The Evolution of the Honor System
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Honor Bicentennial Report
History
Community
The Shared Path Forward
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Introduction
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Landmark Cases
The Trials that Shaped the System
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Sanctioning
Honor System Jurisdiction and Adjudication
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Data
Commission Archives
Timeline
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UVA is Founded
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First Day of Classes
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Law Professor John Davis Fatally Shot by a Student
While not directly related to the formation of the modern Honor System, the event marked the most meaningful time in early history of the University that students joined together to hold their peer accountable for transgressions against the community. Professor Davis' replacement would later propose the first academic Honor Pledge.
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Professor Henry St. George Tucker Proposes First Honor Pledge
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"The Honor Men" Published
"The Honor Men" by James Hay Jr. was published in the spring 'Corks and Curls'.
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Formal Honor Committee Formed
Student Churchill Humphrey proposes a new student government including a formal Honor Committee
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Expanding Honor Committee Jurisdiction
The Honor Committee declares jurisdiction over violations of no-gambling pledges and the writing of bad checks. Read more about the Bad Check Committee here!
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Judiciary Committee Formed
The precursor to the modern University Judiciary Committee was formed within Student Council. Today, the Honor and University Judiciary Committees share a common mission. Read the full story here!
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Racial Integration Begins
Law student Gregory Swanson became the first African-American to enroll at UVA.
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Nursing Students Vote to be Included in Honor System
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First Separate Graduate Student Honor Orientation
In the fall of 1959, Hardy Dillard delivers for the first time an address to new graduate students assembled separately from first year students.
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Lying for Liquor Again Excluded as an Honor Offense
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Coeducation
50 years since Honor Committee foreboded coeducation, the system now thrives on women’s inclusion. Read the full story here!
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May Days
Thousands of students storm Carr's Hill as part of antiwar protests, building off student activism which began years earlier in the fight for civil rights in Charlottesville. The student distrust of many University institutions can be seen reflected in the downturn of reports made to the Honor Committee during the same period. Read the Virginia Magazine story here!
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The Coke Case
A few cans of soda spark one of the most significant debates in the history of Honor. Read the full story here!
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Honor Committee Constitution Ratified
The Honor Committee's first constitution, ratified in response to the Committee's first African-American chair, leaves a complex legacy. Read the full story here.
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Henson Accused
Law student Josh Henson is accused of stealing. The case would not conclude until five years later after an appeal denied by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Read the full story here!
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Henson Loses Final Appeal
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Honor Committee Repeals Exclusion of Lying for Liquor
Eleven days before the state raised the minimum age to drink beer from 18 to 21, the Honor Committee votes to repeal the previous exclusion of Lying for Liquor cases - effectively permitting the adjudication of Lying for Liquor cases if they are reported to the Honor Committee and setting a precedent to not explicitly exclude any specific act from adjudication within the Honor System. Read the full story here!
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The Leggett Case Begins
High-profile lawyers, administrative involvement, and Honor reports filed against members of the Honor Executive Committee lead to reforms of case processing, executive power, and qualified immunity.
Read the full story here! -
BOV Affirms Honor Committee
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Investigative Panels Created
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BOV Affirms Honor Committee
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The Bloomfield Cases
A cheating scandal made national headlines when 158 students were reported for plagiarism in an introductory physics course. Today, technology continues to challenge the definition of cheating. Read the full story here!
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Bloomfield Cases Appear on '60 Minutes'
The national evening news program '60 Minutes' airs an interview with UVA professor Lou Bloomfield and their investigation into the role of technology in the commission of and protection against cheating offenses.
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Johnathan Perkins is Stopped By Police
Later accused of fabricating the incident, an exonerated law student now reflects on the role of implicit bias, spotlighting, and dimming within the Honor System. Read the full story here!
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"Informed Retraction" Approved by Student Body
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Rolling Stone publishes 'A Rape on Campus'
Retracted in its entirety on April 5th, 2015, the Rolling Stone article prompted broad discussion surrounding sexual violence on Grounds. Read more about the intersection of honor and sexual violence here.
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Informed Retraction Broadened
The Informed Retraction policy is broadened to allow inclusion of all self-reported Honor offenses committed prior to the original act in question. For additional perspective on the change, read this article in the Virginia Magazine.
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Case 18-42
The Honor Committee receives its 42nd report of 2018. The case is archived as "Case 18-42" after the reported student - whose work was flagged for cheating by a computer algorithm - files an Informed Retraction. The case filing is an ode to the 1842 birth of the Honor System and a hyper-representative depiction of modern case processing. Read about technology here and the Informed Retraction here.
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James E. Ryan Becomes UVA's Ninth President
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CHI Changes Adopted
The policies governing student requests for hearings on 'Contributory Mental Disorders' (CMD) undergo transformations including a name change to 'Contributory Health Impairments' (CHI). Read more about the intersection of mental health and the Honor System here.
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Honor Bicentennial Report Released
