IN A RECENTLY published editorial titled "Plagiarism update" (Oct. 3), The Cavalier Daily managing board wrote that a student had been found in violation of the newspaper's rules concerning plagiarism. This student subsequently was dismissed from the paper, and his articles were removed from The Cavalier Daily website.
What was most interesting about this situation was that The Cavalier Daily did not feel "that it would be appropriate to report the incident to the Honor Committee." Although by the University's standards this may seem like reluctance to do the right thing, not reporting offenses of lying, cheating or stealing may be quite common because of the nature of the honor system's single sanction policy.
The University's honor system has been a cornerstone of the school since the system's creation in 1842. It currently stands as one of the most abundantly promoted aspects of the University, held in high regard for the community of trust and integrity that it serves to create. According to the Committee, "the system ensures that students are provided with both tangible and intangible benefits not found at most universities."
For all the "tangible and intangible benefits" that the honor system seeks to provide, however, is its present nature such that it actually safeguards cheaters and plagiarizers? This is entirely possible, as the single sanction rule could be considered too harsh by members of the University community - and rightly so.
Dismissing a student from the University for an act of lying, cheating or stealing should be considered a last resort. Currently, though, the single sanction is the only weapon at the Committee's disposal. Moreover, whether an accused student receives the single sanction is, in most cases, dependent upon a vote made by fellow students serving on a jury. The issue with the single sanction is that students are unwilling to come to a guilty verdict because the associated punishment is too steep. In addition, this harsh penalty may dissuade students from even reporting honor system breaches in the first place, as they ultimately do not want to be responsible for another's expulsion.
The single sanction results in more than the student having to leave the University. The Committee, by using the sanction, puts an end to the student's current academic opportunities. The dismissal from school subsequently could harm the student's chances of enrolling at another school or finding a future job. One instance of lying, cheating or stealing - unless it is an unquestionably large transgression - should not result in such far-reaching consequences. Punishment for such violations should occur, but the student should be able to serve the punishment while still remaining on Grounds. The community of trust still can be kept intact as long as the student fulfills his sentence and refrains from breaching the honor system again.
The Committee should institute intermediate, less forceful punishments. The threat of expulsion should remain both as a punishment fit for the most egregious violations as well as a threat of what potentially could happen to honor system violators. But for less momentous violations, other consequences could be instituted so that more honor system violators actually receive some sort of penalty.
The Cavalier Daily did right in not reporting the plagiarizing student to the Committee simply because the potential expulsion would be too strong a punishment. If there were less powerful penalties to impose upon the student, then The Cavalier Daily should have reported the case. As it stands, dismissing the student from the paper and removing all the writer's articles from the website was the strongest punishment possible barring any Committee involvement.
The Cavalier Daily did not refuse to uphold the honor system by not reporting the student to the Committee. It openly admitted that the student had violated the honor system and took appropriate action. This way, The Cavalier Daily administered the necessary reprimand. The newspaper felt that risking a student's expulsion by invoking the Committee's involvement was too large a gamble and, as a result, exclusively dealt with the honor offense.
Writing for The Cavalier Daily is a completely voluntary extracurricular activity and has no direct effect on graded academics. Though writing for The Cavalier Daily can be used as a resume booster, it is not a class and therefore falls outside the primary educational goal of the University. If this instance of plagiarism had been part of an attempt to boost academic achievement, the student should have been reported to the Committee in addition to any punitive academic punishments administered. This journalistic plagiarism was slightly less egregious.
It is fantastic to expect that students will help to expel fellow students from the University for all plagiarism cases. This is a good thing. Not all plagiarism cases are worthy of expulsion. Nevertheless, plagiarism is a breach of the honor system - it would be fitting that a student receive a punishment from the honor system. Unfortunately, the Committee hinders its own ability to effectively uphold the honor system and administer penalties by strictly adhering to the single sanction rule.
Alex Yahanda's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at a.yahanda@cavalierdaily.com.
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