ARTICLE VIII: The Honor Board

Section I: Composition

Subsection A: Student Membership The Student members of the Academic Honor Board shall consist of eight undergraduates elected by all the members of SGA each year in February. As specified in Article X, one shall serve as Head for a one-year term, one first-year traditional non-transfer student will be elected to a two-year position, one first year traditional non-transfer student will be elected to a one-year position, one sophomore will be elected to a two-year position, and two juniors will be elected to one-year positions. In the normal course of events, six positions will be open each year. 

All elected student representatives to the Honor Board take office immediately after the election. The members of the existing board shall serve until a quorum of the succeeding board is elected. That quorum, for both academic and social hearings, is defined as five of the eight permanent student members. Each permanent member must be a candidate for the Bryn Mawr A.B. degree. 

Subsection B: Faculty Membership The Faculty members of the Academic Honor Board shall be the Dean of the Undergraduate College and three members of the Faculty chosen by the Faculty. 

Subsection C: Social Honor Board The members of the Social Honor Board shall be the eight permanent undergraduate members of the Academic Honor Board and four rotating members, one from each class, who shall be chosen at random from among the members of SGA whenever a case arises. 

Any of the four rotating members of the Social Honor Board may be disqualified at the request of a student involved in a case, and shall then be replaced by another member of SGA who shall likewise have been selected at random. A maximum of ten people may be drawn from each class and disqualified in this manner.

Subsection D: Disqualification Any of the permanent members of the Honor Board may be disqualified at the request of a student involved in an Academic or Social Honor Board Case. In the event that the Head is disqualified, the Head shall appoint the most senior permanent member of the Honor Board to act as Head. No more than three permanent members of the Honor Board may be disqualified for an Academic or Social Hearing. 

Any of the permanent members of the Honor Board may choose to disqualify themselves from the hearing so long as quorum is maintained.

Section II: Purpose and Responsibilities

Subsection A: Purpose of the Honor Board The Honor Board is responsible for the administration and facilitation of the Honor Code. The Honor Code has two parts: the Social Honor Code and the Academic Honor Code. Members of the Honor Board outline the Honor Code and explain how it affects one’s life as a Bryn Mawr student each year for first-year and transfer students during Customs Week. Members of the Honor Board also participate in hearings when a possible infraction has occurred. When an infraction has been determined to have taken place, the Honor Board’s role is to assess whether—and, if so, how—the community member can reconcile with the rest of the community. 

Subsection B: Responsibilities of the Student Honor Board The eight permanent student members of the Honor Board shall be responsible for periodically meeting to assess the Honor Code and to provide for adequate familiarity with the Honor Code among members of SGA. They shall also make certain that prospective first-year traditional non-transfer students are informed about the Honor Code in the College Calendar and in Admissions materials, and that the Customs Week program includes Board-conducted seminars on life in the community under the Honor Code.

The Honor Board shall hold regularly scheduled sessions, open to all members of the community, in which members of SGA may ask questions concerning non-confidential issues and discuss issues regarding the Honor Code and the community.

The Honor Board head shall direct the revision and distribution of the Honor Code rules for taking self-scheduled exams during exam period.

Section III: Authority

See Honor Code

Section IV: Procedures

Subsection A: Extreme Cases In the event that a social situation involves too many legal issues, a Deans’ Panel may be convened at the discretion of the Honor Board Head and the Dean of the Undergraduate College. 

A Deans’ Panel consists of two deans, one other administrator or appropriate faculty or staff member, two Honor Board members, and a random community member from the class of the student involved, who will be selected according to the same procedure as in a Social Honor Board Hearing. A Deans’ Panel will be conducted in the same manner as Social Hearings but with no appeals process.