Letter to the Editor: Honor Council will amend past errors to better serve students

10/8/14 3:39am

As a 102-year-old institution, the Honor System is one of Rice’s oldest traditions. While we may think of privileges such as take-home and unproctored exams as the most direct, tangible benefits of this system, the Honor System means much more than that. The Honor Council and the Honor Code have been central in maintaining the academic integrity of the university. The system fosters a community based on trust and openness between the faculty and the student body. Ultimately, the Honor System upholds the integrity of the Rice degree and the university’s reputation. To be one of the few universities nationwide to have an entirely student-run Honor System, let alone an explicitly stated Honor Code, illustrates that Rice students are capable of handling high levels of responsibility.

A recent article in this publication shook the confidence many students have placed in the Honor Council. While the article unfortunately did not represent our views extensively, it did repeatedly cite a former officer in our organization who was responsible for our budget. Let it be clear that this individual is no longer a member of the Council. Furthermore, as a completely new officer team this year, we are committed to correcting and improving the poorly prepared reports and budgets submitted to the Blanket Tax Review Committee. Moving forward, we will use a transparent and efficient process when organizing our budget, and we are also very open to working with the SA to reevaluate our blanket tax and associated processes. While actions of previous individuals holding responsibility are not an excuse, we must recognize that the Council’s first responsibility is to ensure every accused student who comes before us receives proper due process. To distract ourselves from this important task would erode the foundations of our community’s Honor System.

Regardless of last year’s events, some have asked whether the Honor Council’s costs warrant our current level of blanket tax funding and if we are prudently spending our allocated funding. Let us first note that the Honor Council’s blanket tax of $2.00 per student per year is less than other blanket tax organizations, including the Thresher at $14.30, the SA at $2.45, and KTRU at $5.50. It is true that the Honor Council has maintained a surplus, but this surplus is a tool to ensure we have funding for unexpected costs. In the last three years, the Honor Council has needed to buy new computers, printers, scanners and tablets to efficiently handle the 65 to 80 cases we see on average every year. Moreover, a large portion of our fixed costs do come from our annual changeover dinner. This tradition is one of the only two times the Honor Council meets as a whole to foster unity, thank our outgoing officers and elect new officers. Our tradition (and associated costs) are no different from changeover or leadership development events for other student organizations on campus, including the residential colleges and the SA. The 2013-14 Annual Review Report states, “the Blanket Tax Standing Committee finds no evidence to suggest that a violation of Rice University rules and regulations may have occurred with regard to the Honor Council’s use of blanket tax funding.”

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The Honor Council considers it an honor to serve the student body in upholding our Honor System. To have the confidence of our peers shows the effectiveness of the system we have put in place at this institution. While there are challenges we face, we are committed to working with the SA and other blanket tax organizations to ensure that every organization receives and spends their fair share of money. To not do so would be a disservice to us and the wider student body.

Hurst Williamson; Chair; Senior, Hanszen College

Alex Metcalf; Internal Vice Chair; Sophomore, Will Rice College

Shayak Sengupta; External Vice Chair; Senior, Will Rice College

Michael Jin; Secretary; Senior, Jones College

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