After more than 10 years of discussion, TCU’s Student Government Association (SGA) and Faculty Senate passed a resolution last spring to adopt an honor code on campus.
The honor code was created to support a culture of academic success, and its general message promotes academic integrity and speaks against academic misconduct.
“As a member of the TCU community, I will actively contribute to an environment of academic integrity. We are ethical leaders and will not participate in any form of academic misconduct.”
TCU Honor Code
Now, their goal is to ensure Frogs are aware of the change. In an effort to encourage and enforce academic integrity, SGA wants to make the honor code more available to students and faculty.
In order to create a buzz about the honor code, SGA plans to post the statement around campus through the use of quotes, plaques and other visual aids. Additionally, members of SGA will contact each academic department so that they can display the statement on TV screens in each college and in the library.
It is to each professors’ discretion on how they want to implement the honor code or if they want to at all, said Abby Vernacchia, chair of SGA’s academic affairs committee. For example, the professor could place the statement on assignments, have an honor code signature sheet double as an attendance sheet or incorporate it on D2L.
The academics affairs committee plans to meet with the TCU’s First Year Experience about incorporating the honor code into orientation.
“I think TCU could do a better job of making the honor code known by making you write it after every test and signing your name,” said Rivers Dorey, a sophomore strategic communication major.
Brent Hewitt, a sophomore mechanical engineering, economics and math triple major, said he has never seen the mission statement publicly displayed, even though it is something they expect students to live by.
“While I believe TCU students do an excellent job executing the mission statement, I still believe there is improvement to be made,” said Hewitt.
Vernacchia believes it is SGA’s job to make the honor code available around campus.
Although the students aren’t required to memorize the honor code, they hopefully will hear it so often that they do, she said.
“I’m excited to see how we can get it more visible on campus,” Vernacchia said. “With time, it will be more universal.”
