Discussing Honor with your student

As a parent, you are in the best position to discuss the concepts of honorable conduct and integrity with your student. The best time to discuss integrity is prior to your child’s arrival to begin coursework at UNC. Many cases of conduct violations and academic dishonesty occur during the student’s first year of college as the student is adjusting to newfound freedom, a lack of structure, and time management challenges.

By taking the time to discuss what the student may expect during his or her first year, you are proactively encouraging ethical conduct and sound decision-making—skills which will benefit your child for life.

What to Discuss
College instructors at UNC expect much from students, and there is no “grace period” during which the student can claim lack of understanding. Often instructors will spend a great deal of class time in the first weeks of fall semester discussing issues such as plagiarism, the importance of documenting the source for ideas and text, and the value of scholarship in a community which values integrity.

As a parent, we recommend that you take time to familiarize yourself with the Honor Code (called the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance). After reviewing this information, encourage your student to review these sections as well. UNC strives to maintain an environment in which the words, thoughts, and ideas of others are properly attributed. This emphasis allows the student to build upon the prior bodies of knowledge in a given field; help the instructor evaluate the student’s ability to synthesize existing knowledge with their own thoughts and ideas; and substantiate that honesty is a value that UNC holds in highest esteem.

As you read the Honor Code, you will realize that it provides significant consequences for violations of academic dishonesty, including a one semester suspension as a “usual” sanction. A suspension serves to remove the student from the community for a period of time providing him with the opportunity to reflect on the impact his actions have on the intellectual climate on campus.

Approximately 90% of the cases of academic dishonesty reported to the Honor System involve plagiarism. While some students may credibly claim that they did not understand how to cite a given passage or idea, few UNC students may claim that they did not understand the need to give credit to the words, thoughts, or ideas of others. With the advent of the Internet (with ready access to websites on virtually any topic as well as term paper mills), the temptation to take “academic shortcuts” is great. At the college level, instructors find it unacceptable for students to “cut and paste” large verbatim sections into their papers. Thus, if a student’s paper contains a large percentage of content that does not represent the student’s own thoughts and ideas, he is placing himself in a position whereby he may be committing an academic integrity violation. You can assist your student by having him or her review the UNC Writing Center’s website section on plagiarism. Encourage him or her to seek help if he/she is confused about the instructor’s expectations regarding a given assignment.

Time Management
Often students report that the reason they plagiarized was due to falling behind on an assignment and waiting until the last minute. You can help your student by discussing the alternatives available to him/her in this situation. Ask your student if he/she thinks it would be better to ask for an extension on the assignment (even if this results in a grade penalty from the instructor) than to cheat and risk losing an entire semester. Discuss specific strategies to manage time in college.

Many students find that upon arriving in college, for the first time, they need to maintain a calendar and note significant deadlines (dates of tests and due dates for assignments) rather than keep them “in their head.” Additionally, the university provides counseling on time management through Career Services, and counseling on stress management is available at Counseling and Wellness Services.

Alcohol and Drug Use
Many instances of misconduct are related to the misuse of alcohol or other drugs. Students in college face a great deal of freedom to make their own decisions. At times students do not handle their freedom responsibly, and the result can be a conduct violation. For example, research suggests that the vast majority of instances of sexual assaults occur when one or both parties are under the influence. You can support the university’s efforts to encourage responsible decision-making by engaging frank discussions about the risks and consequences of substance abuse. For more information, go to the Dean of Students website at http://deanofstudents.unc.edu/alcohol

Supporting your student during the Honor System process

If your student is reported or charged with a violation of the Honor Code, you can serve as an invaluable source of support. Often the student will turn to his/her parents for guidance and advice, and we welcome your assistance as we seek to fairly resolve any reports and appropriately hold students accountable for their decisions, if necessary.

The Honor System has many goals such as: the maintenance of UNC’s high standards; the protection of the safety and welfare of the community and its members; the education of the student; and the repair of the community following a student’s act. Our process aims to provide a fair hearing and a careful and impartial review of the information presented.

The Charge Decision
If your student receives notification that he/she is suspected of violating the Honor Code, he/she is likely to be quite nervous and concerned. This is a normal reaction, but often the student immediately resorts to “worst case scenarios.” Initially a report is treated as information only, and no conclusion is made about whether a student has violated the Honor Code until the Student Attorney General has thoroughly reviewed the report and spoken with the necessary parties. Thus, the first manner in which you may be helpful to your student is to encourage him or her to remain calm and remind him or her that a report is merely information, not a conclusion of guilt.

If you are wondering about possible outcomes of the Honor Court, process, we suggest that you review the Instrument’s sections on Offenses and Sanctions, and contact the Dean of Students Office (919 966-4042) if you have questions about the process or the range of likely outcomes.

Encourage your child to be truthful throughout the process. One of the aims of our process is to teach students to accept responsibility for their actions. If a student provides false information to a university official, this is considered an “aggravating factor” necessitating a more severe sanction. The Honor Court considers the level of responsibility a student has taken when determining an appropriate sanction.

The Hearing
Honor Court hearings are private, meaning that they are not open to the public unless the student requests in writing to have an open hearing. It is important to realize that if a student elects to have an open hearing, it is considered an Open Meeting under North Carolina state laws, and we must notify the press and publish the date and time of the meeting. Because the hearings are closed, parents may not attend the hearing, but you may be available outside of the hearing room in the event that your student wishes to confer with you during the hearing.

Your student will be assigned a trained, certified student defense counsel to assist them in the preparation of the case. The counsels serve to explain the process to the student, review the student’s statements, and present opening and closing remarks on the student’s behalf. The counsel may make suggestions to your student regarding information the Court would be interested in receiving; this information may include course schedules, financial information, and letters of support. You can assist your student by making sure he or she is diligently gathering the necessary information and documentation.

Attorneys may not attend the hearing unless the student has a concurrently pending criminal court case related to the same incident (such as drug possession or driving under the influence). If your student has an attorney, the attorney may contact the Dean of Students (919 966-4042) for information about our process.

After the Hearing
If your student is found to have violated the Honor Code, he will receive an official sanction from the Honor Court. The consequences for a violation involving academic integrity are severe and may include suspension of one semester or more. Suspension prohibits the student from attending UNC for a period of time. If your child is suspended, he/she must vacate university housing within 72 hours. For more information, please contact the Dean of Students (919 966-4042)..

Lesser sanctions allow the student to remain enrolled during the course of the sanction. Your student may have educational projects or community service assigned by the Court. It is important to iterate the need for your student to meet any deadlines established by the Court or the Dean of Students.

Where to Find More Information
For more information, please refer to the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance or contact the Dean of Students Office at (919) 966-4042.