SGA to vote on honor code
By Crystal Forester
Staff Reporter

The integrity of TCU was the topic of discussion by students, faculty and staff members Tuesday during a joint meeting.

The Student Government Association, Faculty Senate and the Staff Assembly met to discuss work on establishing an honor code at TCU, said Nadia Lahutsky, Faculty Senate chair.

The goal of the joint meeting was to get a broad idea of what people thought of integrity at TCU, said Katie Gordon, founder and chair of the Integrity Council task force.

Gordon has been working to create an honor code for TCU for about two years, she said. The code is in the draft stages and will be voted on in the House of Student Representatives within the next week, she said.

The task force wants to create an honor code to establish integrity throughout the university, said Gordon, senior electrical engineering major.

“Integrity is not something that is written in a book,” Gordon said. “It has to become a part of the university’s culture.”

Establishing an honor code would make students’ degree more valuable by changing the ethical climate and culture at TCU, Lahutsky said.

“Students play an important role in the integrity at TCU and the way we view integrity,” Gordon said.

The honor code would hold all students responsible for the integrity of the university, she said. An honor code gives students a guide for what to do if they witness another student cheating on a test, Lahutsky said.

One question the council wanted answered was whether the current culture at TCU supports the mission statement of the university. Interior Design Technician Messina Gray said the mission statement is visible in different places, including classrooms, throughout the campus as a way to remind students of it.

Another question was whether an honor code could be a means for culture change at TCU.

Thomas Guidfry, an SGA member, said the proposed honor code needs improvement because there is no follow-up after the code is signed. For example, students should receive fines for extreme cases of cheating, he said.

Another possible solution would be for first-offense violators to have a formal counseling session, said Kathryn Dawson, a math major and task force member.

Overall, faculty, staff and students present wanted to ensure the code was reinforced throughout a student’s time at TCU and not forgotten after their freshman year.

Staff Assembly Chairman David Grebel said it is important for the staff to be involved with the discussion for the integrity of the entire university.

“Integrity and ethics are more than just in the classroom, they deal with how we relate to one another,” Grebel said.

The three groups have met with each other at least once a year for the past three years to discuss things that are of interest to the university, Grebel said.

The draft of the honor code is posted at www.frogpages.com/HonorConceptDraft2.doc, and feedback may be sent to k.r.gordon@tcu.edu.