essay on honor code

What is an honor code and why is it important to academic integrity?

Honor codes reduce instances of academic misconduct. Research has shown that honor codes must be enacted in a supportive manner. When students have a sense of belonging, feel motivated, and have knowledge of academic integrity, they are less likely to engage in academic misconduct. Honor codes are part of this culture of integrity. So, how does this translate to online learning environments? What are some guiding principles to update honor codes and policies in online learning environments?

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An honor code, like the one above, is a promise that all work is the student’s own, a concrete commitment to academic integrity. Students resort to academic dishonesty for various reasons, and the solution is both complex and simple: we need to make academic integrity a core value in our classrooms and/or institutions , beginning with a promise.

I’ve sometimes added an honor statement at the top of student assignments or exams as a visible reminder of the honor code. But what exactly does it mean, and how is this statement reflective of the adopted institutional values? A true honor code is more than a signature dashed off at the top of an assignment or a poster hanging in the classroom. Intended as an ever present reminder of academic integrity to students, does this statement, often present and often unexplored, really make an impact on students ?

Too often during my tenure as a teacher and literacy coach, I was approached with the question, What do I do when I catch someone cheating on an assignment? After the fact is essentially too late because then the solutions tend to be punitive, and the lesson learned isn’t what it could and should be.

It’s best to be proactive about establishing academic integrity within our classrooms. Without making an honor code a living, breathing part of the classroom--ideally within the whole institution--we educators and students find ourselves in a vicious cycle of policing and punishing after the fact. The honor code needs to exist in a formative space that nurtures awareness of academic integrity throughout the learning journey.

An honor code is a fundamental step to establishing a culture of academic integrity. Ideally this occurs on the institutional level, but it is a must for our individual classrooms. The complex part is making that honor code a continued collaborative effort between the students, us as educators, and the assignments themselves. The honor code allows all stakeholders to know, understand, and participate in commonly held standards of academic integrity.

How does this happen? Do your due diligence. Early and often. Purposefully. Collaboratively. Reflectively. It is only through the steady infusion of these collaborative conversations that students and educators develop a strong understanding of academic integrity that can be put into practice.

What are steps towards establishing a formative space that integrate honor statements to the learning journey within our classrooms?

• Establish a culture of integrity. Establishing a common understanding of academic integrity by drafting an honor code, and making it an integral part of the academic community, is a strong first step. Stakeholders such as students, parents, fellow educators, and administration can establish an honor code that is foundational to an educational community. It must then be implemented within individual classrooms with consistent, intentional steps such as explicit instruction and building an awareness of how and why academic integrity is important. This shared understanding between and among all levels of stakeholders helps us build a culture of academic integrity throughout the institution and/or within the classroom. What happens if your institution or other educators don’t institute an honor code? Can we still establish one in our own classrooms? Absolutely yes! When we begin with concrete steps such as creating a shared definition of academic integrity and what it looks like within our classroom, we establish clear understandings of how we can create a culture of academic integrity within our classrooms. The conversations and practices that we establish collaboratively with students are a key factor in the success of the honor code moving forward. While it is our responsibility to introduce these conversations, without student input the honor code will likely be reduced to that dusty old statement that only lives in the header of our assignment!
• Center students. Centering students is critical to centering academic integrity in classroom practice. Best practice dictates not delivering the honor code in a neat little package with all the “right” answers already filled in for students, but encouraging students to contribute their knowledge. When we seek input from students about what academic integrity is and what it does--and does not--look like, students are more likely to understand the intent and come to a common understanding of what practicing it in the classroom looks like. Using collaborative activities to establish what the classroom values are, what it looks like (and does not look like) in the classroom, and how violations will be handled will lead to better student engagement and practice. We build a commitment to academic integrity collaboratively by implementing carefully planned discussions and practices and using resources that will support our class’s commitment to maintaining that honor code.
• Model academic integrity. Modeling academic integrity must be an intrinsic part of classroom practice in ways both visible and subtle. Although many think academic integrity lives in the English classroom, academic dishonesty can manifest itself in every discipline, including examples such as code plagiarism, non-citation of sources, improper attribution, to name only a few ways that academic dishonesty typically appears in student work. Teachers should credit others in our classrooms and work to model the norm we expect in student work. More than simply an act of attribution, we can offer up fair and inclusive assessments that challenge students to demonstrate their knowledge in ways that are fair and invite students’ best efforts. By demonstrating explicitly how academic integrity lives in daily work and assignments, we model how academic integrity is not just one more requirement to be addressed for the “big” project, but simply some deliberate steps as a regular part of our classrooms.
• Commit to working together. Committing to working together within this intentional and formative space is what will determine the role of academic integrity within the classroom or institution. Commitment may look different from classroom to classroom, and that’s perfectly all right. Commitment may take the form of a signed contract, or it may simply be the continuation of discussions regarding what academic integrity does and does not look like. Regardless, renewing that commitment and keeping it in the forefront of students’ minds and work is the goal. And If it’s not working as originally drafted? Then we need to model how to revisit, reflect, and revise so that the honor code can reflect the growth and commitment to academic integrity that we share with our students.

