THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602260032
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Long : 147 lines
In the portico of the Wren Building hangs a plaque listing the College of William and Mary's many firsts in American education. Among them: ``the first college to have the honor system - 1779.''
But now, William and Mary is proposing changes in its honor code that some students, particularly in the law and graduate schools, say undercut the ideals nurtured during the college's long history.
In 1994, President Timothy J. Sullivan appointed a panel of students and professors to consolidate William and Mary's six honor codes - one for undergraduates, five for various graduate and professional schools. College honor codes are designed to give students broad power to rule on cheating cases and determine penalties against peers.
The proposed substitute, released last month, has angered some students by eliminating penalties for stealing and for failing to report violations that are observed. But what has most irked them is that the student body is not scheduled to vote on the changes.
``It's a contract you enter into when you enter this institution,'' said Nicole Fradette, president of the Graduate Student Association for Arts and Sciences at the college. ``It's one students want to take seriously, but they want to have a say in what is in the contract.''
Sullivan, who is to make the final decision on the proposal, said Friday that nothing is final and that he is considering the plea for a referendum. But he noted that, except at the law school, previous changes in the college's honor code have not been sent to the student body for a vote.
``The other thing is, while it is a student honor code, it belongs to the entire community,'' he said. ``Faculty have clear responsibilities in the process, as do the administrators.''
Honor systems have flourished at Virginia universities, including W&M, the University of Virginia and Washington and Lee. Proponents say the codes, no less than academic classes, teach important lessons, instilling such values as integrity and responsibility.
``It's vitally important that we prepare people to make important decisions for themselves and the community they live in,'' said W. Samuel Sadler, vice president for student affairs at W&M. ``And I don't know of anything more important than maintaining the integrity of your community.''
To crack down on cheating, many schools have recently begun re-examining - in some cases, overhauling - their honor systems.
Old Dominion University last winter revamped its code to give administrators more power. Two years ago, U.Va. was enveloped in controversy after its student Honor Committee reversed the cheating conviction of a student who had hired a high-powered law firm to sue the school. This school year, students there are holding forums on ways to improve the system and restore confidence.
The workings of honor systems vary widely among colleges. There is no standard, for instance, about students voting to approve changes: U.Va. requires student referendums on major revisions; at ODU, only the Board of Visitors voted on the recent revision.
At William and Mary, most undergraduates interviewed last week said they were unfamiliar with the proposed changes. But sophomore Raquel Diago said that's reason enough for a vote: ``It would force people to become more aware of what's going on.''
Donald McCabe, a business professor at Rutgers University who has studied honor codes, agrees with the students. ``My feeling is that to impose expectations for behavior on students without their significant input and agreement really is not appropriate. If students don't buy into the honor code, it's not going to work.''
The student newspaper, the Flat Hat, echoes the call for a referendum. But last week in an editorial, headlined ``A better code for us,'' the paper supported the proposed changes.
In particular, the Flat Hat cited the provision of a trained student ``counsel'' who could act as an advocate for a student accused of infractions. Currently, an accused undergraduate is permitted to bring a representative to a hearing who may whisper advice but may not speak on the student's behalf.
However, some law students are more miffed by what the proposal deletes - penalties against students who witness, but fail to report, violations.
Currently, the law school's code is the only one at William and Mary that penalizes witnesses who don't report infractions. ``We're training for a profession where we're going to face the difficult task of reporting one another,'' law student Peter Owen said. ``We need to get used to that now.''
Yet Richard A. Williamson, a law professor who led the task force that issued the proposal, said most members felt the ``duty to report'' was nearly ``impossible to enforce'' and ``contrary to basic human nature.''
Administrators at ODU voiced similar reasons for eliminating non-reporting penalties in their code, but board members reinstated the measures to send a strong message against cheating. U.Va. doesn't penalize non-reporters.
McCabe, the Rutgers professor, said his research showed that few students report cheating. Only 7 percent do so, even at schools with honor codes, he said.
William and Mary's plan also would eliminate stealing as an offense. Administrators say stealing already is covered in the university's procedures for handling crimes, separate from the honor system. Furthermore, they contend, the code should promote a higher level of conduct, beyond avoiding criminal behavior.
But critics say dropping the theft provision would weaken the code. ``I think it's an important value - not to steal,'' said Diago, the sophomore. ``That's what honor is all about. If stealing isn't considered dishonorable, people may not think of it as important.''
McCabe says most colleges don't include stealing in their codes, but U.Va. does.
The debate also has touched on the philosophy driving the proposed changes: One code for all. Law students have been the leading critics of that idea.
Yet Sullivan, a former law school dean, is a supporter. ``We are talking about lying, cheating and stealing, and I don't believe that those matters are so complicated that we're incapable of finding a consistent standard applicable to all students.
``I taught law students for 23 years, and I have the utmost respect for them. But I think they view themselves as more different than they really are.'' ILLUSTRATION: PROS AND CONS OF W&M'S PROPOSED NEW HONOR CODE
What supporters say:
It will bring unity to the campus by making all students subject
to one set of standards.
It will give accused undergraduates a more vocal ``counsel'' in
honor proceedings.
What opponents say:
It ignores differences in philosophy and age among the student
body.
It reduces the stigma against stealing by dropping it from the
list of violations.
It lets students off too easily by failing to penalize those who
don't report violations that they observe.
Graphic
Former Harvard University President Derek Bok wrote about the
value of honor codes - and unknowingly touched on some of the issues
being debated at the College of William and Mary - in his 1990 book,
``Universities and the Future of America'':
``Perhaps the greatest benefit of honor systems is the stimulus
they give students to think about their own moral responsibility and
to discuss the subject among themselves. This is such an important
advantage that one wonders why more colleges have not adopted an
honor code of their own. Presumably, the pervasive competition for
grades; the size, diversity and impersonal nature of many large
universities; their lack of any honor code tradition; and the
widespread distaste for accusing one's classmates - all combine to
curb enthusiasm for such an innovation. In the absence of strong
student support it would surely be unwise to try to introduce a
system of this kind. To try to force students against their will to
turn in friends who violate the code might actually erode rather
than strengthen respect for ethical standards.''
KEYWORDS: HONOR CODE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY by CNB