Honor Code DBQ Essay

In the wake of numerous cheating scandals, such as those at the University of Virginia and Harvard, many people have began to question the effectiveness of honor codes (sources C, D). Honor codes can be defined as a set of rules implemented in a school that are based around morals that define both acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. While many feel as though such guidelines are necessary in maintaining a schools’ dignity, others believe that honor codes are impossible to enforce. Honor codes should not be enforced because they are too harsh, unrealistic, and put innocent students in uncomfortable social situations.

Honor codes are extreme and far too harsh. These extreme policies ruin both the educational and future careers of students by causing them to either fail classes or be expelled from schools, making it more difficult to be accepted into other institutes and to find occupations. In some schools, for example: the University of Virginia, small accidents, such as leaving out a parenthetical citation, are punishable by expulsion (source D). It’s extremely important for students to
When Senate members asked students how an honor code could be fairly enforce, a majority of them said that there needs to be complete trust between teachers and their pupils, a blatantly unrealistic standard (source B). In actuality, not every student is going to trust all of their teachers, let alone completely. Even with a peer-enforced honor code, it really depends on every students’ tolerance for cheating (source C). In reality, only 8% of students are willing to report a peer for cheating (source E), leaving any peer honor code unenforced and useless. Students, also, are actually more concerned with themselves, rather than the actions of others. Even on the other hand or with looser honor codes, many would refrain from confrontation or reporting for the simple fact of keeping friends and avoiding social