled by the Court.

Section Three: Qualifications

The members of the Honor Court shall:

1. Be of junior or senior standing at Centenary College at the end of the semester during which the office is to be assumed.
2. Be enrolled in at least their second semester at Centenary College.
3. Not hold any elected office to the Student Government Association, membership on a judicial board, or membership on the Conduct Review Sub-Committee.
4. Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above at the time of election.

Section Four: Term of Office

Terms of members of the Honor Court shall be from the time of selection until graduation, impeachment, or voluntary withdrawal from the Honor Court or the College.

Section Five: Permanent Officers of the Honor Court and Duties

1. Chief Justice

2. Associate Justice

3. Clerk

Section Six: Other Members and their Duties

1. Investigating Officer

2. Representative for the Accused

3. Voting Members

4. Non-voting Members

Section Seven: Faculty Advisors

The Honor Court shall select annually two (2) members of the full-time faculty to serve as faculty advisors. At least one advisor will be present at all proceedings. The advisors may hear all testimony, question witnesses, and participate in deliberations. Faculty advisors are not voting members of the Court.

Section Eight: Impeachment Proceedings

1. Any member of the Honor Court may be removed from office by a 2/3 vote of the student members of the Honor Court for:
   1. consistent failure to discharge duties;
   2. conviction of an Honor Code offense;
   3. breach of confidentiality; or
   4. giving inappropriate advice to the plaintiff or accused.
2. The member under consideration for removal may not vote in the removal proceedings.

Article IV. Orientation Procedures Of The Honor System

Section One: Responsibility for conducting all phases of Honor System orientation shall rest upon the current Honor Court.

Section Two: Presentation to the Faculty

1. At the Faculty Orientation Workshop of each new school year, the Faculty shall be briefed on the Honor System by the current Chief Justice of the Honor Court, or a representative of that body, given constitutions, and made aware of their responsibility.
2. The responsibilities of the faculty as outlined in this Constitution, shall be stressed as being an integral part of the Honor System.

Section Three: Presentation to New Students

The current Honor Court shall be responsible for explaining the purposes and operations of the Honor System to all new students at orientation. However, it is the students’ responsibility to familiarize themselves with the Honor System.

Section Four: Presentation to the Student Body

Each semester an effort shall be made by the Honor Court to impress upon the student body the purposes and mechanics of the Honor System.

Section Five: The Signing of the Code Card at Registration

As a part of the registration procedure, each student will sign a statement agreeing to abide by the Honor Code of the College, which will be included on the general registration form.

Article V. Faculty Responsibilities

Section One

As a member of the Centenary Community, each faculty member is responsible for reporting all cases of suspected cheating on tests, plagiarisms, and other violations of the Honor Code to the Court, rather than handling the case and penalty personally.

Section Two

Faculty members shall abide by the decision of the court in grading the student suspected of the violation.

Section Three

Faculty members shall:

1. Inform students of regulations that apply to academic integrity in their courses, and make clear to what extent collaborative work or exchange of aid and information (studying together, tutoring, proofreading of papers) is acceptable.
2. Constructively admonish students who they feel are drifting into questionable practices.
3. Explain directions on examinations and inform students of their whereabouts during an examination should questions arise.
4. Instruct students to write and sign the pledge on each test and each piece of work that is to be done independently.
5. Impress upon students their responsibility to report all suspected instances of cheating, plagiarism, or other violations of both the Honor Code and the class requirements.
6. Explain all requirements for take home tests.

Article VI. Student Responsibilities

1. Every effort should be made by the students to place themselves in the classroom seating arrangement so as to minimize the suspicion of a violation.
2. Students should remove all notebooks, textbooks, and other written material from their desks. Only exam material should be within view.
3. Students should check with professors concerning any questions about papers.
4. Permission for combined work on projects and assignments does not necessarily imply authorized collaboration on resulting papers and reports.

Article VII. Grounds For Conviction For Violation Of The Honor Code

Section One: Cheating on Tests and Examinations

The following constitute cheating on tests and examinations:

1. Using notes, the textbook, or reference material during a test or examination unless students are specifically authorized to do so by the instructor of the class.
2. Looking on the test paper of another student in the class.
3. Giving or receiving unauthorized aid verbally or in writing.

