In line with the University's mission statement, the Honor Board is here to strengthen, guide and educate all Notre Dame students along their journeys toward leadership.

Our Mission

Notre Dame of Maryland University Honor Board is committed to upholding the values set forth by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in promoting, instilling, and upholding academic and behavioral standards. Also, the Honor Board strives to build inclusive communities and to promote social responsibility.

What is the Honor Board?

The Honor Board works to educate the community about the Honor Code and hears allegations of violations of academic and behavioral standards of conduct. The Honor Board Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary are student members elected by the student body and advised by the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities. There are student representatives for each class in the Undergraduate Studies, the College of Graduate Studies, and the College of Adult Undergraduate Studies. There are three faculty representatives elected by the faculty senate to the Honor Board and several university staff members that are appointed.

The Purpose

The Honor Code of Notre Dame of Maryland University has been a tradition since 1936 when un-proctored tests were initiated. It is founded on a pledge each student takes to act with integrity in academic and personal life. Based on the personal integrity of the individual and an active concern for others, the Honor Code is motivated by personal values, religious conviction, good taste, and the common good. Its purpose is to establish a university community founded on personal honor and mutual trust. This combination of personal commitment and community responsibility helps to strengthen each student as an individual and helps to develop mature powers of judgment and reason, intellectual and social honesty.  The Honor Code signifies the ideal of academic and personal integrity that each student is expected to model. Living the Honor Code strengthens the entire community and cultivates an atmosphere of unity founded on trust.

Belonging to the Notre Dame Community is both a privilege and a responsibility. It is a privilege to those who qualify and carries the responsibility to abide by the Honor Code. Adhering to the Honor Code is a responsibility shared by the entire campus community. Its effectiveness depends upon individual acceptance of responsibility and the reciprocal cooperation of the students, faculty, staff, and administration. Ultimately, each member of the community is expected to assume responsibility of his/her own conduct and to assume reasonable responsibility for the conduct of others. This results in mutual respect and a commitment of each member of the community toward civility. Within the spirit of the Honor Code, this may mean kind and courteous admonition when one observes another’s inappropriate conduct. At other times’ it means cooperation when authorities are investigating allegations of violations of academic or behavioral standards or encouraging the violators to report themselves. It is the responsibility of Notre Dame Students to understand and adhere to the Honor Code.