Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-15
MANY INTERESTED
IN P%RINCETON'S
HONOR SYSTEM

Princeton. N. j.. April 15.-Univer.
slty faculties throughout the United
states are watching with keen inter-
est the experiment put in effect at
Frlnceton to have the undergraduates
handle h situation with regard to
the morals OF the student body The,
ruling marks the beginning Of an
epoch in student government in
american universities. The professors
OF Old Nassau have decided the time
mas come when the undergraduate is
peter able to handle the question of
his morals than the discipline com
mittee of the faculty itself. Accord
ingly they have placed in the senior
council the power to recommend the
tending to inture the good name of
the moral tone Of the university
without giving > or evidence to
the faculty.
r. = An Emcaent, System.
Princeton has an e~fficient. Droc.
torial system underline guidance Of
Henry Bovies, known to? Pfincetonians
IN song and story as Hank the Con"
The duty of the university proctor has
dated from the days before the Ameri-
can Revolution when all the Prince
ton den liven in Nassau hall,
and, as the old records show, in
dulged ! n smuggling roast. fowl and
beer into their rooms through the
medium Of the~negro slaves residing
in "Princetown." But with the intro
duction OF the honor system into uni
versity life in the 'nineties, much Of
the duty and importance of, the proc
tor was absorbed by the various
undergraduate bodies. chief Of which
Is the honor committee itself. Almost
Fall phases of undergraduate activity
NnYO0 EH1nNAU thio e~yuk~~a A.~--A
ing In examinations to the use of
plants" in the seats Of absentees in.
lecture rooms.
The Princeton senior council re-
Gently came to the conclusion that at
lnfrequent intervals acts occur ons the
campus that need punishment, and
which escape the notice Of the proc
tor, but not Of the undergraduates
themselves. The mental state of an
science does not allow him to report
his fellows to anyone ever remotely
connected with the faculty, but he is
willing to report such proceedings to
the senior council with the proviso
that 1t shall 60 N farther. It was to
deal with this situation that the new
ruling at Princeton was passed.
PeEeoanel Of Council.
The council. an elective body Of
seniors. usually including the class
officers. the major sport captains and
the heads Of the important campus
activities. meets every Monday night in
hall to consider the affairs Of the uni
versity. In case charges Of a serious
nature are brought against. any stu
dent by his fellows the proceedings
are in secret, and the council sits as
a jury on the case. The offender is
brought into the room and seated at
the head Of the long table and In
formed Of the accusations. He has
the right Of stating his case and he
may bring in wltnesses-and while the
defendant is at liberty to call upon
anyone he dehres in his defense, the
testimony Of the faculty or Of the
proctors force would not be admitted
against him.
Witnesses 'for the state" are then
questioned, and while their Testimony
may cause anguish to his friends, they
though the council has NJ means of
forcing students to appear In the
The whole proceeding Il carried On
under the honor system, s&Td the word
OF th9 defendant carries more wight
than circu.nstanttal evidence. After
the testimony IL completed, the coun-
Gil goes into d~eliberation. Points Of
law do not exist and the purpose is'to
reach Z decision In, equity. "A three
quarter vote Is necessary to convic-
tion. any srnallr majority amounting
Ito acquittal. "A similar majority d
necessary In liking the penalty. The
president Of the council then reports
to the faculty that his co1leaguesShays
recommended certain penalties to be
inflicted upon the defendant. 4 recon.
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