For more than 120 years, Carolina students have pledged not to lie, cheat, or steal. Students enjoy a great deal of freedom at Carolina and have been entrusted to hold each other accountable for maintaining a just and safe community. As such, students hear and decide all alleged cases of conduct and academic integrity violations.

The Honor Code

History | Philosophy

About the Honor Code
The Honor Code is the heart of integrity here at Carolina. In brief, the Honor Code says that all students shall "Refrain from lying, cheating, or stealing," but the Honor Code means much more. It is the guiding force behind the students' responsible exercise of freedom, the foundation of student self-governance here at UNC-Chapel Hill. The University maintains an Honor Code because we believe that all members of our community should be responsible for upholding the values that have been agreed upon by the community. A written Honor Code is an affirmation of our commitment to high standards of conduct inside and outside of the classroom. It is a document to be proud of because the Honor Code belongs to all of us as much as the Bell, the Well, or our excellence in athletics!

The Honor Code is found in a document known as the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance. The Instrument is the University's official statement of the rules and regulations that guide the Honor System. The list of prohibited conduct and the possible sanctions given by the Honor Court can all be found in the Instrument. This document also includes information on the rights and responsibilities of all members of our community to the Honor System and under the Honor System.

Read the Code
While the Instrument has been amended continually to address new circumstances and challenges, it remains the foundation of the system of student self-governance. The Instrument is available online. To obtain a hard copy of the Honor Code, contact the Office of the Honor System at (919) 966-4084 or email the Judicial Programs Assistant.

Functions of the Honor System

Education and Prevention

• Orientation/C-TOPS
• Programming in residence halls, etc.
• Honor Pledge
• Departmental Presentations
• Tips for Faculty on best practices
• Honor & Integrity Week
• Support University

Support University Mission

• Educational sanctions
• Meaningful hearing process
• Emphasize responsible citizenship
• Ensure academic integrity
• Ensure safety of all members of the community

Deterrence

• Sanctions
• Publication of hearing results
• Outreach to students, faculty, staff, and administrators

Intervention

• Honor court hearings
• Referrals through sanctioning