The Georgetown Honor Council has announced a new policy designed to expedite the adjudication process for students accused of an Honor System violation. Students who admit responsibility for their actions will now be able to bypass the normal hearing process and receive a recommended sanction directly.
According to Honor Council Faculty Chair Jim Sandefur, a professor in the Mathematics Department, the new policy will make it easier for those students who realize they have done something wrong.
“The purpose of the hearing is to try to find what the truth in the case is. If a student is admitting the truth, there seems to be little point in a hearing,” Sandefur said.
Dorothy Fink (NUR ‘03), student chair of the council, said that in addition to being faster, avoiding the hearing process helps reduce stress on students.
“A lot of times, the hardest part of being in violation is the actual hearing board itself,” she said. “This gives them a way to admit their wrongdoing and have the sanction based on their action.”
All undergraduate students will receive an e-mail detailing the new policy, and students charged with an Honor System offense will be made aware of the option to accept a sanction instead of a hearing.
The new policy does not allow a student to receive a reduced sanction for accepting the alternative process and still requires the dean of the student’s school to approve all sanctions.