Remember, do your due diligence. Early and often. Purposefully. Collaboratively. Reflectively.

Join us for our upcoming webinar on October 20, 2021, the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating (IDoA) to learn more about implementing and maintaining honor codes and Turnitin’s newest tools and resources. Turnitin actively encourages positive conversations on academic integrity and is proud to support the International Day of Action. For further information on other activities taking place, visit the IDoA website and share the following hashtags on social media #IntegrityMatters #ExcelWithIntegrity #MyOwnWork

Taking Care of Ourselves & Each Other

Health & Well-Being

The Honor Code below applies to alleged incidents occurring on or after September 1, 2023.  For cases filed before September 1, please see the previous Honor Code.

The Honor Code is an undertaking of the Stanford academic community, individually and collectively. Its purpose is to uphold a culture of academic honesty.

Students will support this culture of academic honesty by neither giving nor accepting unpermitted academic aid in any work that serves as a component of grading or evaluation, including assignments, examinations, and research.

Instructors will support this culture of academic honesty by providing clear guidance, both in their course syllabi and in response to student questions, on what constitutes permitted and unpermitted aid. Instructors will also not take unusual or unreasonable precautions to prevent academic dishonesty.

Students and instructors will also cultivate an environment conducive to academic integrity. While instructors alone set academic requirements, the Honor Code is a community undertaking that requires students and instructors to work together to ensure conditions that support academic integrity

Cardinal Rules

• Promote a culture of personal integrity and academic honesty  through your daily actions
• Speak up  if you're unsure whether or not conduct would violate these principles
• Hold yourself and others accountable  to these community values

Violations of the Honor Code

Examples of conduct that have been regarded as being in violation of the Honor Code include:

• Copying from another’s examination paper or allowing another to copy from one’s own paper
• Unpermitted collaboration
• Revising and resubmitting a quiz or exam for regrading, without the instructor’s knowledge and consent
• Giving or receiving unpermitted aid on a take-home examination
• Representing as one’s own work the work of another
• Giving or receiving aid on an academic assignment under circumstances in which a reasonable person should have known that such aid was not permitted

Honor Code and the Remote Environment

Please see the following resources for more information about how the Honor Code applies to the remote teaching and learning environment:

• Remote Teaching and the Honor Code: Tips for Faculty and Teaching Assistants
• Remote Learning and the Honor Code: Tips for Students
• BCA Guidance for the Remote Teaching and Learning Environment

Common Misconceptions

If asked what constitutes a violation of the Honor Code, most students might say "copying," "cheating" or "plagiarism." As examples, they may think of someone purchasing a paper and submitting it for class, or looking over someone’s shoulder during an exam. However, some Honor Code concerns are more subtle. They may seem perfectly OK to the person committing violation. They may even be OK in non-academic settings. Unfortunately, merely having benign intentions is not enough.

Copying and Plagiarism

Example 1—computer science.

Most people know that you are not allowed to look over someone’s shoulder during an exam and use their answers as your own. Suppose, though, that you are writing code for a computer science project, and use code from a website for a minor function that is not crucial to the main goal of the assignment. This is still a violation of the Honor Code, because you are submitting the work as your own, rather than writing the code yourself. While it’s true that in the real world, reusing code, particularly if it is efficient, is desirable, while you are in class, you are being graded on what you can write yourself.

Example 2—The Humanities

You read a book and write your paper about the same concept that the book discussed. Do you need to cite the book? Yes, you do. Not citing concepts, premises and ideas is plagiarism just as much as failing to cite specific text. It is also a violation of the Honor Code.

