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November 6, 1973 The Gold Bug Page 3 Honor Court proposal suggests fairness The Western Maryland College philosophy, as too little influence, in another sense it has too much. stated in the College Catalog, says in part that "the Yes, in a sense the Honor Court has too much credit should be given a student for any work that is College also believes that the development of power, and the Court is asking you to take some of not his own, More stringent penalties will be maturity of judgment and skill in human relations this power from it. The present Honor Court Con- resorted to only for truly flagrant violations of the can best be achieved when young men and women stitution states that in the event that a student is system or for an individual who shows his disdain assume some of the many roles of leadership in found guilty of an honor violation "the Honor Court for the system by committing repeated honor academic and campus activities available to them shall have the power to suggest such corrective violations. Under the proposal before you, the Court in the small college, and when they can demon- action as it sees fit." That covers a lot of ground, would limit its punitive action to zero credit for strate and strengthen their personal integrity by Thus, while this power is only a power to suggest, work not one's own or, in the most serious of cases, participation in an academic honor system ad- the Court's suggestions often become accomplished suspension from the College. The Honor Court ministered by themselves." The time has- come for fact. Should the Court suggest an F in the course if a believes that no other punitive action is necessary your honor system to be administered by you, the student, under the pressure of the moment, copies a or, for that matter, appropriate. Your vote for the student body. This has never really been single answer on a pop quiz' or should the Court upcoming proposal will limit the Court to a more the case at Western Maryland. The Honor merely warn the student not to do it again? Under appropriate range of corrective actions than has Court can only suggest corrective action for the present system, the Court can suggest either; been the case in the past and will help to create, for violations of the honor system. The faculty and the or, for that matter, any other action that it sees fit. the first time, a truly student run honor system at administration reserve the power to act. Thus, a To maintain fairness under such a system becomes Western Maryland College, faculty member may give an F in the course for an extremely difficult. One student gets a tough jury The Honor Court will be placing one additional honor violation regardless of what the Honor Court and receives an F, Another receives a warning proposal before you for your consideration, It is the recommends. In another case, the Court may from a different jury for a similar offense. One year Court's considered opinion that the current perceive what it feels to be a serious violation and the Court acts tough and everyone found guilty separate Honor System Pledge that a stud~n~ signs the faculty member involved may refuse to act. receives stiff penalties. The next year the members upon admission to the College should be eliminated Admittedly, both of these situations are rare; but of the Court look back, decide the Court has been and replaced by the following statement to be in- they can and have happened. The time has come to too tough, and are lenient in every case. Clearly, cluded in the College Contract: "I understand that make the honor system your honor system. Not the Court has too much leeway to be able to ef- Western Maryland College operates under an only does the present proposal for corrective action academic honor system. I have taken this into create a just procedure for handling honor fectively maintain fairness in its actions. Is it fair to consideration in my decision to attend Western the student body to be in the dark as to what the violations, but it also makes the honor system a Court will do in any given circumstance? The Court Maryland College and understand tha~ I ~ill be truly student run system forthe first time. needs to develop practices which are at the same subject to the procedures and regulations of the Under the new proposal, there can be no action Honor System." The Court feels that including such taken against a student other than that taken by the time fair, consistent, and understood by the student a statement in the contract the student signs upon body. Court, and the Court itself will be limited in its The purpose of an honor system is to provide an admission to the College serves the purpose of action to those clearly defined procedures ha ving the student on record as to his agreement to presented in the proposal (the proposal is presented environment in which a person can strengthen their abide with honor system procedures. No additional they personal integrity strive to acquire as in its entirety elsewhere in this issue of the Gold- knowledge. It is inevitable that there will be those pledge is necessary, In addition, the Court plans to bug). Read the proposal carefully. We think you who will succumb to pressures, both real and send out with each application a letter announcing will agree that what is being proposed is both just the existence of the honor system