Brigham Young University Honor Code - Enforcement

Enforcement

Honor code policies and principles are promoted by BYUSA, the Student Service Association, and the Honor Code Office. The Office handles all accusations and violations, and works in conjunction with Bishops of BYU wards. If the student's Bishop is thought to be able to corroborate the alleged infraction, the accused student may be required to sign a legal form waiving his or her rights to ecclesiastical privacy, which allows the school direct access to the Bishop and any content discussed on the said topic, or others which may have been in violation of the Honor Code, but not yet reported. Not all students at the school are familiar with LDS standards, so students who break the code for the first time are usually only contacted by mail as a warning and clarification of standards. Later violations may cause the student to be called into the office to speak with an Honor Code officer. Severe and continued violations can merit expulsion. Students may be brought to the attention of the Honor Code office by faculty, staff, or other students. BYU Events Staff patrol school dances for Honor Code violations. Cafeteria, library, athletics, and BYU Testing Center employees are asked to encourage students to follow dress and grooming standards, sometimes denying service to students living against policy.

The Honor Code has been attacked by Darron Smith, a former instructor at BYU, as being applied in a racially disparate manner. However, Vai Sikahema, a former player on the BYU football team and native Tongan, defended the honor code, saying that it was not racist and citing a number of players from a variety of racial backgrounds who had positive experiences there. He said that although the honor code isn't perfect, it is constantly evolving and is better than it was in the 1970s and '80s.