Unpermitted Collaboration

Example 1—take-home exam.

Generally, the rules of take-home exams state that you can’t share your answers with others in the class. However, you are also not allowed to create outlines together or "prepare" your answers in some other way once the exam has been distributed.

Example 2—Lab Class

In laboratory experiment courses a student "submitting work (including work on protocols, problem sets, and lab reports) that is identical or very similar to his/her partner's work, either in organization or structure, is a violation of the Honor Code. Specifically, this means that sharing of any written material is a violation." (Introductory Experimental Biology: Stanford University)

You may have a lab partner in such classes, and work on the experiments together. Isn’t it natural in those cases to share information for the lab reports? Not if you are responsible for submitting lab reports individually.

Example 3—Computer Science

You have a bug in the program you are writing, and can’t find it. Your roommate offers to help you with debugging. She may suggest strategies for debugging the code, but she may not look at your code for you and tell you where the bug is—not even if you sit together and look for the bug. Again, you and you alone are responsible for the work you submit in class. While you may collaborate with others when you write code at an internship or elsewhere, doing so for coursework is a violation of the Honor Code.

Dual Submission of Work

Example—the humanities.

You wrote a paper last year for a History class that would be perfect, with some minor changes, for the Feminist Studies class you are taking this quarter. You did all the work yourself, properly cited everything…it should be OK, right? No, submitting work more than once is a violation of the Honor Code—unless you have sought and been granted your professor’s approval.

Academic Integrity Working Group and multi-year proctoring study 

There are currently many concerns about academic dishonesty at Stanford. In order to formulate policies that will effectively  address these concerns, it is necessary to identify the root causes (e.g., academic pressures, student mental health, etc) and scope of the problem as it truly stands. To that end, the university is providing the institutional mandate and resources (including access to all data deemed necessary) for a multi-year Academic Integrity Working Group (“AIWG”) to fully investigate this matter beginning in Fall 2023.  

The AIWG will also carry out a multi-year study beginning within the 2023-24 academic year (between two to four years in duration, to be determined by the AIWG) of equitable in-person proctoring* practices to answer student questions during exams and promote academic integrity by supervising the assessment process.  

The only proctoring permitted during this time will be that done under the auspices of the study. Remote proctoring, whether by software or humans through a computer, is not under consideration. The adoption of any policy on proctoring proposed by the AIWG after the conclusion of the study must be as new university policy approved by the Board on Conduct Affairs, the Undergraduate Senate of the Associated Students of Stanford University, the Graduate Student Council of the Associated Students of Stanford University, the Senate of the Academic Council, and the Office of the President.  

The study will address concerns about proctor presence and concerns about its absence in view of Stanford’s present academic culture. It will assess the viability of in-person proctoring of exams to reduce cheating and to determine the impact on students taking exams (such as stress). The resulting data will be the basis for future policy proposals by the AIWG to be voted upon by the same groups as at the present.

The study will be led jointly by the AIWG and a disinterested, unbiased external consulting group with extensive experience working with student conduct, campus climate, and DEI concerns. The use of the external consulting group ensures proper and timely data collection, professional management of the data, and continuity regardless of turnover in the AIWG. The precise parameters governing the creation and charge of this study will be determined by both the AIWG and the external consulting group.  

The AIWG will advise Stanford administrators and governance bodies on any changes that need to be implemented in relation to Stanford’s proctoring policy within one year after the conclusion of the study. It will a) apprise faculty and students university-wide of the study’s results and its implications, and b) seek out stakeholder votes as needed for the timely implementation of the data-backed proposed changes.  

*The Honor Code text is intentionally silent on the topic of proctoring, subject to the constraints described here. Here, proctoring is defined as the reasonable supervision of exams by an exam administrator, and "in-person" includes traveling athletes, SCPD students, and other enrolled students taking an exam off campus. 

Composition and Operation

The AIWG will consist of four students (graduate and undergraduate, including first-gen/low-income representation) and four faculty/lecturers (especially from departments with the most frequent instances of cheating concerns), along with one person each from the Office of Community Standards (“OCS”) and Office of General Counsel (“OGC”). Membership in the AIWG is to be determined by the ASSU Nominations Commission, the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees, and the VPSA (for OCS and OGC). It will meet with stakeholders (student groups, departmental representatives, Academic Advising, etc.) to inform its proposals. The charge for the AIWG is to be set by the same university entities that set the charge for the Committee of Twelve.