Section Two. Cheating on Papers

The following constitute cheating on papers:

1. Plagiarism, which is defined as borrowing phrases, ideas, or other material (e.g., maps and charts) from any source without giving adequate credit;
2. Having papers proofread, or edited, by anyone other than the author, unless specifically authorized by the instructor; or
3. Submitting any work which has been submitted for credit in another course without permission. For courses during the same semester, permission from both instructors is required.

Section Three: Failure to Adhere to Specific Requirements of Professors

Students are responsible for finding out a professor’s requirements for examinations, papers, written homework, lab reports, tutoring, and all other work, and how these requirements are governed by the Honor Code. Failure to adhere to these requirements is a violation of the Honor Code.

Clarifications and Exceptions

1. On papers professors may:
   1. grant that a paper be proofread by parties other than the author;
   2. prescribe limitations on the sources to be used;
   3. make special stipulations concerning crediting of sources;
   4. grant permission to any student to submit any work which they have, or another student has, submitted for credit in any other course; and/or
   5. prohibit the use of computer programs which check spelling and grammar.
2. On written homework and laboratory reports, students may:
   1. work together provided that each member of the group understands the work being done, and the instructor has authorized this procedure; and/or
   2. report their individual data as observed in their experiment.
3. On written homework and laboratory reports, professors may:
   1. require that all or part of the assignment be done by each student individually; and/or
   2. require that secondary sources consulted be credited.
4. Tutoring: Students must find out from a professor what kind of help may be received from a tutor on assigned work.

Section Four. Failure to Appear

If the accused fails to appear, or fails to submit an adequate excuse to the Court prior to the hearing, they shall receive an Honor Court conviction. If the accuser, or called witness(es) fail to appear, they shall be referred to the Conduct Review Committee for obstruction of proceedings.

Article VIII. Reporting A Suspected Violation

Anyone suspecting that a violation of the Honor Code has occurred, shall report this suspicion to either the Chief Justice or one of the Faculty Advisors. All communications with the Honor Court must be written and signed. All communication shall be confidential and known only to the members of the Honor Court, including the name of the accused and the accuser to be kept confidential. The Court shall be pledged to keep all information received confidential.

Article IX. Procedures

Section One: Preliminary Actions

1. After receiving notice of a suspected Honor Code violation, the Honor Court shall have three (3) regular class days to send written notice of the violation to the accused. A regular class day shall be defined as any day during the Fall or Spring semesters that classes are in session.
2. From the date the notice is sent, the accused shall have at least three (3) regular class days, but no more than five (5), to prepare for the arraignment. The accused has the right to waive the preparation period.
3. During the preparation period a representative for the accused, as requested by the accused, will be appointed by the Chief Justice after notification of the choice of the accused by the Investigating Officer.

Section Two: Preliminary Review

1. The accused shall be called before a closed panel that shall consist of the Chief Justice, the Clerk, the Investigating Officer, a Faculty Advisor, the Accused, and the Representative for the Accused.
2. At this hearing, the Investigating Officer shall present the case to all present. After the case is presented, the Chief Justice shall ask the accused to enter a plea of either NOT GUILTY or GUILTY. In the case of a guilty plea, which is binding, the Chief Justice shall advise the accused of their right to make a statement to the Court.
   1. If the accused wishes to make a statement at that time, the statement shall be tape-recorded by the Clerk to be played before the entire Court during penalty deliberation.
   2. If the accused wishes to make a statement in person to the Court, he/she shall be advised as to when the Court will meet for deliberation. He/she shall make his/her statement before the Honor Court at that time.

In the case of a not guilty plea, the Chief Justice shall set a date for a full hearing to be held.

