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Cadet Honor Code

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Honor Code Monument at West Point

A Cadet Honor Code is a system of ethics or code of conduct applying to military cadets studying at military academies. In the United States, these codes exist at the Federal Service Academies, such as the United States Military Academy and the United States Air Force Academy and at the Senior Military Colleges, as well as other military schools and colleges. The United States Naval Academy and United States Coast Guard Academy have a related standard, known as the Honor Concept.

Since it applies to all facets of a cadet's life, a cadet honor code is distinct from an academic honor code, which is used at many universities and colleges around the world but applies to academic conduct only. The codes apply to all cadets enrolled in the military programs at the institutions which use them.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point

West Point's Cadet Honor Code reads simply that

"A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

“The mission of the United States Military Academy is to produce leaders of character. The Cadet Honor Code provides the foundation for character development at West Point. The ideals affirmed in the Honor Code attract to West Point young men and women who aspire “to live above the common level of life.” The unyielding requirements of the Code instruct, motivate, and ultimately shape Cadets during their years at the Academy. Most importantly, effects of the Code continue to guide and inspire graduates during their years of military service and beyond. More than any other aspect of West Point, the Honor Code unites the “Long Gray Line” of Cadets and graduates by expressing their shared commitments to personal integrity and professional responsibility.” (Paragraph 1-1 in USCC PAM 15-1)

Definitions of the tenets of the Honor Code

LYING: Cadets violate the Honor Code by lying if they deliberately deceive another by stating an untruth or by any direct form of communication to include the telling of a partial truth and the vague or ambiguous use of information or language with the intent to deceive or mislead.

CHEATING: A violation of cheating would occur if a Cadet fraudulently acted out of self-interest or assisted another to do so with the intent to gain or to give an unfair advantage. Cheating includes such acts as plagiarism (presenting someone else's ideas, words, data, or work as one's own without documentation), misrepresentation (failing to document the assistance of another in the preparation, revision, or proofreading of an assignment), and using unauthorized notes.

STEALING: The wrongful taking, obtaining, or withholding by any means from the possession of the owner or any other person any money, personal property, article, or service of value of any kind, with intent to permanently deprive or defraud another person of the use and benefit of the property, or to appropriate it to either their own use or the use of any person other than the owner.

TOLERATION: Cadets violate the Honor Code by tolerating if they fail to report an unresolved incident with honor implications to proper authority within a reasonable length of time. "Proper authority" includes the Commandant, the Assistant Commandant, the Director of Military Training, the Athletic Director, a tactical officer, teacher or coach. A "reasonable length of time" is the time it takes to confront the Cadet candidate suspected of the honor violation and decide whether the incident was a misunderstanding or a possible violation of the Honor Code. A reasonable length of time is usually considered not to exceed 24 hours.

To have violated the honor code, a Cadet must have lied, cheated, stolen, or attempted to do so, or tolerated such action on the part of another Cadet. The procedural element of the Honor System examines the two elements that must be present for a Cadet to have committed an honor violation: the act and the intent to commit that act. The latter does not mean intent to violate the Honor Code, but rather the intent to commit the act itself.

Three rules of thumb

  1. Does this action attempt to deceive anyone or allow anyone to be deceived?
  2. Does this action gain or allow the gain of privilege or advantage to which I or someone else would not otherwise be entitled?
  3. Would I be satisfied by the outcome if I were on the receiving end of this action?

The process to adjudicate an alleged honor violation

  1. Step 1 – Notify cadet of allegation of an honor violation, detailing the type of violation. Encourage the cadet to report the violation to an honor representative.
  2. Step 2 – Inception (Investigative Team assigned) Triggers Administrative Fla
  3. Step 3 – If a Cadet contests the allegations, the case will proceed to an Honor Investigative Hearing (HIH)

To determine if a Cadet violated the Honor Code, a board of nine (9) Cadets convenes. After hearing all the evidence, board members will deliberate and vote on whether a violation of the Cadet Honor Code occurred. A two-thirds majority vote (6 out of the 9 members) is required to find that the Respondent violated the Cadet Honor Code based on the preponderance of the evidence.[1]

If Found to have violated the Honor Code, the Cadet faces the following consequences: Immediate:

  1. Reduction in rank to Cadet PFC
  2. Loss of privileges
  3. Loss of pass, off-post, and walking privileges
  4. Academic “F” (if applicable)
  5. Enrollment in the Special Leader Development Program for Honor (SLDP-H

Commandant’s decisions (at the Commandant’s meeting):

  1. Military grade of “F”
  2. Removal from duty position
  3. Scramble to a new company

Superintendent’s decisions (at the Superintendent’s adjudication): Adjudication decision which can include December Graduation, a 1-yearvTurnback, enrollment in the Academy Mentorship Program (AMP), or Separation from the Academy. The Superintendent has the option to suspend a Cadet from representing the Academy.

