Brigham Young University Honor Code
Encyclopedia
The Brigham Young University Honor Code is a set of standards by which students and faculty at Brigham Young University
, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to live. The standards derive in many ways from codes of conduct of the LDS Church, and were not put into written form until the 1940s. Since then, they have undergone several changes. Similar honor codes exist for BYU's sister schools Brigham Young University–Idaho
, Brigham Young University Hawaii
, and the LDS Business College
.
The Honor Code itself was not created until about 1940, and was used mainly for cases of cheating and academic dishonesty
. The Student Honor Council, created around 1949 oversaw case violations. This council met with enough success among students in alleviating cheating that President Ernest L. Wilkinson suggested in 1957 that the Honor Code expand to include other school standards. This led to an expansion during the 1960s which created the bulk of what the Honor Code represents today: rules regarding chastity, dress, grooming, drugs, and alcohol.
In the 1960s several rules regarding longer hairstyles in men were introduced as a result of the many liberal movements occurring around the country. However, long hair and beards were not completely against the rules until the mid-1970s. The 1960s also saw changes in rules regarding women's dress, as Church leaders made statements against low-cut dresses and short skirts. Women by this time were allowed to wear slacks and pant-suits, but jeans were not allowed until 1981.
In 2007, BYU reworded its honor code to clarify policy on homosexual behavior. Several students, including gay and lesbian students, thought that the previous wording was confusing and unclear. While both homosexuals and heterosexuals must abide the church's law of chastity
(i.e. no sexual relations outside of marriage, no crude language, and no pornography), the Honor Code additionally prohibits all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings (i.e. dating, making out). There is no similar restriction against expressing heterosexual feelings. No one may advocate homosexuality or promote homosexual relations as being morally acceptable. It does make clear, however, that sexual orientation is not an honor code issue. Several civil rights organizations, including Soulforce
, have criticized BYU's Honor Code for its practices. Also that year, Fox News highlighted BYU's blocking of pornographic and other sites, including Youtube
, from campus Internet connections, pursuant to the code's prohibition of the viewing of pornographic material. After three years, BYU lifted the YouTube ban in 2009, again receiving nationwide press attention.
In March 2008, The University of Texas at San Antonio
was accused of plagiarizing a portion of BYU's
honor code related to cheating and plagiarism. Southern Virginia University
, which espouses Latter-day Saint standards, also uses a similar code of conduct.
The Honor Code received national attention in March 2011 when the university dismissed BYU Cougars basketball
player Brandon Davies from the team for violating the code, reportedly having engaged in premarital sex, the same day the college basketball rankings came out listing BYU as the #3 team in the nation.
The Eight Circuit Court has found requiring shaving to be discriminatory.
employees are asked to encourage students to follow dress and grooming standards, sometimes denying service to students living against policy.
The Honor Code has been attacked by Darron Smith, a former instructor at BYU, as being applied in a racially disparate manner. However, Vai Sikahema, a former player on the BYU football team and native Tongan, defended the honor code, saying that it was not racist and citing a number of players from a variety of racial backgrounds who had positive experiences there. He said that although the honor code isn't perfect, it is constantly evolving and is better than it was in the 70s and 80s.
This approval is designed to ensure that students live in a safe environment that is consistent with the standards of the University. Since BYU students are only allowed to live in BYU-approved housing, landlords in the area consider it important to meet the standard in order to gain residents. Among the BYU housing standards is that bathrooms and the bedrooms be off limits for members of the opposite sex. Members of the opposite sex are required to be out of the apartment by midnight. Guns are permitted in off-campus housing only if the gun owner receives written permission from both the landlord and all residents in the apartment.
In 2003, BYU announced that beginning in 2007, housing would only be BYU approved if it was within two miles of campus. The school did this out of concern that its Office of Residence Life was being stretched too thin and was unable to meet demands. Students feared that the new boundaries might shoot up apartment prices and decrease the amount of available housing. According to BYU, the effect would be minimal, as 98% of students already lived within the designated area. All in all, about 40 properties lost BYU approval due to the new guideline.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to live. The standards derive in many ways from codes of conduct of the LDS Church, and were not put into written form until the 1940s. Since then, they have undergone several changes. Similar honor codes exist for BYU's sister schools Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
, Brigham Young University Hawaii
Brigham Young University Hawaii
Brigham Young University–Hawaii is a private university located in Laie, Hawaii. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, and the LDS Business College
LDS Business College
LDS Business College is a two-year college in Salt Lake City, Utah, focused on training students in business and industry. The college is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and operates under the Church Educational System and is associated with the Brigham Young University...