Section Three: Honor Court Proceedings

1. The Honor Court shall meet at a time and place specified by the Chief Justice. A complete list of witnesses shall be provided to the Court by the Investigating Officer at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the proceedings. The hearing shall be closed and those participating in the hearing, in any capacity, have the responsibility to maintain confidentiality.
2. All students and faculty members shall appear before the Court when requested to do so. The Chief Justice shall determine in what order witnesses shall be called from the witness list.
3. Procedure of the Hearing
   1. Those present for the entire hearing shall include the counsel for the accused, investigating officer and the voting members of the Honor Court.
   2. The Investigating Officer shall present any new information pertaining to the case and the Chief Justice will then ask if the accused wishes to change the original plea of not guilty. Unless the plea is changed, the hearing will proceed as follows:
      1. witnesses are called by the Chief Justice one at a time
      2. questioning shall begin with the Investigating Officer, then the representative of the accused, and finally the members of the Court.
      3. after all witnesses are heard, the Investigating Officer, representative of the accused, and witnesses are excused while the Court deliberates.
      4. conviction of any student shall always require the vote of four (4) members in favor of conviction.
   3. As soon as a decision is reached, the accused shall be verbally informed of the decision made. The accused shall receive written notice within three (3) regular class days of the decision except under very exceptional circumstances.
4. The Honor Court shall prepare a report of the decisions rendered in the previous semester for publication in The Conglomerate at the start of every semester. In such reports, facts shall be omitted which would lead to the identification of the principal parties involved.

Article X. Penalties

1. For conviction on the first offense, the Honor Court has the option of the following penalties:
   1. no further penalty.
   2. the option to redo the work. Students may redo the work with no grade assessed to the original work. The new work shall be submitted to the professor for a grade. Should the student fail to submit the new work within a time limit agreed upon by the student and the professor, the work shall receive a grade of zero (0).
   3. “F” on the work.
   4. zero (0) on the work.
   5. “F” in the course.
   6. “F” in the course with a recommendation to the Dean of the College for suspension for a semester.
   7. “F” in the course with a recommendation to the Dean of the College for dismissal from the College.
      The numerical value of the “F” in the above penalties shall be determined by the teacher of the course with the stipulation that the “F” be less than any honestly obtained “F” on the work by any member of the class (or group of classes).
2. Any piece of work on which the Honor Court makes a ruling may not be dropped by a professor.
3. Conviction on subsequent offenses will result in an automatic penalty of “F” in the course and referral to the Provost with a recommendation of dismissal from the College. If the Provost disagrees with the recommendation, the recommendation will be referred to the Conduct Review Committee for further review. A decision by the Conduct Review Committee may be appealed to the President of the College who has final authority.

Article XI. Appeals

1. The Chief Justice must advise defendants of their right to appeal and to whom the appeal should be addressed. Only the faculty advisor(s) to the Honor Court may provide guidelines to defendants on the appeal process, the writing of an appeal, or possible outcomes of an appeal.
2. Appeals shall be addressed to the Provost, in written form, within seven (7) regular class days of written notification of conviction by outlining the reason(s) for appeal. If the Provost considers the request justified, the appeal will then be heard by the Conduct Review Committee, and their decision shall be final.

Article XII. Finals Week, Module, And Summer Sessions

Section One. Finals Week Reports of violations during final exam week shall be processed as follows:

1. The student will receive an “I” for the course.
2. Within seven (7) working days after the conclusion of finals the student will be informed, in writing, at the mailing address found in the student directory by certified mail and through campus mail, of the alleged violation.
3. An arraignment hearing will be held within ten (10) regular class days after the start of the next regular (Fall or Spring) semester and the student will be notified of the hearing date, time, and place no later than the fifth (5) regular class day.
4. Depositions shall be taken from those who do not return for the next semester (fall to spring, spring to fall) to be used as official testimony.

Section Two. Module and Summer Sessions Reports of violations during Module and Summer Sessions shall be processed as follows:

1. The student will receive an “I” for the course.
2. Within seven (7) working days after the conclusion of finals the student will be informed, in writing, at the mailing address found in the student directory by certified mail and through campus mail, of the alleged violation.
3. An arraignment hearing will be held within ten (10) regular class days after the start of the next regular (Fall or Spring) semester and the student will be notified of the hearing date, time, and place no later than the fifth (5) regular class day.
4. Depositions shall be taken from those who do not return for the next semester (fall to spring, spring to fall) to be used as official testimony.

