In a letter to the University community last week, University of Virginia Rector Robert Hardie, President Jim Ryan and Honor Committee Chair Hamza Aziz affirmed their support for UVA’s Honor Code and Honor System and asked for the entire community’s help in upholding honor as a core element of University life.

Communicating on behalf of the Board of Visitors, University leadership and the Honor Committee, the three leaders referenced recent student-led reforms to the Honor System and reminded the community of its importance to the University, writing, “the Honor System is more than sanctions or a system of punishment for infractions. It is a shared value and commitment; it is fundamental to our ethos. It is an indelible characteristic of a Virginia graduate, and it sets our graduates apart from many others.”

The leaders acknowledged that the ultimate authority for the Honor System and its future lies in the hands of University students, but that preserving it requires a commitment from faculty, staff and alumni as well, writing, “ensuring that the Honor System, and our shared community of trust, remains robust and effective requires everyone’s participation. Whether you are a staff member, a faculty member, a student, a researcher, a teacher, a mentor, or a health care provider, your support, understanding, and participation is crucial to its success.”

For information on the Honor System at UVA, visit honor.virginia.edu.