Goals for student learning:

• Master course material
• For midterm and final exams, synthesize diverse course material
• Assess own learning

Be aware that:

• Exams may reward short-term (i.e. “shallow” or “strategic”) learning rather than long-term retention of information or skills.[1]
• High-stakes exams may tempt students to cheat. “The more pressure you put on a single exam, the more likely the chance that students will respond by using any means necessary to succeed on it.”[2]
• Students may be tempted to alter a graded exam and request a re-grade. You may wish to directly address this temptation with your students. You may also wish to require students to write a short written statement about each question they want to be reconsidered explaining why it should be.  

To encourage active, deep, and honest engagement: 

• Decide how an exam will not only test your students’ knowledge but also ask students to apply that knowledge in a new context.
• Generate a grading rubric that matches your goals; how will you reward originality, elegance, or creativity (for instance) as well as correctness?
• Discuss the purpose of an exam in class, and offer students guidance on how to prepare for it.
• Consider assigning multiple exams or different forms of assessment over the term.
• Specify what information a student may access during a take-home exam, and clarify your collaboration policy.
• Invite students to use their exam results for self-assessment (what material do they understand? What are they still struggling to master?).

Assignment types and examples:

• Mid-term exam
• Take-home exam
• Seated exam
• Oral exam 

Resources for faculty:

Svinicki, “Authentic Assessment: Testing in Reality”   Tomorrow’s Professor, “Exam Wrappers”

[1] James M. Lang, Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty  (Harvard UP, 2013), 41. [2] Lang,  Cheating Lessons , 105.

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We appreciate you taking the time to answer these Haverford specific questions and are excited for the opportunity to consider your application for admission.

Good writing is a process, and there are many resources you might use as you craft your responses, including asking someone you trust to review your work and offer feedback or using generative artificial intelligence to brainstorm your response. But please know that what is most important to us is to hear your voice and ideas. Your voice matters to us, and hearing it in your writing will help us better understand who you are and imagine who you would be at Haverford.

Haverford College has one of the oldest and one of the very few student-run Honor Codes in the U.S. Our Honor Code is not a set of rules, but rather a statement of shared values around both the academic and social aspects of life and is centered on the concepts of trust, concern, and respect. Our Honor Code serves as an educational tool in and of itself and provides a powerful framework for our community, emphasizing and supporting qualities we see as essential to a Haverford education. Among other things, the Honor Code at Haverford supports:

• Academic Freedom: The Honor Code fosters an atmosphere emphasizing academic integrity, collaboration over competition, and the cultivation of intellectual curiosity. Differences and disagreement are respected, valued, and embraced, and open discourse is seen as fundamental to the academic endeavor.
• Student Agency: The Honor Code upholds a culture in which students are deeply trusted to take substantial ownership of their education and to profoundly shape and define the Haverford community. Student ownership is reflected in self-scheduled exams, in the fact that every student completes a Senior Thesis, in shared responsibility for the residential experience, and of course in oversight of the Honor Code itself.
• Community: The Honor Code establishes a caring and collaborative environment for living and learning, where the community experience plays a central role in one’s education. The inherent value of every community member is recognized, and diversity in all respects—including diversity of background, experience, and perspective - is nurtured, celebrated, and embraced.
• Leadership and Engagement: The Honor Code allows every student to find and develop their own voice, to practice ways of improving community and acting on issues of importance, to learn methods of problem solving and conflict resolution, and to examine the ways they can and will impact the world beyond Haverford.

Please give us a better sense of what you are looking for in your college experience by answering the following questions:

• Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. How do you hope to engage with this topic or issue at Haverford? (Please limit your response to 150-200 words.)
• We have highlighted for you some of the values that shape the Haverford community. What are some of the values you seek in your next community? How do Haverford’s values, as demonstrated through our Honor Code, resonate with you? As you think about how to answer this question, you might draw from how you have been influenced by other communities you have been a part of, experiences you may have had within your communities, or opportunities you have had to shape or even change your communities. (Please limit your response to 150-200 words.)

