Human Development Research Resources: Ethical Information Use

According to the Undergraduate Honor System Constitution, "The Virginia Tech Honor Code embodies a spirit of mutual trust and intellectual honesty that is central to the very nature of the university, and represents the highest possible expression of shared values among the members of the university community.

The fundamental beliefs underlying and reflected in the Honor Code are

1. that trust in a person is a positive force in making that person worthy of trust,

2. that every student has the right to live in an academic environment that is free from the injustices caused by any form of intellectual dishonesty, and

3. that the honesty and integrity of all members of the university community contribute to its quest for truth.

The functions of the Honor System are to communicate the meaning and importance of intellectual honesty to all students of the University; to articulate and support the interest of the community in maintaining the highest standards of conduct in academic affairs; and to identify, sanction, and educate those who fail to live up to the stated expectations of the university community with regard to these standards.

The Honor Code is the University policy which defines the expected standards of conduct in academic affairs. The Honor System is the University body charged with disseminating information about the Honor Code to the university community and with enforcement of the Honor Code. The student body at Virginia Tech will not tolerate any violation of the Honor Code."