Article XIII. Amendments

Section One. Proposal

Amendments to this constitution may originate with either the Honor Court or the Student Government Association. Suggestions for amendments may be submitted to either body.

Section Two. Ratification

1. Proposed amendments to the Honor Court Constitution originating in the Student Government Association shall be approved by the Honor Court with a 4/5 vote. Amendments originating in the Honor Court must be approved by the Student Government Association with a 2/3 majority vote.
2. Amendments must be approved by the faculty and, in general election, by 2/3 majority of the voting student body to become a part of this constitution. Approval may be made first by either body.
3. The amendment shall take effect immediately upon ratification.

Guidelines for the Honor System

Advantages of the Honor System

We of Centenary College are proud of the fact that our students govern their own academic performance through an Honor Code which they helped to write, and which they themselves administer. A national survey has shown that cheating occurs more often on campuses where no joint honor system is in effect and where enforcement of honesty is left up to faculty alone. It occurs least often among students in colleges where both students and faculty participate in a functioning honor system. Our Honor System is a classic example of growing student participation in self-government and responsibility for administrative affairs on campus. The increased freedom it affords gives those who participate in it room to grow in maturity and responsibility and to strengthen qualities of honesty and integrity. Sharing with the student body in the observance and administering of the Honor Code also benefits the College faculty. Faculty and students become partners in striving toward a lofty goal, and their common striving builds an atmosphere of trust and confidence. Faculty members are also relieved of the necessity of filling the role of policeman. The Centenary College Honor System was developed because the students proposed the idea to the College faculty and asked that the faculty join in writing and administering a workable code. The Code was tried on an experimental basis in some departments of the College in 1953, and soon thereafter the present Honor Code was adopted as binding for all regular students of the College.

Requirements and Procedures

Basically, the Code provides that a student will neither cheat nor will he/she tolerate cheating on the part of others. If you have registered at Centenary, you have signed a pact which automatically includes you as a part of our Honor System, binding you to its terms and committing you to uphold its principles and its provisions. You have agreed to present work for credit which is wholly and only your own. When exams are given or when you present written work and research papers, no professor or proctor should be required as a policeman to insure that the work is your own, although a teacher may do so in incidents of suspected violation of the Honor Code. Your own personal integrity is your proctor. We administer the Code through a student court composed of five members and two alternates who are chosen from among nominations made by the student body and the faculty. One member is elected to preside as Chief Justice. At least one faculty member serves as advisor and liaison officer. The Constitution of the Honor Court provides that all violations of the Code shall be referred at once to the Court. It also provides for hearings, suitable penalties upon conviction, and appeal of conviction. Aconviction before the Honor Court for violation of the Honor Code may result in one of the following penalties: Conviction with further penalty, Honor Court F on the work, Honor Court F in the course, suspension for one semester or permanent expulsion from Centenary. Every student should thoroughly familiarize him/herself with the Honor Court Constitution printed in the preceding section of The Centenary College Student Handbook in order to understand exactly what his/her responsibilities are under the Honor System. If you suspect that a violation of the Honor Code has occurred, it is your obligation to inform a member of the Honor Court of this fact as soon as possible. Names of the members of the Court will be posted in each classroom. If you do not know any of these students, you may send written notice to the Faculty Advisor, Honor Court, through campus mail. The Honor Court Constitution and the Honor Code are printed in full detail in the preceding section which all incoming students are expected to read carefully. The Honor System is also explained to new students during formal orientation each fall.