Haverford Supplemental Questions

Advice and an explanation of Haverford’s specific supplemental questions for first-year college applicants from Director of Admission, Kathleen Abels.

Supplemental Questions Overview

Advice and overview of how to answer supplemental questions for first-year college applicants from Jess Lord, VP and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid.

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"Honor" is not a concept easily described in words. To the contrary, it is far easier to reveal honor through one's actions. It is a defining quality in a person's character, as well as an indispensable requirement for any strong relationship. Imbedding honor into a situation facilitates the creation of a relationship based on trust and respect.

I am fortunate enough to have spent the past four years in an environment that has taught me the importance of conducting oneself with honor. My secondary school is run by the honor code, and thus places a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of its students. The honor code at my school transcends the confines of the classroom, manifesting in each student's personal life, as well. The honor code that the students abide by has created a community that conducts itself in a manner that can only be described as admirable.

The honor code endorsed by my school has had a significant impact on many different aspects of my life. It is a relief to attend a school where the pupils do not have to lock their lockers, because they know that their privacy will be respected. It is liberating to be able to discuss ideas freely with my peers, without fearing that any cheating...

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The Honor Code

• UPPS No.07.10.01

The Texas State University Policy and Procedure Statement UPPS No. 07.10.01 , Honor Code, for academic integrity establishes the following:

• Instructor responsibilities
• Student Responsibilities
• Procedures for cases of academic misconduct (including rules about hearings and appeals)

It is the student's responsibility to be aware of the policy on academic misconduct.  Students are  strongly  encouraged to communicate with their respective instructors if there is a question of whether or not a study practice, activity, or any other student behavior falls under the umbrella of academic misconduct.  Do not put yourself in an untenable position because of your failure to receive approval from your respective instructors regarding student academic activity.

Violating the Honor Code

• Avoiding Plagiarism

Violating the Honor Code includes, but is not limited to:

Cheating .

Cheating  includes engaging or attempting to engage in any of the following activities:

• copying from another student’s test, paper, report, computer files, data listings, computer screens, programs, or from any electronic devices or equipment;
• using, during a test or assignment, printed, audio, or electronic materials not authorized by the person giving the test or assignment;
• without authorization, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying, or possessing - in whole or in part - the contents of an un-administered test or other academic products (e.g., study guides, solution manuals, etc.);
• substituting for another student or permitting another person to substitute for oneself in taking an examination or preparing academic work;
• bribing or coercing another person to obtain an un-administered test or obtain information about an un-administered test or other academic products;
• purchasing or otherwise acquiring and submitting as one’s own work any research paper or other assignment prepared by another individual or by a firm. This section does not apply to the word-processing of the rough or final versions of an assignment by a professional service;
• submitting the same essay, thesis, report, or other project, without substantial revision or expansion of the work, in an attempt to obtain credit for work submitted in another course;
• seeking, receiving, or giving aid during examinations through electronic means (e.g., cell phone, email, text messaging, preprogrammed calculator, smartwatch); or
• using unauthorized materials or information from others for a take-home exam. It is expected that students do independent work for exams whether they are take-home or in-class. Students are expected to comply with the guidelines set by the instructor.

Collaboration and Collusion

Collaboration and Collusion  includes the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing any work offered for credit. Examples include:

• collaborating, without authorization, with another person during an examination or in preparing academic work. In some instances, instructors may indicate permitted forms of collaboration with other students. If the instructor does not indicate that collaboration is permitted, it should be understood that none is permitted. Students are encouraged to seek clarification from their instructors regarding the acceptable parameters for collaboration should they be in doubt regarding assignments that require group work. Instructors are encouraged to make their policy regarding collaboration explicit both orally to the class and in writing with each assignment. Acknowledgment of collaboration is required when presenting authorship of student work.

Plagiarism  includes the appropriation of another’s work and the inadequately or inappropriately acknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written, oral, visual, or original performative work that is offered for credit. Examples include:

• submitting an assignment that was written during a prior semester or submitting the same assignment for more than one class simultaneously to include resubmitting substantial portions of previously written work for a current assignment, unless instructors in multiples courses are informed of and approve of the submission. Students should consult with their instructors if unsure of what work of their own they may use in preparing an assignment;
• copying from another student’s paper partially or entirely or from any source without proper citation such as a book, article, notebook, video, or other source material, whether published or unpublished;
• inserting a passage from the internet or any computer source into one’s paper without proper citation;
• appropriating another person’s computer programming work for submission as an assignment;
• failing to attribute material that comes from other media sources or failing to obtain proper permission for the use of such material when creating a web page, film, or musical composition as a course assignment;
• any other appropriation of another’s an intellectual property without proper attribution; or
• citing sources improperly, which includes failure to use quotation marks or other appropriate notation for direct quotes or for an author’s distinctive phrases, and following an author’s structure of writing and ideas, but rephrasing the sentences partially to give the impression that the whole passage reflects the student’s structure and ideas.