What if a cadet admits to violating the honor code?

The Willful Admission Process (WAP) began in Academic Year 15-2 to encourage cadets to take responsibility for their actions and reduce the barriers to toleration. Cadets enrolled in the WAP cannot be separated or separated with enrollment in the Academy Mentorship Program (AMP).

Criteria for a Cadet to enter the WAP: Admit to all elements of the Honor violation(s) on their own or within 24 hours after an approach for clarification or notification Demonstrate the sincere desire to repair and strengthen their character through participation in the Special Leader Development Program- Honor Has not had a previous FOUND violation of the Cadet Honor Code Not currently flagged for misconduct, under investigation, or pending a regimental level or higher board. If the Honor violation is connected to misconduct, this may prevent the Cadet from entering the WAP The Honor Captain must approve entry into the WAP. The Commandant or the Superintendent can remove a Cadet from the WAP. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

In August 1951, Time reported that 90 of the Academy's 2,500 cadets were facing dismissal for mass violations of the honor code related to "cribbing", receiving the answers to exams ahead of time, allegedly through upperclass tutors who were assisting other cadets, mostly dedicated football players, to study for those exams.[2]

The Army arranged for an investigation by a panel which included famed jurist Learned Hand and retired generals Troy H. Middleton, then president of Louisiana State University, and Robert M. Danford, a former Commandant of Cadets at West Point.[3] The board recommended dismissal of all 90 suspected violators of the Honor Code, and while the Army and Congress debated the issue and its causes, the cadets were left with a cloud hanging over their heads and their futures.

There have been other instances of mass cheating scandals at the Academy, including two very famous ones. In August 1976, where it was found that possibly over half of the junior class at the Academy had violated the honor code by cheating on a case assignment.[4] In 1951, 37 members of the football team were dismissed after they were found to have cheated. The team was so decimated that it fell to 2-7, the only losing record suffered by legendary coach Red Blaik.

2020 MA 104 Calculus Incident

In April 2020 the Academic board and Academy leadership made the decision to maintain our rigorous academic requirements and standards during the pandemic to ensure our graduates continued to meet the high standards for graduation and commissioning into the United States Army.[5]

In May 2020, 73 Cadets--72 plebes (freshmen) and 1 yearling (sophomore)—allegedly cheated during their Calculus final examination taken in a remote learning environment. The cheating was identified when instructors grading the exam found irregularities in the mathematical work submitted by cadets.[6]

West Point has a standard process for investigating potential honor code violations and has followed this process for these 73 allegations. The investigations were conducted by the Cadet Honor Committee. Throughout the process, officers from The Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic and the Staff Judge Advocate provide oversight to ensure Cadets follow established policy and afford due process for the accused.

The investigations and preliminary hearings are complete. Based on recommendations from the Cadet Investigative Team, 2 cases were dropped for lack of evidence. An additional 4 cases were dropped because the Cadets resigned from West Point. There are now 67 remaining cases.

The Brigade Honor Captain, in consultation with the Honor Committee, enrolled 55/59 Cadets who admitted to cheating into the Willful Admission Process (WAP). As a result, they were FOUND in violation of the Honor Code on 30 NOV 2020. The FOUND cadets were enrolled in the Special Leader Development Program – Honor (SLDP-H).

As of 09 DEC 2020, 55 members of the Staff and Faculty have volunteered to coach them through SLDP-H. The Brigade Honor Captain did not enroll the other 4 cadets into the WAP because they did not meet the criteria outlined by regulation. Their cases will be handled through the Cadet Advisory Board (CAB), where a board of 9 Cadets will make a recommendation to the Superintendent about the consequences for violating the Cadet Honor Code.

As of 09 DEC 2020, 55 Cadets were enrolled in WAP, 4 Cadets will go through a CAB, and 8 Cadets will go through a full Honor Investigative Hearing.

