8The Daily Tar HeelWednesday, April 25, 1990
Strict confidentiality
Editor's note: this is the second in a
three-part series on the honor court at
UNC.
By DAWN WILSON
Staff Writer
He didn't think one mistake would
make such a difference. Tom never
thought that failure to cite a source
correctly would result in a trip to the
Undergraduate Student Court.
A strict confidentiality policy pre
vents court hearings from being open to
anyone except those involved in the
case, so few students know what actu
ally, happens in that dreaded Under
graduate Student Court confrontation.
By tracing the hypothetical case of
Tom, a fictitious UNC student accused
of plagiarism, Undergraduate Student
Court procedures become easily un
derstandable. Tom's professor suspected plagia
rism when he realized that Tom's paper
demonstrated a dramatic change in
writing style. In order to press charges,
Tom's professor must contact the stu
dent attorney general. Holly Pearson,
who then reviews the evidence.
"I then send a letter of complaint to
the defendant stating that he needs to
talk to the student attorney general,"
Pearson said.
Gome sail away: UNC's
By HEATHER SMITH
Staff Writer
Getting the most out of the water and
the wind these are the goals of UNC's
sailing club.
The group, active at Carolina for
more than 15 years, is open to under
graduates, faculty members and gradu
ate students and requires no skill or
experience to join, Tom James, a junior
from Greensboro and president of the
club, said. The club emphasizes the
recreational aspect, he added.
"We're a very open club. We take
ft
"My job is to decide if there is enough
evidence to send the case to the honor
court. I don't decide if the defendant is
guilty or innocent. Even if I think that a
student is innocent, if enough evidence
has been presented, 1 have to send the
case to the honor court."
In Tom's case, Pearson would con
sider whether the professor had access
to the original source or merely had a
feeling that Tom had committed pla
giarism. "There has to be something for
the court to go on," Pearson said. "You
cannot charge a case on a hunch."
Pearson said plagiarism was a diffi
cult case to decide, because plagiarism
is defined as the intentional, unauthor
ized usage of another's writing or ideas.
It is possible that a student could have
incorrectly cited a source, she said.
Finally, the student attorney general
listens to what Tom has to say in his
defense. If sufficient evidence has been
presented to indicate a possible Under
graduate Student Court violation,Tom's
case is then forwarded to the Under
graduate Student Court.
"It would be hard to relinquish con
trol of these cases if I didn't have faith.
To have this job, you have to have faith
people who are just beginning," he said.
The club, with 40 members, sails on
University Lake and is also associated
with the sailing team, he said.
"What we have is a club and a team;
with the team, we race and are competi
tive. We race three times a semester,
usually down in Charleston, in the
South-Atlantic league. If you're a
member of the team, you're automati
cally a member of the club, and if you
want to be on the team, practices are
necessary," James said.
Melissa Michael, a junior from Lin-
(HO
I VJil l
r- s ,0, - he
Even the hest relationships; end. this time of year. After all,
it's time to blow ontta town for a lew months and you need
your freedom.
Aren t vou glad you can disconnect your phone service at a
RightTouclv" Center ( It s perfectly painless. Just drop hv the Frank
Porter Graham Student lTnion or Granville Towers Cest and
hiss that phone sendee goodbye. I lore's all you need to do:
1) Find your Personal Access Code in the Messages section
on the last page ol your most recent phone hill and tahe
it to the RightTouch Center.
2) Decide on a date you want your service disconnected.
3) I lave an address and phone number where vou can he
reached alter vou ve left school, so vou can receive vour
final hill or ret unci.
policy protects individual rights in court
in the system," Pearson said.
Once Tom's case goes to the Under
graduate Student Court, he is assigned
a defense counselor and an investiga
tor, who collect and share any evidence
that may be useful in the case. There
fore, if Tom confesses to plagiarism,
both his defense counselor and the
investigator know his guilt.
Confession, however, would not
provide Tom with a lighter sentence;
there is no plea-bargaining in the Un
dergraduate Student Court.
A notification of the violation is
placed on Tom's transcript. This pre
vents him from avoiding the problem
by transferring to another college in an
attempt to acquire a clean slate.
After two weeks of investigation,
Tom goes to trial. The hearings are
closed to the public.
Strict confidentiality of cases and
closed hearings protect students' rights,
said Cynthia Cordle, vice chairwoman
of the Undergraduate Student Court.
"Our primary concern, other than
the Code of Student Conduct, is to
protect the individual rights of the stu
dents. Confidentiality is the most fair
thing to do to defend the student against
negative publicity. A student may go
through a tough hearing, and even if
he's not guilty, still there may be a
fun-loving
colnton and a three-year member, said
anyone can enjoy the club. "An inexpe
rienced sailor can go out with someone
who knows how to sail and learn a lot."
"The more experienced member will
try to teach them what they can and get
them used to the boat."
The relaxed atmosphere is one of the
most alluring aspects of the club, she
added.
"Unlike a lot of other clubs I've been
in, we're not hard-core. We're laid back,
and it makes being a member a lot more
fun."
w lu SoiiA Ik
flp Tup i mum
Or, if you can t call it quits in per
son, )U st dial 780-2500, and do it over
the phone with RightTouch ' Service.
It's available 24 hours a dav.
And d on t worn'. When vou come
hack in the fall, you can pick up right
where you left off. Because re
connection is just as easy at your
RightTouch Center. '
So hich up your heels and have a great
summer. Wno says hreahin' up is hard
to i KghilToucrfCenter
Southern Bell
stigma ... we want those who have to
come before the court to feel comfort
able." During Tom's trial, the investigator
presents the evidence, which in this
case may consist of Tom's paper and
the testimony of his professor. The
defense counsel then presents the
defendant's testimony.