Fabrication 

Fabrication includes intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Examples include:

• furnishing false information or falsifying or distorting data;
• forging a signature to certify completion of an assignment or falsifying attendance records to fabricate proof of attendance;
• collaborating with another student to falsify attendance records to fabricate proof of attendance;
• fabricating data in support of laboratory or field work;
•  intentionally misrepresenting one’s academic accomplishments; or
• fabricating or falsifying a bibliography.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty includes intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision of this policy. Examples include:

• providing to other students one’s own work or that of others with the reasonable expectation that these will be used for the purpose of cheating or plagiarism. This includes not taking reasonable precautions to protect their own work;
• maintaining a file of exams or papers with the reasonable expectation that these will be used for the purpose of cheating or plagiarism;
• engaging in theft of other students’ notes, papers, homework, or textbooks for academic gain;
• using or manipulating any electronic means to assist another or self without authorization; or
• engaging in copyright infringements.

Home — Application Essay — Liberal Arts Schools — Honor Code: College Admission Essay Sample

Honor Code: College Admission Essay Sample

About this sample

Words: 743 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 743 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

“A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts.” - Harold MacMillan

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Scuba diving is a special activity - physically demanding yet acutely spiritual. It has its own code of honour that all divers must comply with. It is an incredibly risky sport - in the scuba world not much is your on your side except for your oxygen regulator and mask. There are many things that can go wrong, and hence the diving code. This is how it works: The dive instructor leads the group, closely followed by the dive group leader and then the rest of the dive group.

The dive group leader is usually an acutely aware diver and is supposed to keep an eye out for the rest of the group. After a few tryouts, I was elected dive group leader. Once, we were diving in the turquoise waters at Pirates Bay, a dive spot renowned for its abundant and magnificent marine life. The dive plan was as follows: We were to fin down into the shallows of the coral structure and swim through it to the other side, and then spend the next twenty minutes exploring the reef. As group leader, I performed the usual safety checks to ensure that there were no oxygen leakages underwater, and we set off without any hiccups.

Our dive instructor started finning downwards. I was close at his heels, with the rest of the group behind me. A few minutes into the dive, I glanced behind to find that Sara, my twin sister and dive buddy, had meandered and broken away from the group. She had spotted a rare “Sweetlips Harlequin” and seemed determined to capture a photograph. According to diving etiquette, she was not allowed to leave the group even in the most extreme conditions, yet she’d done just that. I quickly signaled to the group to carry on behind the dive instructor, and I circled back and finned furiously, only to find Sara lingering behind to admire a school of Harlequins. I stared in awe as the beautiful fish approached us, empathizing with her for a moment. 

I had never seen a Harlequin myself. I felt myself succumbing to their aura. A couple of minutes later and Sara would have her photographs. The rest of the group would hardly notice our absence and we could easily slip back into formation and the instructor might never know. It was a poignant moment. Should I just let her get on with it or should I crack the whip? As group leader, I wouldn’t  be justified in violating the trust instilled in me if I disobeyed instructions, no matter how safe or exceptional the circumstances. It was only a momentary lapse, but I had wavered. I very quickly decided that fundamentally, it wasn’t even my choice. How could I be the one to decide whether to enforce the code? The code was already in place, wasn't it? It would have been a gross and possibly dangerous negligence of duty to ignore it. There was a responsibility that I had been entrusted with, and I was determined to fulfill it.

I tapped Sara on the shoulder and indicated that we had to move back towards the group. She protested initially, but she could see I was resolute. So she gave in and  finned back rather reluctantly to rejoin the group. As we swam towards the triangle of light that marked the end of the coral reef and our dive, I spotted the instructor with a stern look on his face. He jerked his thumb towards the surface and we warily followed him there.

