At Knox College, our identity as a community of scholars is built upon an unwavering commitment to academic integrity. This principle is not merely a rule to be followed, but the very currency of intellectual exchange and a prerequisite for membership. Each scholar is entrusted with the responsibility to ensure their work meets the highest standards of honesty, thus honoring the community they seek to belong to and contribute to.
The Knox College Honor System
The Honor System stands as a foundational pillar of the Knox College community, a sacred trust initiated by the student body in 1951 that continues to define our academic culture. Every member of our community — student and faculty alike — bears the solemn responsibility not only to understand and abide by its provisions but to actively uphold the principles of intellectual honesty it enshrines. This document, therefore, serves as both a guide and a covenant: it articulates the enduring spirit of the System and presents the formal framework of the Honor Board, which empowers our collective commitment.
Every student and faculty member bears the responsibility to uphold and defend the standards of academic integrity. This includes the difficult task of reporting potential violations. We do this not to punish, but to educate — to help guide a student toward a deeper understanding of why academic honesty is fundamental to their growth, to their credibility, and to our collective mission as a community of scholars.
