Washington and Lee University
The Honor System of Washington and Lee is based on the fundamental principle that a spirit of trust pervades all aspects of student life. This spirit of trust makes Washington and Lee a unique educational institution. By demanding that all students act honorably, and thereby secure for themselves the resulting benefits, the System instills in the men and women of Washington and Lee an enduring respect for the value of honorable conduct.
Students enjoy unparalleled academic and social freedom. Undergraduates typically schedule their own final examinations, all students take their exams unsupervised, personal property is generally safe on campus, most University buildings remain open twenty-four hours per day, and a student’s word is accepted and respected both on campus and in the community. The System is not structured to work against students, nor is it designed to frighten them. Rather, since its inception the Honor System has
fostered a sense of community and trust that continues to enhance the lives of Washington and Lee students, during enrollment at Washington and Lee and in their later personal and professional lives.
The trust placed in students at Washington and Lee is the continuation of a long tradition. Upon assuming the presidency of Washington College in 1865, General Robert E. Lee stopped faculty visitation of dormitories and all other clandestine supervision of students’ conduct. In its place, Lee established the positive, though unwritten, rule that students are to accept responsibility for their own conduct. In 1905, students assumed the duty of administering the Honor System through the Executive Committee of the Student Body.
Today, as in Lee’s day, the freedom given to students stems from the understanding that persons attending this University will act honorably. Students should do their own work, represent themselves truthfully, and claim only that which is their own. Although this understanding has come to be known as the Honor System, it is not a compilation of student regulations. Rather, the System is, in essence, one of mutual trust—trust among students, faculty, administrators, staff, and the townspeople that students will conduct themselves honorably at all times, whether on or off campus. In that same spirit of trust, students expect all members of the Washington and Lee community to embody the ideals of the Honor System.
The Honor System condemns only acts that the current student generation views as breaches of the community’s trust, and although dishonorable conduct cannot be codified, lying, cheating and stealing have historically been found to be examples of breaches of the Honor System. No violation of trust is more egregious than another, and no breach is too small to be ignored. Thus, dismissal from the University is the only appropriate sanction for an Honor Violation.
The notion of an honorable community is essential to the University’s educational objectives, for the learning process, like society, flourishes best in an environment where mutual trust and respect form the bedrock of relationships. It is imperative that students recognize their duty to protect the Student Body by enforcing the Honor System. This expression of loyalty to a cherished tradition of honor among a community of self-governing students maintains an environment for the cultivation of honesty, integrity, and responsibility.
Persons attending Washington and Lee University must realize that our commitment to the principle of honor is firm. Membership in our student body signifies your commitment to the Honor System within which ignorance of the System is no excuse. If you do not believe that you can act honorably or if you are indifferent, Washington and Lee is not the school for you. If you are willing to uphold these principles, we welcome you to become a part of our community.
All work at Washington and Lee is considered pledged under the Honor System. The recommended form of the Pledge is: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received any unacknowledged aid on this (exam, test, paper, etc.)."
During orientation every student must sign a White Pledge Card. This is a student’s first pledge as a member of the Washington and Lee community. It expresses that the student has been through an orientation program on the Honor System, understands the contents of the Honor System White Book, and will abide by the Honor System.
The Honor System is exclusively student-administered and is in no way responsible to the faculty or administration. The Executive Committee is composed of a President, Vice-President and Secretary elected by the entire Student Body; two students elected to represent the senior, junior and sophomore undergraduate classes; one student elected to represent the freshman class; and one student elected to represent each law class. All Washington and Lee students may seek these offices through student elections, except those students planning to study abroad during any academic term coinciding with the tenure of the position offered for election. The Executive Committee bears the primary responsibility of enforcing the System. Every member of the Washington and Lee community has the prerogative to call the Executive Committee’s attention to matters that he or she considers dishonorable. The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, refer violations of University policy or of any other regulation to the appropriate committees. Notwithstanding such referral, the Executive Committee retains jurisdiction over all questions of honor.
The continued success of the Honor System rests squarely on the shoulders of every student. Thus, anyone with knowledge of a possible Honor Violation should confront the student suspected and ask for an explanation of the incident. If this explanation convinces the inquiring person that no Honor Violation occurred, then the matter should be dropped. If, however, the inquiring person believes that a violation may have occurred, then the matter should be brought to the immediate attention of a member of the Executive Committee. A person not wishing to confront a student suspected of an Honor Violation should bring the matter to the immediate attention of a member of the Executive Committee.