Once we had surfaced, he demanded an explanation. I told him what had just transpired, and he sternly admonished Sara for breaking the code and putting herself and the group in potential jeopardy. I was praised for exercising good judgement. Yet, I felt slightly downcast. I had denied my sister, an avid photographer, the opportunity to photograph the elusive Harlequin.

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Disappointed for my twin, I was nevertheless convinced that I had made the right decision. Sara forgave me, of course. Every time we talked of the lost photographic opportunity, our wistfulness was assuaged by a strong sense of righteousness. Over time, that epiphany has become the shining beacon that has guided me to make the right choices for myself and each of the communities that I become a part of.

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The president has provided final approval to a proposal by the Committee of 12 (C-12) to update Stanford’s 102-year-old Honor Code .

Now official university policy, the two-part proposal includes adding new text and definitions to improve clarity, and the launch of the Academic Integrity Working Group (AIWG) to evaluate equitable practices for proctoring in-person examinations in a multi-year study.

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced his approval of the proposal during the Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on Thursday. The Associated Students of Stanford University Undergraduate Senate voted to approve the proposal earlier this week, which allowed the matter to proceed to the president’s office.

Historically, proctoring has not been used under the Honor Code, which was written by students in 1921. Years ago, concerns that the Student Judicial Charter and Honor Code did not adequately address the needs of today’s campus community – such as discouraging Honor Code violations and including a more nuanced judicial process for alleged violations – led to the creation of the Committee of 10 (C-10) in 2019.

The C-10 later became the C-12 and was charged with reviewing and considering changes to the Honor Code, the Judicial Charter, and interpretations to the Fundamental Standard, the latter two of which have been resolved.

The C-12 – made up of five students, five faculty, and two staff – conducted extensive outreach to faculty, students, and other institutions before presenting their proposals on the Judicial Charter and Honor Code earlier this spring.

To be enacted, the proposals required approval by the Board of Judicial Affairs, the Undergraduate Senate, the Graduate Student Council, the Faculty Senate, and the university president.

Three of the voting entities approved the C-12 Honor Code proposal earlier this year, and a previous Undergraduate Senate (UGS) initially voted against it, citing proctoring as the concerning issue.

On April 27, the Faculty Senate approved a separate motion to amend the Honor Code to allow proctoring beginning in the fall, unless the UGS reversed its decision and approved the C-12 proposal. A newly inaugurated UGS membership voted to approve the proposal on Tuesday.

Faculty Senate Chair Ken Schultz, professor of political science, said the debate in the senate on the motion was intense because it was heartfelt.

“Some argued that the faculty had a responsibility to take action on a key matter of academic integrity,” Schultz said in his annual report of the senate. “Others emphasized the tradition of cooperation that we have between faculty and students on the Honor Code, and felt that unilateral action would violate the spirit of compromise that had motivated the C-12 process. Decisions that place important values in conflict are the hardest to make, and as I watched the debate on the floor I could tell that many of my colleagues were torn in both directions by these values, even though the motion passed by a large margin.”

With the UGS vote earlier this week and the president’s approval, the motion is now superseded.

“I am hopeful that this episode will usher in a period of renewed cooperation to ensure the highest standard of academic integrity at this university,” Schultz said. “And while the rift over this matter was uncomfortable, I hope it will permit all parties to move forward with a better understanding of each other’s concerns.”

With the president’s approval of the Honor Code proposal, all of the C-12’s recommendations have now been adopted, and the C-12’s work is concluded.

Chivalry and Valor: the Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages

This essay about knights in the Middle Ages explores their lives, roles, and the chivalric code that guided them. It describes the process of becoming a knight, starting from a page to a squire, and finally a knight, marked by a ceremony of vows. The chivalric code emphasized virtues like bravery, loyalty, and respect for women and the weak. Tournaments and jousting were key aspects of a knight’s life, serving as both entertainment and a demonstration of skills. Knights were also expected to uphold Christian values and participate in the Crusades. Despite the idealized image, many knights acted as mercenaries. The legacy of knights and their influence on Western culture endures through literature and modern concepts of heroism.

How it works

The image of the knight, clad in shining armor and mounted on a powerful steed, has long been a symbol of the Middle Ages. These medieval warriors, bound by the code of chivalry, were more than mere soldiers; they were the epitome of honor, bravery, and courtesy. The life of a knight was defined by a rigid social structure and a commitment to a set of principles that governed their conduct both on and off the battlefield.

