ASUSU approved new Honor System
The Associated Students of Utah State University approved a new Honor System in Tuesday night’s Executive Council meeting.
“It empowers students to recognize what academic integrity is all about and shows accountability for their work,” Erica Thomas, Graduate Studies vice president, said.
Andy Haws, academic vice president, said the change from having a Student Code encompassing academic and non-academic issues treated as one to having an Honor System addressing only academic dishonesty will help to create more awareness for academic integrity in both Utah State University faculty and students.
According to The Honor System proposal, academic dishonesty at USU has been rising.
Bethany Allen, HASS senator, said, “What I love about the Honor System is it does adopt more severe punishment for academic dishonesty.”
However, Allen said she was concerned parts of the Honor System included non-servere cases to be treated with harsh punishments.
According to the proposed revisions to the Student Code document, “Use of computers/computing facilities for commercial, entrepreneurial or profit-seeking purposes” is prohibited and subject to punishment and “Use of computers/computing facilities to accomplish work for other institutions, such as political, religious or community organizations” is prohibited.
As a result, Allen made a motion to amend these statements to include additional wording specifying punishment for only extreme and disrupting cases. The motion passed.
Haws said, “Misconduct violations [of all degrees] are put in the Honor System to protect the university in severe cases.”
The Executive Council passed the Honor System proposal with only two dissenting votes.