Students in the Class of 2017 committed themselves to a new honor code at the Columbia College Academic Assembly on August 27, pledging to uphold a high level of academic integrity, to respect others’ intellectual property and to be honest in their academic work.
The code declares that students promise not to plagiarize, to use unauthorized materials, or to give or receive illegitimate help on assignments, papers and examinations, and to strive “not simply for answers but for understanding.” Its goal, according representatives for the Columbia College Student Council, is to actively engaging students in the ongoing dialogue about academic integrity.
“In signing this pledge, you have committed yourself to preserving the integrity of our scholarly work and have declared your trust in your peers in doing the same,” Nora Habboosh CC’14, academic affairs representative for the Columbia College Student Council, said at the assembly. “This public commitment you have made to the Columbia University community is the beginning of an ongoing dialogue regarding academic integrity, and we encourage you to actively engage in this dialogue.”
The new honor code comes after long standing conversations between students, faculty and administrators regardingthe importance of academic integrity on campus. The Columbia College Student Council ratified the pledge and code in Spring 2013 and worked with the College’s Office of Academic Affairs and Office of Judicial Affairs to implement it in Fall 2013.
First-year students recited the pledge on their second day of New Student Orientation Program (NSOP). They then signed individual pledge cards, which were collected by the College and will be bound and put on display in Butler library to serve as reminders of the commitment students have made to each other. Returning Columbia College students will be given an opportunity to make a public commitment to uphold these community values during the 2013-2014 academic year.
College students ask that faculty support their initiative by including statements about academic integrity on their syllabi, referring students to the Columbia University Undergraduate Guide to Academic Integrity, and reporting any concerns or violations to the Office of Judicial Affairs and Community Standards.
Click here for more information on the Honor Code.
Honor Pledge (Recited by students):
We, the undergraduate students of Columbia University, hereby pledge to value the integrity of our ideas and the ideas of others by honestly presenting our work, respecting authorship, and striving not simply for answers but for understanding in the pursuit of our common scholastic goals. In this way, we seek to build an academic community governed by our collective efforts, diligence, and Code of Honor.
Honor Code (Signed by Students):
I affirm that I will not plagiarize, use unauthorized materials, or give or receive illegitimate help on assignments, papers, or examinations. I will also uphold equity and honesty in the evaluation of my work and the work of others. I do so to sustain a community built around this Code of Honor.