The case is heard by five members of
the Undergraduate Student Court, one
of whom is a chairman or vice chair
man who presides over the hearing.
These justices are chosen randomly
from the 30 members of the Under
graduate Student Court. If any member
of the Undergraduate Student Court
hears anything about Tom or the case
that might cause a biased opinion, that
member is excused from the case.
After Tom has presented his case
and all of the witnesses have testified,
there is a cross-examination.
"It (the honor court) is a lot like a real
court, except the judge and jury are the
same people. We're trying to get the
truth, not courtroom theatrics," said
Bill Stallings, an Undergraduate Stu
dent Court vice chairman.
Before the jury commences debate
on the verdict, Tom is allowed to make
a final statement in his defense before
being excused from the courtroom. The
sailing club
The group sails eight Vanguard 420s
and is buying two lazers, a faster one
man boat, James said.
"The 420s are a two-man boat, and
are very competitive. They're easy to
sail as well as durable and fun. The
lazers are extremely fast boats and will
definitely be used competitively."
The Vanguard 420s were renovated
as recently as four years ago, and their
renovation has benefited the club and
the team, said senior Chris Stanton, the
club's original president and former
team captain.
1 j
members of the jury carefully examine
the evidence and decide upon a verdict
based on a majority, not unanimous,
vote.
If Tom is found innocent, his record
is cleared of all charges and he resumes
his normal routine at UNC.
However, if Tom is found guilty, the
court progresses to a sanctioning phase.
Usually, if found guilty of an academic
offense, the sanction is suspension for
a semester and an F in the course in
which the offense was committed.
The Undergraduate Student Court
then calls upon character witnesses in
order to see if Tom committed the crime
under unusual mitigatingcircumstances
(UMC). UMCs usually indicate that
there are circumstances that may place
Tom in psychological or physical jeop
ardy by returning home. If a UMC is
discovered, probation may be offered,
but they are very difficult to discover.
Tom can appeal the case if he be
lieves there has been a violation of his
rights, insufficient evidence or an overly
severe sanction. If Tom appeals, he is
still officially in school until his guilt is
proven in another court. If it is found
that insufficient evidence was brought
against Tom, the result is similar to a
'not guilty' verdict.
There are different levels of appeal,
may just float your boat
"My father owns a sailboat business,
and my brother and I came here, and we
took eight of the boats home. They
were in really bad shape, so we used the
plant facilities of my father's company
and just totally remodeled them."
Competitions, such as regattas, offer
experience and opportunities to meet
new people, Stanton said.
"One of the most enjoyable parts of
sailing is the regattas, because you get
to go to Clemson and Charleston and
race. You meet a lot of people from
other schools and have a good time."
1990 Southern Bell
starting with the University Hearing"
Board, which comprises two members
from the Undergraduate Student Court,
who were not present during Tom's!
initial trial, two faculty members and
one representative from the admini
stration. If a problem still exists after
the hearing board tries the case, Tom,
may still appeal to the chancellor, whose,
word is final. Appeals are complicated,
and only about 10 percent to 1 5 percent
of all cases result in appeals.
If Tom is found innocent in an ap
peals case, the charge is immediately
dropped from his record. If guilty, the
plagiarism charge remains on his tran
script until the end of his period of
suspension. The incident also goes on
Tom's disciplinary record, where it will
remain for 10 years. Tom's discipli
nary record will be revealed only if
requested by potential employers.
Upholding the Code of Student
Conduct and protecting the rights of
students instead of simply condemning
them are the two main functions of the
court, Stallings said.
"I appreciate the trust that the faculty
has in the students here ... I don't think
there's anything more offensive then
testing monitors. If there is a breach of
that trust, the entire student body is
affected," Stallings said.
James agreed the club encourages a';
good time and good friends.
"Probably the best reason to join is to
meet people because we're a very open '
organization," James said. ' :'
The regattas also provide experience
in proper racing form, Michael said. i'
"Because of the conditions out on '
University Lake, we don't get a lot of
wind practice, so the races are basically ' -learning
how to sail under those condi-'
tions it's a whole different kind of
sailing, and it's a whole new experi
ence that is really thrilling," she said.' '
Sailing fosters a special relationship,
she said.
"It's some kind of bond you make
between a few people that is different
from having a friend in class."
It's On Time
Orlt'sOnUs.
Compri'hi'nsiu
cop ser ice.
Fast
turnaround
S.'cn das
a w ei'k
(iua ran teed
deadline's
100 West Franklin Street
933-2679
TRAVEL
Irom
round trips
DURHAM
trom
578
530
610
678
618
852
874
AMSTERDAM
LONDON
PARIS
ROME
MUNICH
TOKYO
HONGKONG
Taxes not included. Restrictions
apply. One ways available. Work
Study abroad programs. Int'l Stu
dentlD EURAIL PASSES ISSUED
ON THE SPOT!
FREE Student Travel catalog!
Council Travd
Durham
919-286-4664
-i
News con appear one
day and be gone the
next. Bur rhe paper
news is printed on can
and should live on.
Last year morerharyj
one third of all U.S. iij
newsprint was recycled. :l
And that number is
growing every day.
Recycling JT
i!
ifi
mm
it;
j 1 1 ir j ir
way we can
nil nio enma
thing back. Then Recycle: