|  | Philosophy
The most important commitment of students entering Norfolk Academy is to support, sustain, and protect our Honor System and community of trust. Because Norfolk Academy is dedicated to the pursuit of truth and excellence in education, we expect honorable actions. Honesty is implicit in the process of learning, and learning can take place best under conditions of mutual trust. Our Honor System is student regulated with the support of teachers, administrators, and parents. When this commitment becomes an accepted obligation of the students, honor will continue to exist and thrive as the life-blood of individual conduct.
Headmaster's Letter
Dennis G. Manning
Pledge
In acknowledgment of every student's commitment to honor, each Royster and Tunstall student signs at the beginning of the year a statement recognizing his or her responsibilities for telling the truth, doing his or her own work, acknowledging any help given or received, and respecting the ideas and possessions of others. In addition to the school honor statement, each teacher formulates his or her own guidelines, which are designed to reflect the specific needs of the class. Accompanying these classroom commitments are statements that each student signs upon finishing any piece of work to be submitted for a grade. This pledge is written, "I pledge that I have acted honorably in completing this assignment." The student's signature at the end of this pledge affirms the integrity of that work and that it is the student's own work unless otherwise acknowledged. Frequent use of the pledge is essential for maintaining the effectiveness of our Honor System.
Honor Council Composition
Both the Tunstall Honor Council and the Royster Honor Council work together with faculty and students to uphold the tenets of our Honor System. In Tunstall, the Honor Council consists of three seniors and two representatives from the eleventh and tenth grades, all elected by their classmates. The Tunstall Honor Council members appoint their chairperson by a plurality. No more than two faculty members are appointed by the Headmaster to be non-voting advisors to the Tunstall Honor Council. The Royster Honor Council consists of three ninth-graders and two representatives from each of the eighth and seventh grades, all elected by their classmates. The Headmaster also appoints faculty advisor(s), as well as a faculty representative from each grade in Royster, who participate in proceedings concerning students from the faculty representative’s grade level. Finally, a member of the Tunstall Honor Council participates in all proceedings of the Royster Honor Council. The responsibility given to the members of Honor Councils by the students who elect them is proof that we believe that it is students, not faculty or administrators, who own the Honor System and who can best make it work.
Proceedings
The proceedings of the Tunstall and Royster Honor Councils follow the same path, although there are several age-appropriate procedural differences, as set forth below. An honor infraction by a student in the Upper or Middle School may be reported to the respective Division Director or to a faculty advisor to the respective Honor Councils, to a teacher, or to an Honor Council member who will notify the Division Director. While no rule requires a student to report violations of the honor code, students are strongly urged to assume this responsibility.
Once the Division Director is notified of an offense, he or she meets with the student in question and determines whether the Honor Council must convene. If so, the Division Director informs the parents of the student in question and the faculty advisors to the Honor Council; the Honor Council then convenes as soon as is feasible. In Tunstall the Honor Council faculty advisors are present at the Honor Council meeting to serve neutrally not only as an advisor to the student who may have committed the offense, but also as an advisor to the Council. In Royster, the grade-level faculty advisor servies in the role as advisor to the student in question, while the faculty advisor advises the Council. The Honor Council hears a background report from the Division Director, and then discusses the case with any faculty members or students (including the accused student) having information pertinent to the case.
After the Honor Council has been apprised of all information related to the case, it determines innocence or guilt. If the Council finds the student innocent, the student is notified of this decision and the matter is closed. If the determination is one of guilt, the Honor Council recommends sanctions for the student's actions. In Tunstall, the chairperson relays the findings and recommendations to the Faculty on the following school day. The Faculty may accept, reject, or amend the Honor Council's findings and recommendations. In Royster, the Honor Council's recommendations and findings are transmitted directly to the Division Director. The Headmaster ultimately decides the disposition of all Honor Council findings and recommendations. This decision is then reported to the student and his parents by the Division Director.
Sanctions
In the interest of fairness, the Honor Council judges not the student, but the student's actions. The seriousness and nature of the honor offense, the age of the student, the length of time at Norfolk Academy, and any previous honor violations are important factors. The Honor Council determines whether the offense was a premeditated, repetitive, or expedient action by the student. The Honor Council considers the individual needs of the student as well as the collective needs of the school community. Because of the variety of factors to be considered, precedents are not controlling although they may be considered.
Cheating, lying, stealing, and plagiarism may result in varying sanctions that may include suspension or expulsion. When a student has broken the trust of the community by violating the Honor Code, he or she is temporarily or permanently divested of the privilege of being a part of the community. If the honor violation concerns a graded assignment, the grade on that assignment may be reduced to zero. If a student is suspended, that student is responsible for all work missed during the suspension. After serving a suspension, the student returns to school and is accepted back into the full trust of the community. Ultimately, the goal of the honor case proceedings is educational.
Announcement
As soon as it is practicable after the Headmaster’s final decision, the events and results of a case in which guilt has been determined are announced to the Middle and Upper School students. The student’s name and other identifying characteristics are mentioned only if both the student and the student’s parents give permission. The announcement is made for three primary reasons. First, it benefits both the student and the student body by minimizing rumors and speculation. Second, it allows all students to learn from the incident. Third, announcing honor cases also serves to reinforce the student body’s concept of ownership of the Honor System. If he or she so desires, the student may make a statement to the Middle and Upper School students upon his or her return to school.
Education
The Honor Council's responsibilities include the constant and vigorous education of Norfolk Academy's students in matters pertaining to honor. To that end, the Honor Council makes presentations and general announcements and teaches classes about honor in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools during each school year. The Honor System's highest goal is to instill a strong sense of honor in each individual student and in the Norfolk Academy community as a whole. |
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