Academic integrity plays a crucial role in Emory University’s mission, and the Honor Code encapsulates our standards of fairness and trust. Yet, for many members of our community, the Honor Code remains abstract – something we think about only when a possible violation occurs. Without knowledge of concrete examples, it is often difficult to understand the purpose and seriousness of the honor code.

In order to increase the visibility and transparency of the Honor Code process and to educate students about academic integrity, the Emory College Honor Council will begin reporting the results of real cases to The Emory Wheel. The publication of cases will serve to instruct students about the types of academic misconduct and actions they should avoid. Widespread knowledge of typical Honor Council sanctions may also serve as a deterrent when temptation strikes.

Both the Honor Council and The Emory Wheel are sensitive to concerns about student privacy and the confidential nature of cases. We will protect the identities of students and faculty involved in Honor Council cases by removing any personally identifiable information from the reports. The Honor Council will provide brief summaries that describe the nature of the violation, the verdict and sanction and the rationale for the Honor Council’s decision. Details about the parties involved and the course will be generic (e.g. a junior in an upper level humanities class).

The Honor Council and The Emory Wheel have developed rigorous procedures to ensure that personally identifiable information is not released. If, for any reason, the Honor Council believes the release of information about a case will jeopardize the privacy of the parties involved, the Honor Council will omit details about the case or exclude the case from its report.

It is our hope that the publication of honor cases will ultimately benefit the academic community at Emory by raising awareness about academic dishonesty, preventing many future violations and encouraging students and faculty alike to support the honor code.

– By Jason Ciejka, associate director of the Honor Council

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The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.