Knighthood in the Middle Ages was not just a profession; it was a way of life that began in boyhood.

Young boys of noble birth were sent to live in the households of lords, where they served as pages. This early training involved learning the arts of courtly behavior, such as dancing, music, and the rudiments of combat. As they grew older, these pages became squires, taking on more responsibilities and receiving more intensive training in the use of weapons and horsemanship. The transition from squire to knight was marked by a solemn ceremony in which the young man would take vows to uphold the chivalric code.

The code of chivalry was a complex system of ethics that knights were expected to follow. It emphasized virtues such as bravery, loyalty, and respect for women and the weak. While the romanticized version of chivalry often focuses on the knight’s duty to protect damsels in distress, the reality was more nuanced. Knights were also expected to be loyal to their lords and to defend their lands against enemies. This loyalty was reciprocal; in return for their service, knights were granted land and the protection of their lord.

One of the most significant aspects of a knight’s life was his participation in tournaments. These events were not only a form of entertainment but also a way for knights to demonstrate their skills and bravery. Jousting, the most famous of tournament events, involved two knights charging at each other with lances, each trying to unseat the other. Success in tournaments could enhance a knight’s reputation and increase his chances of gaining favor with powerful lords or attracting a wealthy bride.

Despite their martial prowess, knights were also expected to be pious and to uphold Christian values. The ideal knight was as devout as he was brave, often participating in religious ceremonies and pilgrimages. The Crusades, a series of religious wars sanctioned by the Latin Church, were a significant outlet for this piety. Knights from all over Europe took the cross, journeying to the Holy Land to fight against Muslim forces. These campaigns were seen as a way to demonstrate their faith and to earn spiritual merit.

The reality of knighthood, however, was often at odds with its idealized image. While many knights adhered to the chivalric code, others were little more than mercenaries, using their martial skills for personal gain. The brutality of medieval warfare and the harsh conditions of life in the Middle Ages also meant that the lofty ideals of chivalry were not always practical or even possible. Nonetheless, the concept of the noble knight endured, becoming a central figure in medieval literature and later, in the popular imagination.

The legacy of knights and their code of chivalry has had a lasting impact on Western culture. The stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, for example, have been retold countless times, each version adding to the mythos of the medieval knight. In these tales, knights are portrayed as paragons of virtue, fighting not just for personal glory but for justice and the greater good. This idealized vision of knighthood has influenced modern notions of heroism and honor, extending far beyond the historical reality of the Middle Ages.

In conclusion, knights in the Middle Ages were far more than just warriors; they were the embodiment of a complex set of ideals that defined an entire era. Their lives were governed by a strict code of chivalry that demanded bravery, loyalty, and piety. While the reality of knighthood often fell short of these ideals, the enduring image of the knight as a noble and virtuous figure continues to captivate our imagination. The stories of their exploits, both real and fictional, remind us of a time when honor and valor were the highest virtues a person could aspire to.

Remember, this essay is a starting point for inspiration and further research. For more personalized assistance and to ensure your essay meets all academic standards, consider reaching out to professionals at EduBirdie .

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Chivalry and Valor: The Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages. (2024, Jun 01). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/chivalry-and-valor-the-legacy-of-knights-in-the-middle-ages/

"Chivalry and Valor: The Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages." PapersOwl.com , 1 Jun 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/chivalry-and-valor-the-legacy-of-knights-in-the-middle-ages/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Chivalry and Valor: The Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/chivalry-and-valor-the-legacy-of-knights-in-the-middle-ages/ [Accessed: 5 Jun. 2024]

"Chivalry and Valor: The Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages." PapersOwl.com, Jun 01, 2024. Accessed June 5, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/chivalry-and-valor-the-legacy-of-knights-in-the-middle-ages/

"Chivalry and Valor: The Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages," PapersOwl.com , 01-Jun-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/chivalry-and-valor-the-legacy-of-knights-in-the-middle-ages/. [Accessed: 5-Jun-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Chivalry and Valor: The Legacy of Knights in the Middle Ages . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/chivalry-and-valor-the-legacy-of-knights-in-the-middle-ages/ [Accessed: 5-Jun-2024]

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