Honor Council member Chris Mihok found himself on the opposite side of the bench when he was accused of plagiarism and lying on a large portion of his Russian 210 exam.
But the storyline was entirely fictional. Mihok was merely acting the part of a cheater during last Friday's Honor Council mock hearing.
"We thought that presenting a mock hearing using Honor Council members would be a beneficial way for the university community to see what we do," said Lindsay Petty, chair of the Westhampton College Honor Council.
At the culmination of Honor Week on Friday, the Honor Council members performed a mock hearing to show students how the process works and answer questions about the university's honor system. Mihok took on the role as the guilty student who had plagiarized about 40 percent of his final exam essay directly from Sparknotes.com and then lied about it.
During the mock hearing, Mihok was asked questions about his relationship with the professor, his performance during the class prior to the final exam, the process he took in writing the paper and whether the professor had gone over the honor code in class. The questions are typical of those asked by the hearing board during an actual honor trial and are given to the accused in advance so that he or she is prepared with answers.
The hearing was held in Jepson Hall Room 120, which was crowded with so many students that only standing room remained, despite the hearing's 5 p.m. Friday start.
The Honor Council is composed of more than 40 students from Richmond and Westhampton colleges. And although a separate council exists for each college, they meet together to hear honor cases like the one presented at the mock hearing. During the 2007-08 school year, the hearing board adjudicated 15 cases, and all but one led to guilty verdicts for the accused, according to case records.
Sanctions for a student found guilty include a written letter of reprimand from the dean and honor probation through graduation. Other sanctions possibly given to students include a failing grade on the assignment, failure in the course, requirement to meet with the professor and writing center, and sometimes suspension or expulsion. Situations are heard on a case-by-case basis, meaning sanctions vary depending on the circumstances. Much of the work done by the councils is largely confidential, so the hearing offered students an insider's look.
"People seem to learn about the Honor System initially from first-year orientation," Petty said, "and later on either because they know someone on the councils or because of their involvement in a case."
Other Honor Week activities included a keynote speech on Wednesday by Don Forsyth, professor of leadership studies, who spoke about the importance of academic integrity. A screening last Thursday of the movie "School Ties," in which a student is wrongfully accused of cheating, was another event.
"The Honor Code is not just a statement, but a contract we all enter into as students arriving at the university," Petty said. "Awareness and education are vital to maintaining a trusting and respectful community."
Contact reporter Sharon Tully at sharon.tully@richmond.edu
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