We learn from our families, at our places of worship, and from reading different books. But schools and universities play a special role in teaching students about the importance of honor. To me these stories of cheating say that not enough middle and high school students are being taught to value and stick to the idea of a personal honor code, a code that at a minimum should encourage honesty, responsibility, and community concern. Thinking about these issues early is critical, and I am proud of all of you at Episcopal for tackling them now. Different universities take different approaches to teaching these lessons.
Some colleges have a formal honor code.
At schools like these, you cannot enroll as a student unless you sign a form agreeing to live by the honor code. At universities that have honor codes, professors hand out final exams, wish the students good luck, and then leave the room for the entire testing period. They trust that the students will live by the honor code and not consult one another during the test. When students violate the honor code, the punishments are swift and severe. At Penn, we take a different, but equally demanding approach to helping our students understand the importance of living honorably.