The Social and Honor System

To apply for an Honor Council position for the 2022-2023 academic year, click here.

To apply for a Social Council position for the 2022-2023 academic year, click here.

What is the Honor System?

Independence. Honesty. Trust. Respect. These are the basic elements of Lyon College's Honor System.

Every student must sign the Roll of Honor when beginning an academic career at Lyon. Held during a special ceremony, each student pledges his or her promise to uphold high standards of academic integrity inside and outside the classroom.

This includes taking exams without supervision and adhering to the Honor System when submitting homework and course assignments. Signing the Roll of Honor binds the students together in a relationship of trust and mutual responsibility.

Social and Honor Codes Handbook

The Lyon College Honor Pledge

The Honor Pledge is a statement made by each Lyon College student to uphold the Honor Code in all matters related to academic work. Upon matriculation every student commits to abide by the Honor System. This commitment is renewed daily as students sign each examination, quiz, paper or other written assignment with the written Honor Pledge:

"I will abstain from all fraud in academic work. I will neither give nor receive aid on any form of test or assigned work where such aid is prohibited, nor tolerate this conduct in any member of the community. I will deal responsibly with such acts when I observe them. By my conduct and influence I will endeavor to build a high standard of honesty and truthfulness in all academic work."

The abbreviation "Pledged" followed by the student's signature has the same meaning and is acceptable on all assignments.

How is the Honor System Upheld?

The Lyon College Honor System is governed and maintained by the Honor Council, which consists of student body members elected by their peers. The purpose of the Lyon College Honor Council is to foster a spirit of honor on campus and to hear and act upon alleged violations of the Honor Code.

Lyon believes this pledge of trust and respect between the college and the student makes a monumental difference not only in the classroom performance of our students, but in their characters as well.

The Lyon College Social System

The Social System was developed in 1994 as an outgrowth of the Honor System and in keeping with the philosophy that students should assume a significant role in shaping their lives at Lyon. The system establishes a code of conduct by which Lyon students agree to abide in their interactions with other members of the Lyon community.

The Social System at Lyon College is monitored by students elected by their peers to the Social Council. The Council's responsibility is to uphold the College's Social System and to uphold the rights of each student during investigations and hearings.

The Council investigates allegations, conducts hearings when necessary, and may impose penalties up to and including expulsion.