Changes

In running for the Honor and Discipline Committee, I commit myself to safeguarding the college’s valuable mission to cultivate leaders for tomorrow. The committee’s work may seem onerous to many, but we need to understand that its main purpose is not to vindictively chastise students. Rather, the committee exists to uncover the truth, understand the complete situation, and then based on the facts and any mitigating circumstances, recommend a fair and just course of action to the Dean. As a student representative on the committee, I hope that I will never have to engage in this difficult task in the first place. But if it does convene, I will always give the accused the benefit of the doubt unless there is sufficient evidence otherwise. To come to the truth, I will listen carefully to both parties’ arguments at all hearings. If the evidence brought forth does not adequately demonstrate that the accusations are true, then I would advocate on behalf of the student. If the facts do confirm the allegations, then in order to be just, I would avoid excessive penalties and support only fair and appropriate judgments.

It’s never easy to judge our own peers, nevertheless to help discipline them. But for the sake of fairness, I promise to look at the facts and see the whole situation; I will support remedial penalties only when absolutely necessary, and in all cases, presume innocence.