The Honor Committee convened Sunday to discuss several key initiatives such as adding a preponderance standard which adjusts the burden of proof for evidence in Honor investigations. They also discussed using DocuSign for students to submit signatures on official forms. Additionally, members provided updates on ongoing investigations, upcoming sanction hearings and Honor Week events.
A key discussion point was the potential adoption of a new evidence standard in the Investigative Panel to adjust the burden of proof needed to move a case to a hearing. The Investigative Panel, composed of three Committee members, is responsible for combing through the case evidence and determining if it should move to a hearing. The proposed change would require that a violation be proven according to a “preponderance of the evidence,” as opposed to the current standard of case evidence which is “more likely than not.”
Cassidy Dufour and Ayda Mengistie, both Law School representatives and Law students, are the Committee members most interested in changing the preponderance standards according to Laura Howard, Committee chair and fourth-year College student. Dufour and Mengistie were, however, unable to attend the meeting.
Several Committee members including Seamus Oliver, vice chair for investigations and third-year College student, voiced concerns about potential confusion on what this change means among representatives and the impact on case outcomes. According to Oliver, a change to a preponderance standard would cause more confusion and harm than good.
“I'm hesitant to impose what is effectively a preponderance standard,” Oliver said. “I think we're looking at representative confusion versus some small benefits when thinking about what evidence do we have and what evidence we don't have.”
The Committee ultimately opted to table the discussion for a future meeting to allow for further deliberation and Committee member input.
Howard also announced the successful release of the first monthly edition of the new Honor Newsletter that covers recent updates from the Committee and Honor system as a whole. The newsletter was emailed to University community members Jan. 27.
“I think [the newsletter] was received pretty well,” Howard said. “I think it was a great way to hype up Honor and what we've been doing for the bylaws that we've been advancing so we'll send out another one in February.”
The idea of the newsletter was proposed by Howard at the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester, to engage with the University community more frequently than the semester newsletter they previously had.
The Committee also reported that there are currently 16 active Honor cases under investigation. Representatives discussed efforts to streamline procedural efficiency in addressing these cases, including proposed improvements to the Informed Retraction process where charged students can admit to an offense and make amends.
One potential reform under consideration, proposed by Oliver, is the implementation of DocuSign to facilitate digital form submissions. The goal is to reduce administrative bottlenecks by sending proper signatures and improving student accessibility.
“DocuSign [is] a potentially easier way for students to submit official forms to us,” Oliver said. “It hopefully reduces paper and the number of people already asking me [and the Committee] for digital signatures.”
The meeting also covered plans for Honor Week from Feb. 9 to Feb. 14, which will include multiple University-wide events aimed at fostering dialogue among students about academic integrity and the Committee’s role at the University. This will be the second time Honor has hosted Honor Week — last year, in February, was the first time that it was held.
Reps. from different schools outlined their planned educational activities, including a pop-up Honor Support Line event, a student feedback coffee chat and an athlete-focused Honor discussion. Additional programming includes an ice cream social for undergraduate students and an Honor-themed Valentine’s Day event hosted by the School of Education and Human Development.
According to William Hancock, vice chair for the undergraduate community and third-year College student, as Honor Week approaches, the Committee aims to further engage the student body in conversations about the Honor system and encourage greater participation in governance and policy-making at the University.
During the preparations for Honor Week, the Committee says it remains focused on refining its policies, improving procedural efficiency and increasing student engagement. Members will continue discussions on the IR panel standard and implement procedural reforms such as digital signature adoption at the next committee meeting.
Due to the Super Bowl happening Sunday, the Committee will reconvene Feb. 16 at 7 p.m., a week later than usual.
“We will not meet next Sunday because of the Super Bowl,” Howard said.
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