Oberlin College & Conservatory

Authority within the Honor System

1. One of the primary responsibilities of the Student and Faculty Honor Committees is to educate the student body and faculty about the purpose, scope, and spirit of the Honor System.

   a. The SHC will identify one to three members who will return for Orientation to introduce new students to the Honor System.
   b. The Student and Faculty Honor Committees will create, maintain, and circulate annually an up-to-date resource publication that conveys to faculty members how the Honor System might be applied in various situations.
   c. The Faculty Honor Committee will appoint a representative to provide an introduction to, or refresher about, the Honor System during the annual fall orientations for new faculty and for faculty advisors.
   d. The SHC will work to create educational programming as time permits.

2. The Student and Faculty Honor Committees shall maintain an open channel of communication between the Honor Committees and the larger campus community.

   a. The SHC shall submit a summary (with name[s] and other identifiable information withheld) to the Oberlin Review at the start of each semester of cases from the previous semester.
   b. At least once during each academic year, the SHC shall hold an open meeting in order to report on its work.
   c. The General Faculty Honor Committee shall submit a summary (with name[s] and other identifiable information withheld) to the General Faculty at the start of each semester of cases completed from the previous semester.

3. The Dean of Students shall:

   a. Ensure that there is appropriate administrative support to the SHC.
   b. Provide an appropriate workspace for the SHC.
   c. Provide a venue for SHC to hear cases.
   d. Assist the SHC in its efforts to restaff.
   e. Facilitate a meeting at least once a year between the Dean of Students (or designee) and the SHC as a means of offering support and advice.

4. Membership

   a. Ordinarily, the SHC shall consist of 15 members with 11 being the absolute minimum. Members must be full-time students currently enrolled at Oberlin College. Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that there will be at least one sophomore, one conservatory student, three men, and three women among the members of the SHC.
   b. Students will be appointed to serve two-year, renewable terms to begin July 1 and conclude June 30. Requests to renew membership will be ratified by the Student Senate.
   c. A quorum is defined as the majority of appointed members.
   d. Members may be removed from the SHC by a two-thirds majority vote of a quorum of appointed SHC members.
   e. The SHC shall have officers for an academic year, including one paid coordinator, one or two chair(s), and a secretary/treasurer, to be selected at the end of the second semester. The outgoing coordinator will provide the Dean of Students (or designee) with a written report announcing the future membership and officers of the SHC within five business days of the selection of the officers.
   f. During the spring semester, the Student Senate and the SHC shall seek open applications from the student body for membership on the committee. A standing interview committee composed of three SHC members and three student senators will be appointed at the beginning of each academic year. A current SHC chair and the Student Senate Membership Coordinator (or designee) will fill two of the six seats on this committee. The interview committee will interview new applicants and will present recommendations for new members - based upon a minimum vote of four to approve - to the Student Senate for ratification. (In the event that three senators are not available at the time scheduled for interviews, applicants can interview with both groups separately. The SHC portion of the committee will record its interviews for use by the senate. In this circumstance, the senate portion of the committee is not required to record the interview.)
   g. When active membership falls below 15 members, the chair or cochairs of SHC must notify the Student Senate and the Dean of Students (or designee). Then the interview committee shall be reactivated to return the membership to 15 or more. Should the membership fall below 11 then new Honor System hearings will not be scheduled until the membership is returned to 11. The SHC or Student Senate can request that the interview committee reopen the interview process at any time the committee has open seats.
   h. Newly appointed members will participate in training that should be provided prior to serving on a hearing panel. However, in the event that there is a need to cover a hearing, not having participated in training shall not be an impediment to service on a panel. Training may include assisting returning members with investigations and observing a hearing without actively participating or voting during deliberations.