.
History
Early forms of the BYU Honor Code are found as far back as the days of the Brigham Young Academy and early school President Karl G. Maeser. Maeser created the "Domestic Organization", which was a group of teachers who would visit students at their homes to see that they were following the schools moral rules prohibiting obscenity, profanity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Maeser also, however, relied largely on students' honor and honesty in keeping such rules, intending faculty visits as times of counsel rather than espionage. After Brimhall, enforcement became somewhat more lax (there were no more faculty visits). However, the same basic principles were encouraged: morality, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and a dependence on the honor and honesty of students. The 1930s and 40s saw increased standards regarding rules related to student housing, as well as dress codes. Women were allowed to wear slacks only on Saturdays, and men wore uniform for a short time.The Honor Code itself was not created until about 1940, and was used mainly for cases of cheating and academic dishonesty
Academic dishonesty
Academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. It can include* Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of original creations of another author without due acknowledgment.* Fabrication: The...
. The Student Honor Council, created around 1949 oversaw case violations. This council met with enough success among students in alleviating cheating that President Ernest L. Wilkinson suggested in 1957 that the Honor Code expand to include other school standards. This led to an expansion during the 1960s which created the bulk of what the Honor Code represents today: rules regarding chastity, dress, grooming, drugs, and alcohol.
In the 1960s several rules regarding longer hairstyles in men were introduced as a result of the many liberal movements occurring around the country. However, long hair and beards were not completely against the rules until the mid-1970s. The 1960s also saw changes in rules regarding women's dress, as Church leaders made statements against low-cut dresses and short skirts. Women by this time were allowed to wear slacks and pant-suits, but jeans were not allowed until 1981.
In 2007, BYU reworded its honor code to clarify policy on homosexual behavior. Several students, including gay and lesbian students, thought that the previous wording was confusing and unclear. While both homosexuals and heterosexuals must abide the church's law of chastity
Law of Chastity
The law of chastity is a moral code defined by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . According to the church, chastity means abstinence from sexual relations before marriage, and complete fidelity to one's husband or wife during marriage...
(i.e. no sexual relations outside of marriage, no crude language, and no pornography), the Honor Code additionally prohibits all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings (i.e. dating, making out). There is no similar restriction against expressing heterosexual feelings. No one may advocate homosexuality or promote homosexual relations as being morally acceptable. It does make clear, however, that sexual orientation is not an honor code issue. Several civil rights organizations, including Soulforce
Soulforce (organization)
Soulforce is an American social justice and civil rights organization that supports acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people through dialogue and creative forms of nonviolent direct action...
, have criticized BYU's Honor Code for its practices. Also that year, Fox News highlighted BYU's blocking of pornographic and other sites, including Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, from campus Internet connections, pursuant to the code's prohibition of the viewing of pornographic material. After three years, BYU lifted the YouTube ban in 2009, again receiving nationwide press attention.
In March 2008, The University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
was accused of plagiarizing a portion of BYU's
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
honor code related to cheating and plagiarism. Southern Virginia University
Southern Virginia University
Southern Virginia University is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while not being owned nor operated by the Church...
, which espouses Latter-day Saint standards, also uses a similar code of conduct.
The Honor Code received national attention in March 2011 when the university dismissed BYU Cougars basketball
2010–11 BYU Cougars men's basketball team
The 2010–11 BYU Cougars men's basketball team represented Brigham Young University in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This was head coach Dave Rose's sixth season at BYU. The Cougars, in their final season in the Mountain West Conference, played their home games at the Marriott Center...
player Brandon Davies from the team for violating the code, reportedly having engaged in premarital sex, the same day the college basketball rankings came out listing BYU as the #3 team in the nation.
The Eight Circuit Court has found requiring shaving to be discriminatory.
Standards
The BYU honor code governs not only academic behavior, but morality, and dress and grooming standards of students and faculty, with the aim of providing an atmosphere consistent with LDS principles. The Honor Code requires:- Abstinence from illicit drugs, alcoholAlcoholic beverageAn alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
, tobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, coffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, and teaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
(substances forbidden by the LDS Word of WisdomWord of WisdomThe "Word of Wisdom" is the common name of a section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to consist of revelations from God...
