The Harvard College Honor Council promotes academic integrity and reviews potential breaches of the Honor Code and academic policies.
About the Honor Council
The Harvard College Honor Council is a body of students, faculty, and administrators working together to uphold the Honor Code and raise awareness about the importance of academic integrity within the Harvard College community. The Honor Council comprises voting members who respond to potential violations of the Honor Code and rules on academic integrity, Student Academic Integrity Fellows (SAIFs) who provide support to students throughout the Honor Council process, and the Academic Integrity Ambassadors, a group of members who engage in proactive outreach to the community with the goals of fostering a culture of academic integrity and promoting the value of honesty within the College community.
The Honor Council is based on two principles:
Community governance: Community governance requires faculty, students, and staff to share collective responsibility for upholding the Honor Code, and we believe that the members of the community are in the best position to determine and evaluate cases of academic integrity violations. Community governance also ensures that the Honor Council represents the breadth of the Harvard College community.
Education: We are committed to an educational approach to academic integrity and a Council that makes decisions through a holistic assessment of the student’s life and experiences. The purpose of the Council is to allow each individual student to learn from her/his mistakes while also affirming community members’ commitment to academic integrity.
Voting Members
The voting body of the Council investigate, deliberate, and decide on responses for cases in which students may have violated the Honor Code and/or rules on academic integrity. The voting members are committed to reviewing every case thoroughly and fairly, and to providing the involved students the opportunity to share their perspective. In considering a case, voting members determine appropriate responses aligned with the Council’s educational, community-centered mission.
Student Academic Integrity Fellows (SAIFs)
A Student Academic Integrity Fellow (SAIF) is an undergraduate student trained in the procedures and policies of the Honor Council. SAIFs provide support to students going through an Honor Council review by explaining the Honor Council procedures, helping students understand their options during the Honor Council process, offering feedback on draft personal statements, connecting students to resources outside of the Honor Council, and remaining a point of contact for the student following the conclusion of the review. While SAIFs may accompany students to their interactions with the Honor Council, they do not deliberate or vote on cases. When a student is going through the Honor Council process, they have the choice of whether or not to work with a SAIF.
Academic Integrity Ambassadors
This is a group of Council members who engage in outreach to the community with the goals of fostering a culture of academic integrity and promoting the value of honesty within the College community. The Ambassadors work to raise awareness about the importance of ethical behavior in academic endeavors and strive to create a supportive atmosphere where integrity is celebrated and upheld by everyone in the community.
Contact Us
Please contact us at honorcouncil@fas.harvard.edu with any questions.
Quick Links
Resources frequently recommended by the Honor Council