Research Papers and the Honor System

Most commonly, violations of the Honor Code concern plagiarism. In the interest of clarification, these guidelines are offered. Plagiarism in any work done under the Honor System is a violation of the Honor Code, and is a serious offense. You will be plagiarizing if (1) you are not accurate in indicating direct quotations from any source, including textbooks, or (2) you do not completely reword when you paraphrase. Rewording includes using your own language and your own sentence structure. A paraphrase should sound like you, not like the source with the words shifted around. Both quotations and paraphrasing require documentation. Any plagiarism, intentional or not, casts doubt on the honesty of all your statements. A Short Guide to Manuscript and Documentation Form, by Allen and Colbrunn, found under 029.6, AL53s, and the MLA Style Sheet, found under 0-29, M72s, are both on permanent reserve in the library for your reference use. These pamphlets, along with the freshman English textbook and this explanation, should indicate what is not proper credit and the correct form for giving credit. Borrowing an author’s ideas and putting them into your own words is paraphrasing and requires that credit be given for the ideas by means of a footnote or other clear procedure. Neither quotation marks nor indentation is used for paraphrasing. If you present another person’s ideas as your own, by not giving credit, you are plagiarizing. When in doubt, footnote! Borrowing an author’s exact words is quoting and also requires a footnote or other clear credit to the source. Quotes must be placed in quotation marks, and if the quote is long, it should also be indented and single spaced. If you quote an author and do not put the quote in quotation marks or indent, your are plagiarizing even if you do give a footnote! You are borrowing not only the author’s ideas but are presenting the words as your own. You still are not giving full credit and thus are plagiarizing. Usually, two or more distinctive and sequential words from the source should be placed in quotation marks. Following is a reproduction of part of page 208 of Recent American Literature by Donald Heiney (Great Neck, New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 1958). Following this reproduction are examples of three students’ use of this reference in research papers. Two of the students, A and B, have given improper credit and therefore are guilty of plagiarism. Student C has given proper credit.

The Original Passage

Awarding of the Nobel Prize to Faulkner in 1950 has brought home to the American public the fact that in Europe he is considered the foremost living American author; today many American critics are inclined to agree in this judgement. The distinction is one to which he is well entitled. He is sometimes considered an agrarian naturalist in the manner of Erskine Caldwell; actually he is more meaningful and profound, as well as more artistically original, than any of the American naturalists with the possible exception of Hemingway. His novels are generally laid in rural settings, but the problems they treat are psychological and moral rather than physical. His great subject is the decline of the South; its economic sterility, its moral disintegration, and its struggle to resist the progressive and materialistic civilization of the North.

Student A’s Paper

The awarding of the Nobel Prize to Faulkner in 1950 has brought home to the American public the fact that in Europe he is considered the foremost living American author. His naturalism is sometimes compared to that of Erskine Caldwell. Faulkner’s naturalism is illustrated by his use of rural settings in his novels. His great subject is the decline of the South; its economic sterility, its moral disintegration, and its struggle to resist the progressive and materialist civilization of the North.

Student A has plagiarized both ideas and words by presenting them as his own without any footnotes at all. He/she has violated the Honor Code.

Student B’s Paper

The awarding of the Nobel Prize to Faulkner in 1950 has brought home to the American public the fact that in Europe he is considered the foremost living American author. His naturalism is sometimes compared to that of Erskine Caldwell. Faulkner’s naturalism is illustrated by his use of rural settings in his novels. His great subject is the decline of the South: its economic sterility, its moral disintegration and its struggle to resist the progressive and materialistic civilization of the North.¹

¹Donald Heiney, Recent American Literature, (Great Neck, New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 1958) p. 208.

Student B has given credit for the borrowed ideas by his footnotes, but not for the words, which are also borrowed in places. Although a few words are changed, there are still complete sentences lifted intact from the original work without giving credit for the author’s words. Student B also has violated the Honor Code.

Student C’s Paper

Faulkner’s great talent has made him “the foremost living American author” to European critics.¹ The rural settings of many of his novels illustrate his naturalism which is often compared with that of Erskine Caldwell. The central theme of Faulkner’s novels is the decline of the South.²

¹Donald Heiney, Recent American Literature (Great Neck, New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 1958) p. 208

²Ibid.

Student C has given credit for both the phrase “the foremost living American author” and for the ideas borrowed. He/she has given proper credit.

A Final Reminder

If you have any questions, it is your responsibility to ask your professor exactly what he/she requires in a paper that requires research or documentation. Let us remind you that this applies to all full-time and part-time undergraduate students whether in day or night classes.

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