<p>I have a real problem with an insider, who appears to have a second agenda, playing such a pivotal role in this hearing. </p>
<p>The next concern I have is with her presenting evidence when she is not necessarily an expert. What are her credentials to serve up testimony on computer time stamps? Just last week someone mentioned to me that there is some time lapse in my emails. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but if some self important lawyer wanna be might use it against me, maybe I should look into it. How did she prove he didn’t initially type up the papers in the library? Why did she take it upon herself to modify the font size of his paper when there was no stated requirement? If she is going to cast herself in the role of professor why did she not take the time to meet with him and discuss this matter fully?</p>
<p>This person sounds like a zealot who is trying to make a name for herself. She is apparently willing to look aside when a friend steals an ipod, but she goes way out of her way to build a case against someone who failed to meet a deadline. That IMO is not honorable. If everyone at UVa who told a lie, or equivocated as seems to be the case here, it would be a ghost town.</p>
<p>Based upon what I’m reading there are real flaws in this system.</p>
<p>Last time I heard, the iPod situation is still in the criminal courts. Let the situation be resolved there first. The results of that proceeding can then be used for any UVa action.</p>
<p>Mechwahoo-thanks for the info. So…if someone is accused of stealing (on grounds) are they normally brought up before both a local criminal court and then the honor system? Is that the way theft would normally be handled?</p>
<p>“the single sanction code is constantly reaffirmed by a majority of students at the school.”</p>
<p>Umm, ok, when only about 300 people vote and those who do are the ones who are all into Honor. Do not make it seem like the majority of the student body votes because you and I know that is not true.</p>
<p>Over 7,700 students voted. That is over half of UVA students (similar to if not more than the rate of voting in US Presidential elections) and plenty for it to be a valid sample. </p>
<p>“Efforts to change the single-sanction policy have been met with resistance in previous years when talk of changing the more-than-160-year-old policy has surfaced. According to students familiar with the single-sanction’s storyline, there have been more than a dozen attempts to re-tool the policy since the mid-1970s.
In 2002, students voted down a binding resolution that would have allowed those charged with an honor violation to admit guilt and withdraw from school for a year and half. In 2006, Leven’s group, formed in 2004, introduced a non-binding measure to eliminate the “triviality clause,” calling for students found guilty of minor offenses to face sanctioning of some kind. Again the effort failed to find the necessary support among students.”</p>
<p>I graduated last year and generally when UVA holds its various elections, a very very small portion of the students vote. Thanks for finding the article.</p>
<p>Nearly all of the 11 votes between 1973 and 1986 had a majority of students vote to abolish single sanction. Unfortunately, there just has never been 60% students reached to actually make the change as required by the current honor constitution.</p>
<p>Also, please at least realize just much of a biased source you’re reading - voting to “reafffirm honor”? If voting to improve a broken system is negating honor…</p>
<p>I can only imagine who this person mary is, I picture her being like those kids in highschool, who rat you out, because your having more fun than she is, so she doesn’t have a heart if you slip-up</p>
<p>I’m scared of UVA now, cause I know, that one day, if i do go to UVA, that I will have such a hard problem, and I know I will have the exact same problem as a friend</p>
<p>yup, I just know there’s going to be that problem that’s so hard to solve, and I’m going to ask a friend “how did you do this problem” and use his exact technique, I get caught, “did you copy this problem” i reply “yes”, they say “well, pack your things your leaving”</p>
<p>As someone who is very respectful of the UVA honor system, I’m having some problems understanding the authority bestowed upon these two undergraduate girls.</p>
<p>Who had oversight of Mary and Michelle “acting in the role of teacher?” I might be missing some information, but where’s the department head in overseeing decisions made by sophmore and junior undergraduate “teachers?” Did these two have sole authority to teach a credit course and bring charges as “teachers?” Didn’t they have to consult anyone?</p>
<p>I think they should, and I don’t understand why they aren’t.</p>
<p>I just read the article about Taylor the IPod stealer and the Police used technology, because the IPod was registered, and they found it with Taylor. She should be bought up on honor charges immediately. She has been charged with petty theft but if she doesn’t have any prior record it will be pretty easy to get a lawyer to make it go away. The real world isn’t quite so eager to ruin a person’s life as Mary Siegal is.</p>
<p>can you send me the article to the Ipod chick? I will personally bring her up for honor charges if no one decides to. I will not let this go…if this Taylor girl is prancing around grounds when everyone leaves their belongings out in the open because of our perfect ~honor code~, we might not be able to anymore.</p>
<p>As a 1982 graduate of the University, and a father of a student who will be an incoming first-year this fall, it is very interesting to see the debate that takes place in a thread like this one. One of the unique features of UVa is the extent of student self-governance. The students vote on changes to the honor Code, students fill the honor council, students set the rules for cases, make the cases, and decide the outcomes.</p>
<p>There is no perfect system for a university the size of Virginia, but the present system has worked pretty well through the years. As one student points out, students can leave their laptops and Ipods out in libraries because of the trust in the student community. In any system of governance, there are concerns over the influence of elected officials, and we depend on the system to help us limit the unfair influence. If there are issues with conflict of interest or an unpunished offense, they will be taken care of by the system, or by adjustments to the system, but either way the decisions are in the hands of the students.</p>
<p>I have kept my mouth shut about this but the truth of the matter is there is a whole lot more stealing going on than even I would care to admit. Whether it is my laundry basket, clothes in a washer, or my Zune, people steal all of the time.</p>
<p>People talk about leaving stuff hanging out for hours. That is not my reality. I don’t ever leave my stuff around because it simply is not a good idea. Sad but true.</p>
<p>And what is your point? I wouldn’t leave my laptop or electronics lying around in the library because I don’t buy into the “community of trust” belief. I will be glad if someone returns me my phone because the person is being honest, not because of UVA honor. As you can see, the system does not work well at all. Power lies in the hands of a select few, most of whom are in the greek system. I still do not understand why Mary Siegel’s sorority sister hasn’t been brought up on honor charges in spite of her crime.</p>