Article III—Honor Code

SECTION 1. Jurisdiction of Rhodes College

Students may be sanctioned for conduct which constitutes a hazard to the health, safety, or well-being of members of the College community or which is detrimental to the College’s interest, whether such conduct occurs on campus, off campus, or at College-sponsored events. The OCS Administrator or their designee, upon consultation with the Honor Council President, shall determine whether cases are within the jurisdiction of Rhodes College Honor Council.

Students are expected to be familiar with College policies, and a lack of awareness does not exempt individuals from accountability for violations

SECTION 2. Violations

The following conduct is considered a violation of the Honor Code:

1. Lying in Official Matters and/or Dishonest Conduct.  The term “lying” in official matters or “dishonest conduct” is defined as:

• Making an untrue or deceptive statement;

• Making a material omission, or conveying a false impression, with the intent to mislead a Rhodes College official in an official matter; or falsifying, altering, or misusing official material with the intent to mislead a Rhodes College official in an official matter. Official matters and material include, without limitation, matters having to do with coursework, college administration, faculty, residence hall administration, Campus Safety, Honor Council, or Community Standards Council. If a respondent student has lied in an Honor Council hearing, the Council may use the lie as evidence relating to the Respondent to the Honor System when determining an outcome.

• Misuse or falsification of any state, federal, or College documents, forms, records, identification cards, or funds by actions such as forgery, alteration, or improper transfer;

• Possession of a false identification card or possession of another’s identification card.

2. Cheating. The term “cheating” is defined as:

• The attempt or act of giving or receiving unauthorized aid from any source on academic coursework.  Cheating includes plagiarism. Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty. A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever the student does any of the following:

  • Quotes another person's actual words, either oral or written.

  • Paraphrases another person's actual words, either oral or written.

  • Uses another person's idea, opinion, or theory.

  • Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material unless the information is common knowledge.

  • It is the student’s responsibility to consult the professor, an Honor Council member, or writing handbooks for procedure for properly acknowledging sources.

3. Stealing. The term “stealing” is defined as:

• The act of intentionally taking, appropriating, or transferring, without right or permission, the property (academic and non-academic) of any individual, organization, or institution, either permanently or temporarily associated with the Rhodes community. 

• (Academic) The following are examples of what could be considered under the definition of stealing:

  • Appropriating or obtaining access to files or any other electronically stored information without authorization of the owner of such files or information

  • Taking papers, files, gradebooks, notes, past tests or exams or other academically-related information without the owner’s authorization

  • Removal of or otherwise making unavailable any material from the Rhodes College library without permission

• (Non-Academic) The attempted or actual theft of services or property of the College, of a member of the College community, or other personal or public property.

4. Guest Behavior. Failure of a student host and their guest to adhere to the Guests and Visitors Policy.