| Honor Council Rice University |
Abstract of the Honor Council
Case #2, Fall, 1997
January 23, 1998
Members Present:
John Doll (presiding), Erin McCauley, Steve Friedfeld, Weera Chainakul, Karrie
Johnson, Kasia Solon, Cynthia Carr, John Dombrowski, John-Michael Huber
Ombuds:
Mark Covey, Andrea Tenner (observing)
Letter of Accusation:
The Honor Council received a letter of accusation from a professor in an upper
level humanities course. The letter outlined the similarities between three
exams.
Evidence:
Letter of Accusation
The course syllabus
A police report for a stolen calculator
The exam check out sheet
An airline receipt showing student C's travel plans
Student A, B and C's exam blue books
The exam in question
The data tables included with the test
Student A, B and C's statements
The key to the exam
Abstract from Case #16, fall, 1997
Pleas
Student A plead Not In Violation.
Student B plead Not In Violation.
Student C plead Not In Violation.
Testimony:
The students outlined the schedule when each took the exam. Three witnesses
confirmed their account. The professor explained the similarity in the exams
which had lead him to suspect collaboration. The students attempted to explain
their thought process on the problems in question. Specifically, they explained
that they had used the same calculator program, a program which apparently
contained an error, to obtain their similar answers to one question. The
students had also studied together, and received outside tutoring together.
The students complained that the time delay between the alleged violation and
the trial had been unreasonable, and that they were less able to defend
themselves because they had forgotten how they had solved most of their exam.
Deliberation:
The honor council felt that the students explanation was adequate to explain
their similar answers.
Straw Pole #2
In violation 0
Not in violation 9
Abstentions 0
Thus the Honor Council finds students A, B and C Not in Violation of the honor
code.
Time of Trial and Deliberation: 3 hours
Respectfully Submitted,
Erin McCauley
(Trial Clerk)