Survey reveals attitudes about Honor Code

A recent survey regarding the Honor Code conducted by Student Senate’s Campus Life Committee revealed attitudes of Luther students and faculty concerning policies about academic integrity.

The survey, which was emailed to all Luther students and faculty, revealed that 67 percent of faculty members and 87 percent of students who responded believe that the Honor Code is effective, while 33 percent of faculty members and 13 percent of students who responded think that it should be reformed.

Most students who think the Honor Code should be revised criticize the current system because they believe students are uncomfortable reporting cases of suspected violations.

“Because of the fact that students felt this way, we’re working on a way for students to be able to anonymously turn people in,” Assistant Professor of Sociology Jennifer Green said.

The survey was part of a routine reassessment of Luther policies.

“We started reviewing and revising the Honor Code simply because the whole student handbook periodically goes through review and this was the next thing in the process,” Green said.

Associate Professor of German and faculty advisor to the Honor Council Soeren Steding believes that students presently know little about policies regarding academic integrity.

“There currently is a lack of education about what the Honor Code is and what the Honor Council does,” Steding said. “Hopefully they’ll be able to address this problem.”

Luther’s student handbook states that the Honor Code is in place “because we as students believe that one of the basic goals of an institution engaged in higher education and dedicated to the Christian faith is to develop academic integrity and responsibility within its student body.”

There are three types of disciplinary bodies for violations of academic integrity at the college level: student-run, faculty-run and a hybrid. Luther operates on a nearly entirely student-run system.

Luther’s Honor Council is the group tasked with enforcing the Honor Code. Composed of three seniors, two juniors, one sophomore and a non-voting faculty advisor, the Council hears cases of alleged Honor Code violations and determines whether the individual is guilty or not guilty.

“Most of the time it is liberal arts colleges that have these honor systems because there is more of an idea of citizenship and community,” Green said. “It seems as if students realize that their actions affect not only themselves, but their entire student body and school.”

One of the proposed changes to the Honor Council would be the addition of six new members, doubling its current size.

“Another thing we really want to do is create long-term cultural change here at Luther by changing how people see the Honor Code as a part of their identity as a Luther student.” Green said.

Those involved with the review process continue to formulate ways to improve academic integrity policies on campus.