Gabrielle Bray, chair of the Honor Committee and fourth-year College student, announced the Committee will be hosting a Constitutional Convention to gather input on drafting the Committee’s new constitution in an email sent Monday. CIOs will be able to send delegates to the convention, which Bray expects to host in early October.
“There is still much to be done to address the history and philosophy of Honor,” Bray wrote. “We have not yet built a system that prioritizes amends to the Community of Trust, acknowledges that cases have different levels of significance, and ensures equitable processes.”
Students voted four to one to reduce the single-sanction of expulsion to a two-semester leave of absence last March, marking the largest change in the Honor system’s history. Tension over the vote was high, with several members of the Committee in opposition to the referendum. Representatives debated the future of the Honor system throughout contentious meetings last year.
When she began her term in April, Bray told The Cavalier Daily she hoped to “right the ship” of the Honor Committee following internal turmoil and resignations as the Committee grappled with the effects of the historical change. Bray has previously supported and proposed a multi-sanction system.
New Committee members have expressed unanimous verbal support for working towards a multi-sanction and agreed to begin work on drafting proposals in the fall when they assumed their new roles in April.
In an email statement to The Cavalier Daily, Bray said that the convention has two goals — drafting a multi-sanction constitution and encouraging collaboration between students and faculty as the Honor system grows and changes.
“The Honor System was founded in 1842 in a collaboration of students and faculty to repair the community of trust — that process of collaboration has not been revisited as U.Va. has grown,” Bray said.
By the end of the convention, Bray said she hopes to have a draft of a multi-sanction system to bring before the Committee for approval that can be voted on by the student body in March.
“I hope that by bringing together people from all over the U.Va. community to address the philosophy and structure of Honor, we can create an institution that lives up to our highest ideals,” Bray said.
CIOs interested in sending a delegate to the convention can email Bray at honor@virginia.edu.
Read More
Olympic gold, a golden goal and more: The top five Virginia sports highlights of 2024
By Ben Istvan | YesterdayThe Cavaliers enjoyed success on the conference, national and world stages during the last 12 months.
Honor Committee, Class Councils offer resources for students during exam season
By Lidia Zur Muhlen and Brandon Kile | 2 days agoEvery semester, the Honor Committee utilizes a portion of its roughly $5 million endowment to fund its finals season initiatives.
EDITORIAL: Signing off from the 135th term
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoAt the end of our term, we thought it fitting to share with you which of our 28 editorials have been our favorites.
