The UWF Honor Code

"As Argonauts we act with integrity. We do not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do." This short yet powerful statement now rings true here at the University of West Florida and has become the first ever UWF Honor Code. For the past academic year, the UWF Student Government Association's (SGA) Academic Committee has partnered with the Division of Academic Affairs to come up with the University's Honor Code. Following the growing trend at many other universities, UWF students and faculty felt it was time for our university to create and advocate for an honor code.

An honor code is a set of rules or principles that defines what constitutes honorable behavior within a university. UWF's Honor Code was created to deter academic dishonesty and hold students, faculty, and staff to a higher standard in the world of higher education and academia as Argonauts. Coming up with an honor code was just as hard as implementing the code. SGA and faculty members researched other university honor codes and wanted an honor code that was simple, yet unique to our own university. After many long SGA Academic Committee meetings and an all Faculty Assembly, the final honor code was created.

Coming up with the wording was only the first part of the process. Next the students and faculty worked together to get the code approved by both the SGA Student Senate and the Faculty Senate. At the end of the 2010 spring semester, the honor code finally got approved and was formally added into the student handbook.

In the coming year, SGA and Academic Affairs plan to continue their partnership to promote the Honor Code to the UWF community. Academic integrity is an extremely important issue to faculty, staff, and students. SGA hopes to reach as many students as possible and educate them on the importance of academic integrity and the UWF Honor Code. SGA's goal is that within a few years, every student enrolled in the University will sign the code showing their commitment to upholding high standards of academic integrity.

For more information about the UWF Honor Code email academicchair@uwf.edu or academicaffairs@uwf.edu. For more information about SGA visit www.uwf.edu/sga or email sga@uwf.edu.

By Hunter Medley
Academic Chair, Student Government Association
Advertising major, class of 2012