Purpose: The Honor System at the University of Virginia exists to foster a cohesive bond of trust among all members of the University community and to instill in all students a mutual reverence for the ideal of honorable behavior. Honor, of course, is a complex and multidimensional principle -- a moral aspiration that defies simple characterizations. At the University of Virginia, however, the Honor System rests on a particular conception of that ideal. The cardinal injunction of our system is that students must refrain from lying, cheating, and stealing in all their forms or face permanent dismissal from the University, and, where applicable, revocation of their University degree.

 A. In more technical terms, a violation against the community of trust is defined as a serious and intentional act of lying, cheating, or stealing by a University student in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, any of the University of Virginia's regional centers, or anywhere that a student represents himself or herself as a student of the University.

B. The Honor System, and the procedures set forth in these by-laws, apply to any person who was registered as a University student at the time an alleged Honor offense was committed. Students who leave or have left the University for any reason (including, without limitation, transfer, withdrawal, leave of absence, graduation or other failure to return to the University for any reason), at any time, whether prior to case reporting initiation and official accusation or thereafter, are subject to these procedures so long as a case is properly reported initiated under Section IV.A, below. References in these by-laws to a "student" or to "students" include all persons described in the foregoing [previous] sentences (except that in the context of jury panelists, "students" must be registered at the time of the relevant trial, and in the context of performing the roles of Committee members or support officers, "students" must be registered when elected or appointed and throughout the time they are performing those roles). (language modified, October 16, 2005)