and explaining its and appropriate. But, more importantly, these imagined, and violate the spirit of such a system, nature. In this manner, each prospective applicant What should be done when this occurs? The Honor proposals are vital if the honor system is to be not Court feels strongly that any action taken should be will be made aware of the honor system before only a student run system, but a fair system. applying; and he will be able to consider this aspect Because while in one sense your Honor Court has consistent with the nature of the violation, Thus, for of the College before deciding to apply to Western a first offense, the Court feels that the emphasis Maryland. Other Jan. term should be on rehabilitation: but that. of course, no Ethan Seidel spaces available Case may prove landmark by Cathy Nelson A limited number of spaces are still available for A landmark case may be in the making as students who wish to participate in the "exchange Western Maryland fights for its right to receive looks over the court record to determine the basis of program" during January Term, 1974. state grants. each argument. Both attorneys then make As described on page 6 of the January Term Currently on the docket of the 3rd U.S, District pleadings, arguing -with the findings, and the case catalog, .the exchange program has been in Court in Baltimore is Roemer vs. Western goes back to the judges for a final decision. existence for three years, during which time Maryland College, a lawsuit intended to deny Hopefully, says Dr. john, the decision will be made by early next year. Western Maryland has acted as a host college for Western Maryland and other private schools their other students wishing to attend January term. In eligibility to participate in the grant program in- Until then, however, the money is in escrow, exchange, colleges sending their students here volving state moneys. Other defendants include untouchable by either party. If Western Maryland have opened up places in their own January terms, Loyola, Notre Dame, St. Joseph's (now closed) and wins, they will receive all "back pay" for each of the grant. Should they lose, the money reverts to the There is no tuition interchange involved, but the Mt. S1.Mary's, but Western Maryland requested its grant program, student does incur a room and board fee, usually own trial. In this particular case, the defense is around $125.00, $75,00 of that fee is the refunded somewhat different. Asiailar case against Western Maryland was lost board fee he will already have paid for January Initially, the suit against Western Maryland was by the college in 1968, but a precedent was set in term. In addition to the $50 remaining, the student brought up on the grounds of church affiliation as a Connecticut when a private college there won the must provide his own transportation to the host direct violation of the First Amendment. It was right to receive federal funds. So far the Supreme college, plus any fees stipulated by the host college alleged that a church- affiliated (Methodist) Court has failed to overturn that lower court ruling, for that particular course, college could not constituionally receive state aid. or similar ones in other states. There is, however, There are six openings: The original plaintiffs were the American Civil growing pressure for a blanket judgement of some 2 openings at Wake Forest, North Carolina Liberties Union and a group known as Americans type, and perhaps Western Maryland's will spark that decision, United For The Separation of Church and State. 2 openings at Lenoir Rhyne College in North Some individual taxpayers were also listed, and Carolina now they stand as the only plaintiffs involved, "They say," explains Dr. John, that we're related Crown's 1 opening at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. to the United Methodist church, and they're suing us for whatever we mean by that." Supports for the 1. opening at Westminster College in New, prosecution include the allegation that admissions Diamond City Wilmington, Pa. procedures favor Methodist students, It also points to the fact that all four members of the philosophy 140 VILLAGE Students wishing to apply for these openings may and religion department at WMC are ordained SHOPPING CENTER browse through the college catalogs to select their Methodist ministers. Dr. John adds, "They em- course, All arrangements should be made through phasize that last year we received $25,000 from the the office of the January Term Director, Dr. United Methodist Church, which is true, We accept Special! Lightner, in Elderdice. money from anybody." Western Maryland did actually receive one FROM NOW UNTIL year's stipend under the grant program the year before Dr. John took office. The money amounts to $500for each B,A. produced, or around $125,000in a DECEMBER 25 year. After that grant, however, the case was en- tered, and subsequent moneys were witheld. The actual court proceedings took place June 25- 20% off on all 26,at the 3rd District Court. Depositions were given by Dr, John and Wilbur Preston, Chairman of the store items Board of Trustees. Other witnesses included Dr. Holthaus, Dean Zipp, Dr, Shook, expert witness Dr. Earl McGrath (author of the report regarding WMC's own operating efficiency) and a statistician EXCEPT SCHOOL RINGS from Johns Hopkins. Currently the case is in the ~~ "finding fact" staee. where H thr __ judge panel