Honor System

Students are in violation of the the honor system when they engage in one of the following actions:

• Cheating on Exams and Other Assignments
• Committing Plagiarism
• Contract Cheating
• Using False Citations
• Submitting Work for Multiple Purposes
• Submitting False Data
• Falsifying Academic Documentation

Students can find more information on honor code violations by reading the honor system policies or student handbook.

First Steps for Reported Students:

Students will receive a formal notification informing them of their violation of the Georgetown Honor System. After the notification, students will be assigned an Investigating Officer (IO) who will get in touch with you by email to gather any information or evidence related to the case. Students should actively pay attention to their GU email as this is the only way we will contact you. We encourage students to communicate with their IO and actively reply to emails. No response or failure to reply will greatly slow down the process of the case. We also recommend that students submit their personal statements. The outcome of the case will vary depending on the development of the investigation stage. There may be an expedited sanction process or the case may go to a hearing. Students will receive a formal letter if their case goes to a hearing.

General Honor System Process for Cases:

• Report: Any member of the University community with information concerning a possible act of academic dishonesty will report it to the Honor Council.
• Investigation: The investigating officer conducts an inquiry into the allegations, informing the student(s) of the nature of the accusation and evaluating evidence.
• Hearing: The Executive Director of the Honor Council arranges a hearing board or convenes the Executive Board within one week of receiving the case from the investigating officer, promptly informing the student of the alleged violation.
• Expedited Sanctions: Under certain circumstances, a student who has been accused of an Honor System Violation may be given the option, in lieu of having a hearing, of accepting a finding of “In Violation” with a specified recommended sanction.
• Sanctions: A letter of reprimand may be issued for minor Honor System violations and is placed in the student’s Honor Council file. For more serious academic dishonesty, a student may receive a Letter of Censure, which becomes part of their academic record and can be shared outside the Georgetown community with the student’s consent.For more information, visit the Honor System section of the student handbook.

• Letter of Censures detailing the violated Standard of Conduct which may be shared with external entities like graduate schools or security agencies with the student’s permission. Letter of Censure may be reduced to a Letter of Reprimand through a Sanction Reduction plan.
• Transcription notations indicating that the student has violated the Honor System.
• Suspension consisting of a temporary break from the University
• Permanent dismissal from the University

For more information, see the The Honor System Sanctions page.

If you have any concerns about potentially violating the honor code when working on a group assignment, consult with your professor. Some group work will require students to submit an individual assignment as well; therefore, students should ensure they complete these assignments individually. When working on a group assignment, students should ensure that everyone in the group follows the honor code.

If a student has new evidence or believes there was a significant procedural violation, they have one week from receiving the Faculty Chair’s letter to file an appeal with the Honor Council Faculty Chair. The appeal is reviewed by the Honor Council Executive Committee, which can grant a new hearing by majority vote. If no appeal is filed, one week after the hearing, the Executive Director sends the summary and the hearing board’s recommendation to the appropriate Dean for a final sanction decision. If an appeal is filed, this material is sent to the Dean after the appeal is resolved. In general, the appeal period for a hearing is 7 days. Students can choose to appeal and submit new evidence, and then hold a second hearing.

You may be asked about your history with the Honor Council in applications to graduate school, professional schools or on job applications. We know this might be stressful, but be assured that many Georgetown alums have found themselves in a similar situation and are now doctors, dentists, lawyers and masters or PhD students. If you are asked and you received a sanction from the Honor Council, you should answer honestly that a sanction occurred. You may also be asked for verification regarding the circumstances, which we will provide. If you participated in Sanction Reduction and your sanction has since been removed, we will notify the requestor that your Honor Council files is in good standing without a sanction on record. We’re happy to advise you on how to respond to these requests. Please write to guqhonorcouncil@georgetown.edu

There are two notations that will appear on a student’s transcript:

• Transcript Notation Level I: A mid-level sanction, noted as “Censure: Violation of Honor System,” appears on the student’s official transcript and can be removed after completing a sanction reduction plan, but remains until the Honor Council is notified by the Sanction Reduction Board for its removal.
• Transcript Notation Level II: A mid-level but permanent sanction, noted as “Censure: Violation of Honor System,” is recorded on the student’s official transcript, and cannot be reduced.For more information, see The Honor System Sanctions page.

Having a case under investigation will not affect the graduation process, but will affect when you receive your diploma. The Honor Council will do its best to help students maintain their December/May graduation status, but the case needs to be closed by a certain deadline or students will lose their December/May graduation status. We recommend that students promptly respond to Honor Council emails to speed up the process. Additionally, having a record in the Honor Council does not affect a student’s ability to obtain the diploma.

Yes, unless the report was by a student who wishes to remain anonymous. The Honor Council process is confidential.

Yes! If you are a student and witness another student violating the honor system, you may report them to the Honor Council. The report form is linked here.

The use of AI in courses depends on the preferences of the professor. Students should make sure to check with their professor before using AI in any way for coursework.

Course grading will be determined solely by the professor and the student will not be graded until the case is closed. The professor will receive the outcome and grade the student after the case is closed. If found in violation, the professor has the right to grade the student however they wish. Students do not have an option to appeal the final grade. If the student’s case is dismissed, or if the student is found not in violation, the professor may not penalize the student on the grounds of academic dishonesty.

We do not give out information about the reporting person if they wish to remain anonymous. After the case is referred to the Honor Council, we do not allow any more communication between students and professors about the case– an IO will get involved and all communication and information should go through them, or the Executive Director.

It depends on the sanction. The allegation data is maintained permanently.

Depending on the situation, it can take around 1-3 months for the case to be closed.