Contributory Health Impairment
The Honor Committee recognizes that a student may be affected by a health impairment which caused or significantly contributed to the commission of an alleged Honor Offense (a Contributory Health Impairment), and/or renders a student unable to understand the relevant Honor charges or to assist in their own defense (Lack of Capacity).
Despite being a fully student-run system, CHI proceedings are coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer and other professionals.
Aside from the Bylaws of the Honor Committee, separate procedures exist for the consideration of such claims. The Committee has established procedures for students who wish to claim a CHI or LC which can be found linked below (effective 09/02/25).
If you are a student involved in an Honor case, please ask your assigned Honor Advisor if you have any questions regarding the CHI/LC process; your Advisor can facilitate interaction with appropriate parties. Additionally, questions regarding the CHI/LC process can be shared directly with the Chair of the Honor Committee ([email protected]) or Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Marsh Pattie ([email protected]).
FAQs for Students
While no Honor Committee member can give case-specific advice on whether something will be considered an Honor Offense by an Honor Panel, we encourage Reporters to look at the definitions below and make their own determinations on what may constitute an Honor Offense. The Honor Committee Bylaws define each Act as:
“Lying” shall mean the misrepresentation of one or more facts in order to gain a benefit or harm another person, where the actor knows or should know that the misrepresentation will be relied upon by another person.
“Cheating” shall mean a violation of any standards, conditions, or rules for which a student may receive benefit, credit, or acknowledgment, academic or otherwise. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, performance of any of the following acts, or abetting a fellow student in the performance of any of the following acts: using unauthorized materials in the completion of work, copying from a fellow student, plagiarism, multiple submission, false citation, false data submission, and/or unauthorized acquisition of advance knowledge of the contents of an exam or assignment.
“Stealing” shall mean the taking, keeping, or appropriation of the property of another without the owner’s permission or approval. Stealing also includes the planning of or participation in the taking, keeping, or appropriation of the property of another without the owner’s permission or approval. Stealing may include, without limitation, the passing of bad checks, the failure to pay for goods or services received, the failure to pay rent, and other failures to fulfill lawful financial obligations.
An Act of Lying, Cheating, and Stealing must have occurred with Knowledge that it was an Honor Offense, and it must be considered a Significant breach of the Community of Trust, in order for it to be considered an Honor Offense. If you have questions or believe that an Honor Offense may have occurred, we encourage you to speak with a confidential advisor (contact via website or stop by the Honor Committee office).
If you believe you have committed an Honor Offense and you are not under suspicion by anyone, we encourage you to file a Conscientious Retraction (CR). The CR will allow you to come clean, make amends, and remain in the Community of Trust. If you are not seeking to file a CR, but have questions about a potential Honor Offense, we also encourage you to speak with a confidential advisor (contact via website or stop by the Honor Committee office). An Advisor will never be able to determine whether a particular act is or is not an Honor Offense, but may be able to offer helpful resources and suggestions for understanding and responding appropriately.