) - Honesty
- Encouraging others in their commitment to keep the Honor Code
- Living a chasteChastityChastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
and virtuous life:- Appropriate gender-specific behavior (no sexual harassment)
- No involvement with pornographic or indecent material
- No inappropriate sexual activity (no sexual relationships outside of marriage)
- No homosexual behavior
- Obedience to the law
- Active participation in Church services (according to whatever religion of which one is a member)
- Respect for others
- Clean language
- Following the "Residential Living Standards" (visiting hours for members of the opposite sex)
- Dress and Grooming Standards. Abiding by the guidelines for dress, grooming, and housing. SkirtSkirtA skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
s must reach to the kneeKneeThe knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
and shirts may not be sleeveless. Form fitting, strapless and revealing clothing is not appropriate. Male students may not wear beardBeardA beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
s or goateeGoateeGoatee refers to a style of facial hair incorporating hair on a man’s chin. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture.Traditionally, goatee refers solely to a beard formed by a tuft of hair on the chin...
s without permission; such permission is usually granted only to men with skin conditions aggravated by shaving or for theatrical performances requiring beards. While BYU used to grant permission for religious purposes, this is no longer recognized as a valid exemption. - Students are prohibited from having guns on campus.
Enforcement
Honor code policies and principles are promoted by BYUSA, the Student Service Association, and the Honor Code Office. The Office handles all accusations and violations, and works in conjunction with Bishops of BYU wards. If the student's Bishop is thought to be able to corroborate the alleged infraction, the accused student may be required to sign a legal form waiving his or her rights to ecclesiastical privacy, which allows the school direct access to the Bishop and any content discussed on the said topic, or others which may have been in violation of the Honor Code, but not yet reported. Not all students at the school are familiar with LDS standards, so students who break the code for the first time are usually only contacted by mail as a warning and clarification of standards. Later violations may cause the student to be called into the office to speak with an Honor Code officer. Severe and continued violations can merit expulsion. Students may be brought to the attention of the Honor Code office by faculty, staff, or other students. BYU Events Staff patrol school dances for Honor Code violations. Cafeteria, library, athletics, and BYU Testing CenterBYU Testing Center
The BYU Testing Center, the largest college testing center in the nation, is located in the Heber J. Grant Building at Brigham Young University. It serves the purpose of administering tests to students. Tests are often administered in the Testing Center instead of during class time...
employees are asked to encourage students to follow dress and grooming standards, sometimes denying service to students living against policy.
The Honor Code has been attacked by Darron Smith, a former instructor at BYU, as being applied in a racially disparate manner. However, Vai Sikahema, a former player on the BYU football team and native Tongan, defended the honor code, saying that it was not racist and citing a number of players from a variety of racial backgrounds who had positive experiences there. He said that although the honor code isn't perfect, it is constantly evolving and is better than it was in the 70s and 80s.
Housing accommodation
Students have the option of living in on-campus housing, with family members who reside in the local area, or in off-campus housing which must pass a school inspection for health and safety, as well as satisfactory separation of gender quarters and compliance with other standards. Students under certain conditions can apply for a housing waiver for special approval.- Single parents with children.
- Single students living with parents.
- Single students who are taking classes away from Provo.
- Graduate students.
- Under certain conditions, as determined by the Off-Campus Housing Office, the university housing requirement may be waived for other students who have a special circumstance or hardship.
This approval is designed to ensure that students live in a safe environment that is consistent with the standards of the University. Since BYU students are only allowed to live in BYU-approved housing, landlords in the area consider it important to meet the standard in order to gain residents. Among the BYU housing standards is that bathrooms and the bedrooms be off limits for members of the opposite sex. Members of the opposite sex are required to be out of the apartment by midnight. Guns are permitted in off-campus housing only if the gun owner receives written permission from both the landlord and all residents in the apartment.
In 2003, BYU announced that beginning in 2007, housing would only be BYU approved if it was within two miles of campus. The school did this out of concern that its Office of Residence Life was being stretched too thin and was unable to meet demands. Students feared that the new boundaries might shoot up apartment prices and decrease the amount of available housing. According to BYU, the effect would be minimal, as 98% of students already lived within the designated area. All in all, about 40 properties lost BYU approval due to the new guideline.