Lasso Online: Do you support the implementation of an honor code?

Lasso Online: What benefits do you think that we would gain by having an honor code?

Principal Snee: I have a great deal of respect for the intellectual community of this school. The subject of integrity deserves attention and discussion. An honor code would promote academic integrity. Although this is impossible to legislate, it would celebrate and emphasize the positives of integrity. The psychological benefits would be significant. The honor code would be established after much discussion, after having an institutional discussion about the honor code and the importance of having and maintaining integrity. It will put these issues on the front of people’s minds. Will it wipe out cheating? Of course not. I don’t think anyone’s that naive. Will it make students stop and think before misconduct? I think so. If the honor code changes even some behavior, it has done some good. If a student is caught once and turns into a person of great academic integrity, that’s a great story.

Lasso Online: Under the honor code, what would be the consequences for cheating?

Principal Snee: As rules are now, the consequence would be getting a zero for the particular piece of work. We encourage teachers to report cheating to guidance. Integrity is often a counseling issue, and I would like for students caught cheating to have to speak with their counselor about the matter—we can often learn a lot about the student’s life. Students who engage in cheating rationalize their behavior and list pressures that they’re under. People cope with these pressures differently. Also, the report to the counselor is important because sometimes there is not enough communication between teachers about a student. Without this communication, we would not know if someone is a habitual offender.

I don’t think there is only one right answer [regarding what the consequences should be], and there isn’t just right and wrong. At what point do you say, ‘Okay, I’ve made a point with this person who has chosen to do something wrong?’ Where should the ramifications end? Honestly, I don’t know. I’d like to see a forum to discuss this.

Lasso Online: Do you think that the honor code should include a student honor council?

Principal Snee: I don’t see having that at the high school level. It’s not that we don’t have students who are intellectually capable of handling it, but there’s a huge difference between a high school and a college environment. Asking high school students to sit in judgment of other high school students is something I’m not prepared to ask. I don’t feel that it’s appropriate. High school students are uncomfortable enough with the moral dilemma of turning others in for cheating. It would be asking high school students to do something they are not necessarily prepared to do. We would not ask them to do such an onerous task. Also, from a legal standpoint, with respect to protecting a student’s confidential record, we don’t have the grounds for establishing such a council.