Honor System Sanctions
Photo By: Phil Humnicky/Georgetown Univ.
Only the following sanctions may be considered by Hearing Boards or the Executive Board when recommending a sanction to the Dean. No other requirements, e.g., an apology from the student, extra coursework, a reflection paper, etc., may be added to change what defines an Honor Council sanctions. However, such beneficial “add-ons” may be part of a Sanction Reduction proposal.
1. Letter of Reprimand
This is the least severe sanction, which is retained in the student’s Honor Council file until they receive either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from Georgetown University, at which point the Letter of Reprimand is destroyed. The Letter of Reprimand is available only to authorized Honor Council personnel who have access to the student’s Honor Council file.
2. Letter of Censure
A Letter of Censure is a formal notice that specifies which conduct standard was violated and whether the sanction was determined by the executive or hearing board. In certain cases, with the student’s consent, the instance of a violation resulting in a Letter of Censure may be disclosed to external parties such as law schools and professional graduate programs, and may be reduced to a Letter of Reprimand through a Sanction Reduction plan.
3. Transcript Notation Level I:
A mid-level sanction, noted as “Censure: Violation of Honor System,” appears on the student’s official transcript and can be removed after completing a sanction reduction plan, but remains until the Honor Council is notified by the Sanction Reduction Board for its removal.
Even so, the removable Transcript Notation (level one) is permanent until the Honor Council is notified by the Sanction Reduction Board that the notation should be removed and the sanction be reduced, either to a permanent Letter of Censure, or to a removable Letter of Reprimand. For more information about the duration of a reducible/removable sanction, see Sanction Reduction in the glossary or on the Honor Council’s website.
4. Transcript Notation Level II:
A mid-level but permanent sanction, noted as “Censure: Violation of Honor System,” is recorded on the student’s official transcript, and cannot be reduced.
5. Suspension:
A mandatory temporary break from the University, usually 1-2 semesters depending on the situation. A suspension will be included on the student’s transcript
6. Dismissal:
Permanent dismissal from the University. A dismissal will be included on the student’s transcript