Why I’m So Sick Of College Honor Codes

College honor codes were started with good intentions—to encourage honesty and integrity within the student body. But these codes are antiquated and don’t answer to the modernized colleges and universities that exist today. What happens when these honor codes shame and degrade the very students that they’re supposed to be protecting?

The Origin Of Honor Codes

William and Mary is the college credited with developing the first honor code in the late 1700s. They originated as systems to get students to take on an active role and turn in other students that were found cheating or violating other aspects of the code. Students sign pledges stating that they’ll adhere to the code, have unproctored exams and are required to turn in anyone suspected of violating the code.

The honor codes were created to uphold academic integrity and to discourage cheating. But these codes were created in a time when learning was much different and honor was of the utmost value. Students today care more about their GPA than they do honor. And certain majors and classes are ones that should encourage collaboration and shared learning, not stifle it.

Some colleges, Brigham Young University for example, take their honor codes a step farther. Students aren’t just following an honor code that refers to academic integrity. The honor code involves every aspect of their lives, including the way they’re groomed and the requirement that they follow the law of chastity. But what happens when that chastity is broken—and it isn’t by choice?

Honor Code Exploitation

BYU recently made headlines for saying that female students who had come forward to report being raped could be suspended or even expelled for violating the honor code. The effects that this could have on sexual assault and rape victims and their willingness to report these crimes is astronomical. Honor codes were designed to help keep students honest and there’s no reason that people should be punished for their honesty in reporting a crime.

There’s already a problem with rapists being punished when they have family members with money. Popular frat boys and college sports starts are often the children of rich parents with their hands in various investments and businesses that believe that they can buy their sons’ way out of these accusations. Sadly, a lot of time they can.

It’s Time For A Change

Colleges and universities are supposed to be the ones that protect the students that become victims. A girl shouldn’t have to be worried about facing expulsion when she reports that a guy forced himself on her. What is that telling students? That the victims should be punished for something that they never asked to happen to them?

The fact that a college would even consider expelling a student for reporting a rape is absolutely disgusting. Would they think the same way of this was their daughter that it happened to? How would they feel if their child lost their chance at a higher education because of something was out of her control?

Honor codes should be stopped, or at the very least be amended so no student ever has to face penalties for reporting something such as sexual assault. There’s no reason why someone should be afraid to tell their school that they were raped or assaulted. The school should be someone they can trust to help punish the rapist and deter something like an assault from ever happening again.

If a college is going to have an honor code, it needs to be updated for the standards and practices of the 21^st century. Sexual assaults are not something that should be swept under the rug or that victims should have to handle alone because they fear reporting it. These honor codes need to be changed—or done away with altogether.