U.S. Air Force Academy

The Cadet Honor Code at the Air Force Academy, like that at West Point, is the cornerstone of a cadet's professional training and development — the minimum standard of ethical conduct that cadets expect of themselves and their fellow cadets. Air Force's honor code was developed and adopted by the Class of 1959, the first class to graduate from the Academy, and has been handed down to every subsequent class.[7][8] The code adopted was based largely on West Point's Honor Code, but was modified slightly to its current wording:

We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.

In 1984, the Cadet Wing voted to add an "Honor Oath," which was to be taken by all cadets. The oath is administered to fourth class cadets (freshmen) when they are formally accepted into the Wing at the conclusion of Basic Cadet Training.[8] The oath consists of a statement of the code, followed by a resolution to live honorably:

We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.
Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably (so help me God).[9]

Cadets are considered the "guardians and stewards" of the Code. Cadet honor representatives throughout the Wing oversee the honor system by conducting education classes and investigating possible honor incidents. Cadets throughout the Wing are expected to sit on Honor Boards as juries that determine whether their fellow cadets violated the code. Cadets also recommend sanctions for violations. Although the presumed sanction for a violation is disenrollment, mitigating factors may result in the violator being placed in a probationary status for some period of time.

Senior Military Colleges

The Cadet Honor Codes, described within the Cadet Honor Manuals, belong to the Corps of Cadets at these institutions and is administered by cadets. It is each cadet's duty upon enrollment to be familiar with the honor system as set forth in the Honor Manual and to abide by the Honor Code. Simply stated, the Code demands that a cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do. These codes apply to all cadets at The Citadel, North Georgia, Norwich, Texas A&M, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech, although the systems of administration, enforcement, and sanctions vary between institutions.[10] [11] [12]

The 2005 ESPN made-for-TV movie Code Breakers was about the 1951 scandal in which 83 West Point cadets were implicated in violations of the Cadet Honor Code in order to help the West Point football team.

The 1975 TV movie The Silence is a recounting of the case of Cadet James Pelosi, who though accused of an honor code violation maintained his innocence and refused to resign from the Military Academy; and as a result was "silenced" by his fellow cadets as permitted under such circumstances by the Honor Code at that time. He was isolated from the other cadets, was not permitted to have roommates, and had to eat all his meals at a separate table. He was not spoken to by other cadets or officers except on duty, and then only on matters of duty; and when addressed was addressed as "Mister," not by name. Pelosi endured 19 months of this treatment, but went on to graduate with his class in 1973.

The Long Gray Line, a 1955 biopic of Master Sergeant Martin Maher, who served in the West Point Athletic Department as both an Army enlisted man and a civilian employee, featured a sequence concerning a cadet who married a girl on impulse while on leave. Even though the marriage was immediately annulled, Sergeant Maher pointed out to the cadet that there was the Honor Code to consider. (Cadets at West Point cannot be married, an inflexible rule even today.) The cadet in question submitted his resignation rather than face the Honor Committee.

Jimmy Cagney starred in the 1950 movie The West Point Story. Part of the plot involved his character, Elwin "Bix" Bixby, a World War II combat veteran and Broadway director, living at West Point as a plebe cadet and occasionally running afoul of the Honor Code.

References

  1. ^ www.westpoint.edu/honor
  2. ^ "TIME Magazine: The Nation: Trouble at West Point, 13 August 1951, Retrieved 26 Feb 2011
  3. ^ Ambrose, Stephen E. (1999). Duty, Honor, Country: A History of West Point. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-8018-6293-9.
  4. ^ "Duty, Honor, Country, and Too Many Lawyers", John Harry "Jorgie" Jorgenson, Originally printed in "The Lawyer's Washington" column in the American Bar Association Journal for April 1977 (63 ABAJ 564-S67). Copyright 1977 by the American Bar Association, Retrieved 26 Feb 2011
  5. ^ www.westpoint.edu/honor
  6. ^ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/21/west-point-catches-70-cadets-worst-cheating-scandal-50-years/5856130002/
  7. ^ "The Honor Code Archived 26 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine", USAFA Fact Sheet, April 2009, Retrieved 3 April 2010
  8. ^ a b "Honor Code Reference Handbook- Volume II – The Honor System ", (646 KB) USAFA, August 2008, Retrieved 3 April 2010
  9. ^ "[1] Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine", Final clause in cadet Honor Oath made optional, October 2013, Retrieved 4 April 2014
  10. ^ "Honor at The Citadel". www.citadel.edu. The Citadel. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  11. ^ Honor Code, Education, archived from the original on 14 September 2016, retrieved 12 September 2016
  12. ^ "Honor Code, Education".
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