ASUSU creates new student honor system
As a result of rising academic dishonesty and to increase awareness for academic integrity, Utah State University and The Associated Students of Utah State University are creating a new honor system.
Andy Haws, academic vice president, said one of the reasons the honor system was created is because under the current system, The Student Code, both academic and non-academic regulations were classified together.
“It’s a form of moral condemnation to have academic dishonesties classified with non-academic violations,” Haws said.
“If someone does a mass-emailing, which is against The Student Code, does that mean USU has grounds to condemn them morally also?” he asked.
As a result of student and faculty concern, Haws said The Student Code has been reshaped into an honor system to reflect moral integrity.
However, it is not going to be an honor code like BYU has because of the religious implications, he said.
According to the honor system proposal, it “was adopted to address the rising level of academic dishonesty on the USU campus and to increase awareness among the university community – students, faculty, staff and administration – of the importance of academic integrity.”
And according to The Student Code, “Each student has the right and duty to pursue his or her academic experience free of dishonesty. The honor system is designed to establish the higher level of conduct expected and required of all USU students. “
The honor system, Haws said, will help to create awareness in the faculty and students.
“The honor pledge will be changed as well to reflect the new focus,” he said.
Instead of saying, “I pledge to conduct myself with the foremost level of honesty, academic integrity and civility,” it will now say, “I pledge, on my honor, to conduct myself with the foremost level of academic integrity,” Haws said.
He said the new pledge will only reflect the academic issues and not non-academic issues.
In addition, Haws said the pledge will be appear in the Taggart Student Center and classrooms across campus.
When students see the pledge in their classrooms, he said, it will serve as an additional reminder and make them question their academic choices.