| Honor Council Rice University |
Abstract of the Honor Council
Case #5, Fall 1998
January 19, 1999
Members Present:
Courtney Kelso (presiding), Laura Derr, Jessie Dirks, Steve Friedfeld, Julieann
Grant, Jan Huber, Kimberly Peters
Ombuds:
Loan Lam
Letter of Accusation:
The council received a letter of self-accusation from Student A in a lower level
science course stating that he had used another students (Student Bs) work as a
guide in submitting an assignment.
Evidence Submitted:
Letter of self-accusation
Student A's statement
Course syllabus
Student A's assignment
Student B's assignment
Professor's deposition
Plea:
Student A plead In Violation
Testimony:
Student A testified that he was experiencing extenuating circumstances while
trying to complete an assignment. Because of these circumstances, Student A used
Student B's assignment without Student B's knowledge to complete his own work.
Student A said that although he did not directly use Student B's work, he did
follow some of Student B's assignment as a guide in completing his own
assignment.
Deliberation:
The council agreed that a violation had occurred, and examined possible
mitigating circumstances. Members proposed severe emotional stress, severity of
violation, and self-accusation made in good faith. The council agreed to include
these in deliberation. Though the assignment was to become part of a larger
project worth 14% of Student A's grade, members felt that the integrity of the
larger project was not affected since the two were independently graded. The
assignment in question was worth 1/10 of the larger project, or 1.4% of the
overall grade, and thus severity of violation was considered a valid mitigating
factor. Members agreed that both severe emotional stress and self-accusation
made in good faith were also valid mitigating factors. The consensus penalty for
a violation worth 1.4% is an F in the course. Members discussed other penalties
such as a loss of credit in the course, loss of credit on the 14% project, loss
of credit on the 1.4% assignment, and a letter of reprimand.
Straw Poll #2:
Loss of credit on the 1.4% assignment 7
Letter of reprimand 0
Abstentions 0
Thus, the Honor Council finds Student A In Violation of the Honor System, and
recommends that he receive a loss of credit on the 1.4% assignment and that a
suspension clause be attached to his record.
Time of Trial and Deliberation: 1 hour
Respectfully Submitted,
Steve Friedfeld
Trial Clerk