The University of Virginia Honor System is governed by students, an arrangement that has been respected from its earliest days. However, the Board of Visitors is enjoined by its mission statement to support and uphold the Honor System. There are things that the Board can do to strengthen the culture of Honor at UVA without infringing upon student sovereignty.
We propose the following, to be pursued in consultation with the University of Virginia Honor System’s leaders:
- The admissions office should boost the visibility of the Honor System and community of trust as part of UVA’s brand identity. Marketing materials and the application process should induce a posture more inclined to support the Honor System, aligning with the long-term goal of building enthusiastic student acceptance.
- The University should ramp up its Honor Code orientation and buy-in from faculty and staff.
- The administration should tap its communications resources to support messaging across print, video, and digital media, thus supplementing the resources available to the Honor Committee itself.
- Structures should be created so that the Board, president, provost, and deans can engage in regular dialogue with the student Honor Council leadership.
Click or tap the button below to download and read The Jefferson Council’s white paper: “Remembering and Reinvigorating the UVA Honor Code.”