Student Affairs

UF Law Honor Code

University of Florida Regulation 6C1-4.0212 (Levin College of Law Honor System)

Statement of Philosophy and Definitions | Violations of the Honor Code and Sanctions | The Honor Committee | Honor Code Proceedings | Sanctioning Guidelines | Review and Imposition of Sanctions; Review of Adjudication | Final Appeal

(1) STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND DEFINITIONS.

(a) The University of Florida College of Law Honor System (hereinafter “Honor Code”), a part of the University of Florida Student Honor Code, represents a commitment by students to adhere to the highest degree of ethical integrity. Each student who joins the College of Law community is assumed to be trustworthy unless and until proven otherwise.

(b) Students at the College of Law benefit from the Honor Code because teaching and learning flourish best in an environment where mutual trust and respect form the bedrock of relationships within the community. The Honor Code helps create a community in which students can maximize their intellectual and academic potential.

(c) The Honor Code reminds all members of the law school community that success obtained through dishonest means is no success at all. Moreover, attendance at the College of Law is every student's first step in becoming a member of the legal profession. Essential to the well being of the legal profession is the presence of a sense of honor and ethical integrity among its members. The Honor Code is therefore an integral part of proper and complete professional training.

(d) The Honor Code furthers the goal of the College of Law to serve the public and the profession by producing attorneys dedicated to promoting justice, excellence, and respect for the law. The success of the Honor Code depends upon the diligence with which members of the College of Law community ensure that they, as well as others, uphold the letter and spirit of the Honor Code.

(e) The Honor Code at the University of Florida College of Law addresses seven main issues: Violations of the Honor Code, the Honor Committee, Honor Code Proceedings, Sanctioning Guidelines, Review and Imposition of Sanctions; Review of the Hearing Process; and Final Appeal by Student to the University of Florida Office of the Vice-President for Student Affairs.

(f) Definitions.
As used in the Honor Code, the following words have the following meanings:

1. “Academic Activity” shall mean: [i] any assigned work or project used to determine academic credit, including (but not limited to) an examination, writing project, take-home test, or other project; or [ii] any competition, activity, or project sponsored or sanctioned by the University in which the student participates for the purpose of gaining an academic advantage.

2. “Academic advantage” shall mean [i]any potential benefit to a student’s academic or professional standing or to the student’s prestige within the University community, including (but not limited to) academic credit or honors, or an award or other recognition of excellence in a particular academic or professional field or endeavor (including selection for membership in an organization related to the field or profession); or [ii] or a waiver, extension, release, or excuse from academic requirements, sanctions, or penalties.

3. “Accusation” shall mean a report of an alleged violation which has been determined to fall within the scope of the Honor Code and which merits further action by the Honor Committee.

4. “Appropriate Sanction” shall mean a sanction or combination of sanctions that is specifically designed to be appropriate to a specific violation of the Honor Code according to the guidelines of Section (5).

5. “Bad Faith” shall mean reckless or careless indifference to the truth or falsity of a statement.

6. “Chair” shall mean the Chairperson of the Honor Committee or, if the Chair is unable to act, the Vice-Chair and the Secretary in succession.

7. “Faculty Advisor” shall mean the faculty representative appointed by the Dean to serve on the Honor Committee.

8. “Faculty Member” shall mean a person engaged in teaching a course at the College of Law and includes an adjunct faculty member.

9. “Full Restitution” shall mean compensation to the University for the actual cost of repair or replacement of damaged property or for other monetary loss caused by the student’s violation of the Honor Code.

10. “Honor Code Proceeding” shall mean a proceeding governed by the Honor Code, and includes a review pursuant to Section (6).

11. “Honor Code Violation” shall mean prohibited conduct as defined in 6C1-4.017.

12. “Honor Committee” shall mean the committee of individuals who administer the Honor Code as defined in Section (3).

13. “Material” shall mean any material related to a specific academic or co-curricular activity (including, but not limited to, course notes, textbooks, treatises, course packets, briefs, annotated statutes, or articles in a review or journal) whether published or unpublished and whether authored by a student or another person and includes academic material available only in digital format or through the internet.

14. “Procedure Manual” shall mean the documents consisting of the administrative and procedural regulations promulgated by the Honor Committee.

15. “Reported violation” shall mean an unproven allegation of misconduct received by the Honor Committee or the College of Law.

16. “Resource” shall mean any device or technology providing access to information, including (but not limited to) a device such as a computer, computer program, radio, video or audio recording device, calculator or communication device; or any document or publication providing information, including (but not limited to) a printed or electronic publication or website.

17. “Review Board” shall mean the group of individuals charged with reviewing certain actions of the Honor Committee as described in Section (6).

18. “Representation” shall mean any written or oral statement or any act by a student signifying a response in circumstances in which a response is expected or required.

19. “Student” or “Students” shall mean a student at the College of Law.

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