Honor Code 

Purpose 

Collegedale Academy’s mission statement embraces the hope of a truly Christian community as expressed by Jesus in Matthew 22:37, 39 - to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. 

• These commands form the basis of the Honor Code, which seeks to encourage an honorable lifestyle.
• True learning depends on honesty, the basis of mutual trust and respect between all members of the community.
  • Students are expected to demonstrate integrity and individual responsibility, personally and academically, to maintain this fair and honest environment. 
  • This instilled sense of honor and integrity will last well beyond the high school years.
• A Collegedale Academy diploma should signify not only the successful completion of an academically rigorous course of study, but also character formation based upon morality, honesty, and respect for self and the community. 
  • Breaches of academic integrity thwart an environment of freedom and trust. 
  • As a condition of acceptance to Collegedale Academy, each student will agree to adhere to the principles of this Honor Code. 
  • The strength of the Honor Code rests with our students’ commitment to follow it themselves, and their commitment to hold each other accountable.

 

Pledge 

Out of a desire to honor God and respect His people, I commit to a lifestyle which reflects trust, honesty, and respect for my peers, authority, and all property.  I acknowledge this lifestyle does not condone lying, cheating, stealing, and other dishonorable acts.  The following pledge will be written out and signed by each student at the beginning of the school year: 

“On my honor, I will not cheat, lie, or steal, nor tolerate those actions in others.” 

This pledge will be posted in classrooms. Students will write on their class work,

“I abide by the Honor Code.”  Their signature will follow this statement.   

Students are to assume that all assigned work is to be done individually, unless explicit instructions to the contrary are given by the teacher. 
 
 
 

Honor Code Violations 

The following is a list and a brief description of the most common Honor Code violations: 

• Cheating is defined as submitting for credit as one’s own, someone else’s work obtained either in or out of school; giving or receiving from another student unauthorized assistance in the preparation of that work for credit; and using any unauthorized materials in the preparation of work for credit.
• Attempted cheating is defined as the attempt to accomplish any of the above.
• Lying is defined as the willful and knowledgeable telling of an untruth and any other form of deceit, be it oral or written.  This includes but is not limited to lying to administration and faculty members, forging or falsifying any official school document, lying to Honor Code Council members during investigations and/or hearings.
• Stealing is defined as taking or appropriating without permission any property belonging to any member of the Collegedale Academy community, or any school property, whether or not he/she intends to return the property.
• Plagiarism is defined as submission of work copied directly from any source whatsoever that is not properly enclosed in quotation marks and acknowledged by parenthetical documentation and/or in the works cited; paraphrasing and/or restating an author’s original idea that is not acknowledged by parenthetical documentation and/or in the works cited.

 

Other dishonorable acts include the following:

• Alcohol use
• Tobacco use
• Illegal drugs use
• Unauthorized use of legal drugs
• Sexual immorality
• Inappropriate and abusive language
• Student and teacher disrespect
• Skipping school
• Vandalism
• Any other action that brings dishonor to the name of Christ and Collegedale Academy

 

Discrimination and Harassment 

Students will refrain from words or actions that demean, insult, bully, or threaten others, even if a student considers such actions to be a joke.  Examples include:

• Slurs against one’s sex, race, religion, or ethnic origin
• Explicit or subtle references of a sexual nature
• Harassing e-mails, internet communiqués, text messages, voicemails, notes, letters, comments, jokes with sexual overtones, obscene language, unwanted physical advances, or the invasion of one’s personal space

 

• Toleration is defined as the knowledge and acceptance of any of the above actions.  Students are obligated to inform a faculty member within two days.  Failure to do so is itself a violation of the Honor Code.

 

Honor Code Violation Hearings 

All reported violations will be reviewed by a staff member of the Honor Code Council who will determine if enough evidence exists to bring the accused before the Honor Code Council. 

• Phone contact with the accused student’s parents along with a letter will be sent informing them of the alleged offense and the time of the hearing. 
• This hearing takes top priority in the student’s schedule.
• The accused may bring a parent/guardian and/or a faculty advisor if he/she so desires. 
• Any member of the Honor Council who feels he/she cannot remain unbiased will recuse himself/herself from the proceedings and a substitute will be appointed.
• Once all evidence has been presented the council will discuss any necessary issues in closed deliberation, voting by secret ballot.  A majority vote is required for a guilty verdict.

 

Penalties 

The Honor Code Council will recommend a penalty, which may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Written warning
• Exclusion from running for or holding any elected office for a set length of time
• Ineligibility from extra-curricular activities for a set length of time
• Failing grade of zero for the work in question
• Withdrawal from the class with a “WF” posted on transcript
• Loss of on-campus job
• Full financial restitution in the case of stealing
• In-school or out-of-school suspension
• Withdrawal from Collegedale Academy

 

The student will be informed of the Honor Code Council’s decision within 24 hours.  If a student is found to have violated the Honor Code on three separate occasions, he/she will be asked to withdraw from Collegedale Academy, upon confirmation of the principal/board.

In situations when the violation is confirmed and the student admits his/her involvement in the violation, the Head Honor Code Sponsor will handle the situation without convening the Honor Code Council.  
 
