V. The Honor Council

A. Membership

The Honor Council shall consist of three Assemblies: students, faculty, and deans’ representatives. Each assembly will select from its members individuals to serve on the Executive Committee of the Honor Council. Members of each assembly are expected to serve periodically on Honor Council committees. The full membership of the Honor Council shall convene periodically as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

The Honor Council Chairs and the Executive Director

The Executive Committee shall be led by a Faculty Chair appointed by the Provost, and Student Chairs elected by the Student Assembly. At least one year service on the Honor Council is required before one is eligible to serve in a chair position. The Executive Director of the Honor Council reports to the Office of the Provost, and serves as the administrative officer for the Honor Council. The Executive Director is a non-voting member of the Honor Council.

The Executive Board

The Executive Board of the Honor Council shall consist of the Faculty Chair, four Student Chairs (2 undergraduates and 2 gradutes), and the Executive Director, who collectively shall manage and advise the Assemblies and Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall, on the advice and consent of the general membership, determine and implement the policies and procedures of the Honor Council. The Executive Committee shall consist of twenty-four members: twelve students; six members of the ordinary faculty; and six members of the deans’ offices. The Faculty and Students Chairs may be designated members of the Executive Committee or may serve in an ex officio (non-voting) role. Chairs of Honor Council committees may serve in an ex officio capacity, on the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall convene at least four times per semester.

The Decanal Assembly

Members of the dean’s office of each of the four undergraduate schools, the Graduate School, and the School of Continuing Studies shall be nominated by the school’s Dean and appointed to the Honor Council by the Provost in staggered two-year terms. The decanal officers shall select six members, one per undergraduate school, the Graduate School, and the School of Continuing Studies, to serve on the Executive Committee. All decanal officers are eligible to serve as hearing board members.

The Faculty Assembly

As few as four and as many as six members of the faculty, preferably tenure-track, of each of the four undergraduate schools, the Graduate School, and the School of Continuing Studies shall be nominated by their Dean and appointed to the Honor Council by the Provost in staggered two-year terms for a total of between twenty-four and thirty-six faculty members, inclusive. The Faculty Assembly shall select six members (including the Faculty Chair), one per undergraduate school, the Graduate School, and the School of Continuing Studies to serve on the Executive Committee. All faculty members may serve on hearing boards and serve as investigating officers.

The Student Assembly

At least six students from each undergraduate school, the Graduate School, and the School of Continuing Studies shall be appointed to the Honor Council for a total of no fewer than forty student members. Early in the spring semester student leaders currently on the Honor Council will accept and review applications and make appointments to the Student Assembly, for the following academic year after consultation with the deans’ offices. Spaces for new first-year and transfer students (undergraduate and graduate) will be reserved until an application process occurs early in the fall semester. Normally, students enrolled in their first semester at Georgetown are not eligible to serve on hearing boards. The members from each school’s Student Assembly representatives shall select two students from their school, for a total of twelve students, who shall serve on the Executive Committee. One to three students shall be designated to the Student Chair position by election from the Student Assembly. The Outreach Committee will make assignments to committees based on students’ declared interests and the needs of the Honor Council.

Committees

Student Honor Council members are required, and other faculty and decanal members strongly encouraged, to participate in the wider mission of educating the community about issues of academic integrity through membership on standing committees to be established at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

B. Duties

  1. Boards made up of current members of the Council will review all reported cases of alleged academic dishonesty in any of the schools and will investigate and adjudicate them fairly, consistently, and expeditiously.
  2. Appeal boards made up of current members of the Council will hear all appeals.
  3. The Sanction Reduction Board, made up of designated and trained members of the Council, will consider all proposals from students eligible to have a sanction reduced.
  4. The Council will initiate and coordinate campus-wide educational efforts concerning academic integrity and the Honor System, ensuring that students, faculty, and administrators are fully informed about the Standards of Conduct and the Honor System. These efforts will include:
    • ensuring that the Standards of Conduct and procedures of the System are accurately described in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
    • working with the Office of Admissions to include the Honor System in the office’s promotion of Georgetown, and to include a statement in the application for admission to be signed by the student upon matriculation declaring that he or she will adhere to the Standards of Conduct set forth in the Honor System.
    • working with the Office of Student Affairs to provide information and documents during New Student Orientation concerning the Honor System, and to have students pledge during orientation to adhere to the Standards of Conduct set forth in the Honor System.
    • formulating recommendations regarding how faculty can promote academic integrity through class discussions, syllabi, and assignments.
  5. The Council will publish the names of its members and methods for contacting them.
  6. The Council will periodically review all cases reported to the Council, to ensure consistency.
  7. The Council will issue an annual report to the Executive Faculty, Provost, and the Deans. This report will list in aggregate all the cases brought to the attention of the Honor Council and their outcomes. To insure confidentiality, the names of the students involved will not be noted.
  8. The Council will periodically review the Honor System and recommend improvements in the Standards of Conduct or procedures if needed. Changes to the Honor System will be approved by the Executive Faculty, Provost, and the Deans.