The Center for Honor Enrichment and Community Standards (CHECS) encourages students to choose to live an honorable lifestyle within the classroom, on campus, and within the community while upholding the highest standards of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility. CHECS works to create a safe environment for students that will foster academic and personal success by upholding the Student Code of Conduct, the CNU Honor Code, and through outreach such as our Honor U speaker series and other educational programs.

2012-2013 Student Handbook

The Honor Code

"On my honor, I will maintain the highest standards of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility. This means I will not lie, cheat, or steal and as a member of this academic community, I am committed to creating an environment of respect and mutual trust."

Kathryn Litle 
Assistant Dean
kathryn.litle@cnu.edu

Alyssa Stoner
Assistant Director
alyssa.stoner@cnu.edu

Pradip Ananda
Assistant Director
pradip.ananda@cnu.edu

Lisa Ardis
Administrative Assistant
checs@cnu.edu

Conduct and Academic Process 

The University's policies are designed to support the university's educational mission and to ensure a safe environment where all members of the University community can work, study, and live without undue interference. Policies are also designed to build and support the academic and social community by teaching students responsibility and interdependence.

Any member of our community can report a concerning behavior or incident. To report an incident submit the form below.

On-Line Incident Report

2012-2013 Student Handbook

Conduct Process Outline >>>

Academic Honor Code Process Outline >>>

University Response

If students are found responsible for Student Code of Conduct and/or Honor Code violations, sanctions may be imposed independently or in combination with other sanctions.

Sanctioning is determined on a case by case basis and takes into account the circumstances and nature of the violation, the needs of the individual student, the student's judicial history, and the impact or potential impact of the student's behavior on the CNU community.

There are four types of sanctions that may be imposed as a result of a responsible finding:

Educational sanctions are content specific based on the nature of the student's violation.

Example: Alcohol Course 

Developmental sanctions are applied specifically for the individual to help their own personal growth.

Example: Reflection Paper

Campus contribution allows students to give back to the CNU community.

Example: Intentional service plan

Punitive sanctions enable students to take responsibility for their actions and hold them accountable.

Example: Suspension from the University

Hearing Panels and Honor Councils 

Resources for Students Preparing for a Hearing Panel/Honor Council


Christopher Newport University's Student Honor Council

The Honor Council is comprised of full-time students who are representative of the student body. Students apply and are selected for the position by current Honor Council members. There are student representatives from each academic class on the Honor Council.

Members of the Student Honor Council serve as panel members,support students who are going through the process, represent the university community, and participate in educational outreach and programming efforts.

When serving as panel members, the Student Honor Council consists of three subcommittees:

  • Honor Council is convened to hear allegations of Honor System violations that are independent of Student Code of Conduct violations. The final decision of this panel is determined by majority vote. 
  • Hearing Panel is convened to hear allegations of Student Code of Conduct violations. The final decision of this panel is determined by a majority vote.
  • Honor Council / Hearing Panel is convened when an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct and an Honor system violation occur during the same incident. On this committee the final decisions are determined separately. The Honor system violation will be determined by a unanimous consensus, while the Student Code of Conduct violation will be decided by a majority vote.

The Student Honor Council serves the Christopher Newport Community by focusing on three areas in addition to serving on panels:

  1. Recruitment focuses on identifying and selecting new Honor Council members who are a diverse representative of the community.
  2. Programming and Outreach reaches out to the campus community to promote honor and integrity. Student Honor Council members also work with student groups and organizations, academic departments, and administrative offices to share more about their role on campus and be resources to the community. 
  3. Training is involved in planning and implementing training for Student Honor Council members and for external groups. Student Honor Council members in this area facilitate Welcome Week and Setting Sail sessions as well as help with student leader training. 

Becoming a Honor Council Member
**Living and Leading with Honor** 

Student Honor Council Application

Students who are interested in serving on the Honor Council should contact CHECS. Interested students will need to submit an application and complete an interview process to determine which students are selected to serve on the committee. Applications will be available online or available to pick up in the CHECS office.

Timeline for Recruitment   

February 11th

Applications Available

February 26th at 12:30 p.m. in MCM 200C

Interest Meeting

February 27th at 3 p.m. in Library 209

Interest Meeting

March 12th at 8 p.m. in York East Multipurpose Room

Interest Meeting

Tuesday, March 19th 

Applications Due

March 25th - March 26th

Group Process Interviews

March 28 - April 1st

Individual Interviews 

April 5th

Selected Students are notified
August 21st - August 23rd New Honor Council Training 

Information for Faculty and Staff

Faculty play a critical role in articulating and upholding the community standards of the university. Not only do faculty members serve on the University Committee on Student Discipline for academic integrity cases, but faculty members also serve a valuable role within the classroom, educating students about what constitutes plagiarism and cheating and the importance of why students should turn in work that is their own.

To report an incident,  fill out an online incident report email checs@cnu.edu and please include what happened, who did it involve, and what the outcome was. You will be contacted by a staff member in CHECS following that report. If you have any questions or need any guidance please contact the Center for Honor Enrichment and Community Standards. 

Note: All files above are PDF and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers about the conduct process and CHECS. (All files are PDF and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.)

CHECS Resources: 
Campus Resources: 
Other Resources:

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have additional questions or any concerns regarding CHECS and our policies/procedures.