 
 
 

Appeals 

Any student who has been found to have violated the Honor Code has the right to one appeal, which must be based on new information which can be presented to the Council. 

• This appeal must be requested within three school days
• The principal also reserves the right to grant a new administrative hearing

 

Honor Council Membership 

The Honor Code Council will consist of nine voting members, which include seven students and two faculty members. 

• One faculty member will preside over the hearing
• Student membership is made up of two seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, and one freshman
• Student members will be recommended by the Student Senate, Student Association, and faculty members. Recommended students must have a 2.5 GPA and hold no major office.  i.e. President of an organization
• Recommended students, if interested, must fill out a written application.
• Honor Code faculty members will conduct interviews and select the final seven student members, who will serve for one full school year
• These members are expected to serve as a model for honorable behavior, attend all required administrative hearings, and maintain strict confidentiality

 

Appendix to Collegedale Academy’s Honor Code 
 

• Cheating

  Definition: Using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance or advantage in academic work that is submitted as one's own individual efforts or the giving of such assistance to others.

  Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to the following:

  ● Turning in work that was not entirely done by the student and giving the impression that the

    work was done by the student                         

  ● Copying homework without the consent or approval of the teacher

  ● Using translation sites off the internet or software in foreign language classes

  ● Using workbooks from a previous year with answers already written in

  ● Working with others on any assignment which is intended to be an independent effort

  ● Using a similar assignment from a past class (book report, essay, etc.)

  ● Allowing one’s academic work to be used in place of another’s

  ● Having notes or textbooks visible during tests or quizzes

  ● Giving or receiving information about a test, quiz, or other assignment prior to starting the assignment. This

    includes receiving from someone unauthorized specific test questions or information about topics included

    in the assignment                  

  ● Glancing at someone else’s test or quiz or allowing someone to glance at your test or quiz

  ● Using a calculator when instructed not to use it

  ● Not telling your teacher that the score on your test is added wrong

  ● Not telling your teacher when a wrong answer was not marked wrong

  ● Instead of reading the original book or original literary work:

       * Reading a condensed version

       * Seeing the film or video

     * Using Cliff’s Notes

      * Reading an English version of a work assigned in a foreign language 

  Lying

  Definition: Any action or statement which an individual knows or should know to be untrue, given with intention to deceive.

  Examples of lying include, but are not limited to the following:

  ● Making a false statement in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage

  ● Giving false excuses and explanations for being absent or tardy

  ● Bending the truth or pretending not to understand information that one is expected to know

  ● Lying by omission

  ● Leaving out pertinent information in order to gain an unfair advantage or to protect others

  ● Receiving permission from a teacher to go one place and going someplace else

  ● Forgery/signing a signature of another 

  Stealing

  Definition: Taking or attempting to take property without right or permission.

  Examples of stealing include, but are not limited to the following:

  ● Taking something without permission of the owner even if the intention is to return whatever is taken

  ● Borrowing something without permission even if the intention is to return whatever is borrowed

  ● Finding something and making little or no effort to locate the rightful owner

  ● Unauthorized removal of academic materials from a teacher or teacher’s area

  ● Unauthorized copying of copyrighted media such as music, movies, or printed material 

  Plagiarism

  Definition: Literary theft, misrepresentation, and falsification.

  Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to the following:

  ● To plagiarize is to steal someone’s ideas or thoughts or to borrow dishonestly from another

  ● To sign one’s name to a daily assignment or major work is to declare that work totally one’s

    own. By not clearly marking the source of the information, thoughts, or ideas, a student commits plagiarism   

  ● To copy directly, paraphrase, or summarize with premeditation and without documentation is to deliberately

    plagiarize

  ● Inadvertent documentation mistakes that allow another’s words, thoughts, or ideas to be credited as one’s

    own due to improper referencing is considered plagiarism

  ● Plagiarism is a serious violation of another person’s rights, whether the material stolen is great or small; it is

    not a matter of degree or intent

  ● Plagiarism is prevented when the proper form of documentation is followed 

  Standards for Proper Documentation

  Items that must be documented are facts, quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. Writing that expresses one’s own thoughts, experiences, or interpretations and is stated in one’s own words does not require documentation. Also, when information is common knowledge or is from a specific text, it does not need citation. As a standard for the proper documentation, Collegedale Academy will use Hodges' Harbrace Handbook. Students will receive specific written instructions and examples of appropriate and inappropriate referencing.  

  OFF CAMPUS BEHAVIOR

  Once a student decides to attend Collegedale Academy, certain responsibilities accompany that choice. Attending Collegedale Academy means that wherever a student goes, the name of Collegedale Academy goes with him/her. Each student’s actions will be judged as an extension of the school’s reputation. That responsibility must be taken seriously. All individuals are responsible to conduct themselves in a way that does not dishonor what Collegedale Academy desires to represent. Bearing a name with honor is a vital responsibility to be considered at all times. Collegedale Academy cares about what all its students do, both on and off campus, since an honorable reputation is to be highly valued. “A good name is to be more desired than great riches.” (Proverbs 22:1.)