The Carolina Honor System. Carolina’s Honor System has a long and distinguished history at the University of North Carolina, dating all the way back to the inception of the University.

• The university community, including faculty and students, share a commitment to the pursuit of truth, and the dissemination of knowledge to succeeding generations of citizens devoted to the high ideals of personal honor and respect for the rights of others.
• These goals can only be achieved in a setting in which intellectual honesty and personal integrity are highly valued; other individuals are trusted, respected, and fairly treated; and the responsibility for articulating and maintaining high standards is widely shared.
• Both students and faculty must play active roles in fostering a culture in which honor is prized and acting to remedy violations of community norms relating to academic misconduct, injuries to members of the University community, and conduct that adversely affect University operations and resources.

In 2003, the Faculty Council reiterated its belief in these important tenets and adopted a statement of faculty responsibilities with regard to the honor system that can be found in Appendix B of the Instrument of Student Governance.

Academic Misconduct Prohibited
The Honor Code was revised fully in 2003 to describe more specifically various forms of academic misconduct. To review the list visit the Section II.B of the Instrument of Student Governance.

Information on other prohibited conduct such as classroom disruption, resume fraud, and threatening behavior are available in Section II of the Instrument “Offenses Under the Honor Code."

Anticipating and Avoiding Problems Before They Arise
Academic researchers have clarified the circumstances in which academic misconduct may occur and steps faculty may take to deter academic misconduct. For example, it is evident that

• Academic misconduct has increased in high schools.
• Students and faculty have dissimilar understandings regarding academic norms.
• Some students may never cheat while others may cheat no matter what they are told. The vast middle group may be deterred from cheating if instructors follow certain common sense strategies such as those provided in Advice to Faculty from Students.

Talking about Academic Integrity and Ethics
Instructors who take issues of integrity seriously have found that discussions of related topics engage students and provide an important added dimension to their classroom discussion and their students' understanding of academic expectations. To facilitate discussion of these important themes, faculty members may wish to consider tapping into the supplemental resources in Helpful Links.

Want an Example of How to Frame Your Discussion about Honor?
Read one UNC faculty member's open letter to her students.

Dealing with Misconduct If It Occurs
In keeping with University policy, reiterated by the Faculty Council in 2003, instructors may not take action outside of the Honor Court process in dealing with suspected academic misconduct. They should instead

• Consider meeting with the student suspected of academic misconduct to find out all the facts. To learn more visit Handling and Reporting Violations.
• Report such conduct for action by the Honor System using the report form available on this website.
• Work with the appropriate Student Attorney General's Office to investigate instances of misconduct should they occur.

Why Report? Reporting suspected student academic misconduct is important so that the University can ensure an effective system of fact-finding; provide appropriate remedies; and identify institutional mechanisms that can prevent such misconduct in the future.

Supporting the Honor System
The Faculty Council has called upon all instructional personnel to take the following steps to support the Carolina Honor System:

• Become aware of provisions of the Honor Code as explained in the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance.
• Communicate expectations regarding student conduct (particularly relating to collaboration, use of sources, and rules governing examinations and assignments) as discussed in Advice to Faculty from Students.
• Use good judgment in developing and administering examinations as discussed Advice to Faculty from Students.
• Provide necessary oversight, report incidents of misconduct, and cooperate with the relevant Student Attorney General’s office.
• Become involved in the Honor System by exploring issues of academic integrity in the classroom, encouraging academic departments and colleagues to take such matters seriously, and participating in educational initiatives and faculty governance responsibilities as described in Get Involved!

Contact Us
Visit Honor at Carolina: Who We Are for a complete list of people charged with administering, maintaining, and improving the Honor System.