Honor Code

The centerpiece of the Honor System is the Honor Code, which states: “Honor Above All.”

The Honor Code represents the highest ideals of moral development, integrity, sportsmanship, and achievement, as well as respect for the ideas, work, and property of others. It is designed to teach students how to live their lives honorably and morally to be successful in college and life.

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The Saint Andrew's Honor System Explained

the meaning of the honor system

The Honor Code, which reads simply Honor Above All, forms the core of the Saint Andrew’s Honor System, a comprehensive policy rooted in a commitment to educate students about the fundamental nature of living an honorable life.

The definition of the system—outlined in detail within the student and faculty handbook—articulates the school’s expectations regarding student behavior in and out of the classroom with the goal of nurturing respect for student integrity, character, and respect for the property, work, and ideas of others. To accomplish its aim, the Honor System focuses on two goals: to educate students about honor and to include students in the Honor System process. At its core, the Saint Andrew’s Honor Code and System revolves around students, who even have a role in determining the individual consequences for students who run afoul of school expectations regarding academic integrity.

The student participation in this system ensures the educational programming and recommended consequences for honor infractions keep student growth in mind, which explains why many of the consequences include an educational component. The belief underpinning this approach is as follows: if students know the school’s expectations regarding honor—either because their teachers or peers told them or because through their own mistakes they learned it on their own— they will feel supported to do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

history of the honor code

Early in Saint Andrew’s history, the school instituted an Honor System, but it languished for decades. It wasn’t until 1989 that Saint Andrew’s considered renewing its commitment to fostering student integrity, and only as a result of the tenacious efforts of two students -- Hilary Pushkin, the Student Council President, and Peter Fechtel, the Senior Class President -- who proposed the reinstitution of a Saint Andrew’s School Honor System.

Determined to include students in the eventual system, these student leaders created a robust and comprehensive approach to honor education that invited students to participate in every aspect of the process, from voting for student representatives to interacting with the Honor Board Chair and Dean of Students as Honor Board and Council members. Saint Andrew’s School approved, paving the way for this unique and successful system that has now become central to the school identity by creating an Honor Committee in January of 1990, with the charge of instituting the Saint Andrew’s School Honor System. Senior Evan Nadel was named the first Honor Board Prefect.

The legacy of Ms. Pushkin, Mr. Fetchel, and Mr. Nadel now serves as a pillar of Saint Andrew’s mission by empowering and encouraging students to keep themselves and each other accountable to the motto Honor Above All.

the honor pledge & pinning ceremony

The Saint Andrew’s School community commits itself to the Honor Code through an Honor Pinning and Signing Ceremony at the beginning of each school year, when new and returning students as well as faculty and staff recite the following Honor Pledge:

Honor Pledge

As a member of Saint Andrew’s School, I pledge my honesty, academic integrity, sportsmanship, and stewardship to the school community, and I expect others to be responsible and to do the same. Honor Above All.

This Honor Pledge affirms that students understand Saint Andrew’s expectations regarding academic integrity, honesty, as well as behavior that falls outside of the classroom, such as sportsmanship and stewardship. When students repeat this pledge and accept their honor pin, they acknowledge their understanding of the importance of honor at this institution and commit to uphold it.

The Honor Code and Honor Pledge are placed in all classrooms and serve as a daily reminder of our

commitment to Honor Above All throughout all facets of our community. Teachers also place this statement at the top of all printed major assignments. Students must write/print out the statement Honor Above All before turning in all major essays, papers, and major projects.

The Honor Education Council

The Honor Education Council consists of the Honor Board Advisor who works closely with the Dean of Students as well as students who have been elected by their peers. Focused on promoting the value of honor through proactive educational programming, the Council meets each week to develop educational programming to promote honor in the community.

Upperclassmen in the Honor Council

The junior and senior members of the Honor Education Council, along with the Honor Board Advisor evaluate specific cases in which a student may have violated the honor code in an honor hearing. These “hearings” are not legal proceedings by any means, but rather a sincere attempt to understand the teacher’s and the student’s perspective regarding an honor code violation before determining appropriate and meaningful consequences that encourage the student to reflect on his or her behavior.

In the following steps, the Honor Board Advisor and juniors and seniors on the Honor Council:

Explain the process to the student as well as the confidentiality of the hearing.
Listen to each case brought before it.
Recommend a penalty for the individual who violated honor to the administration, if indeed the student broke the honor code.
Communicate the consequence to the student and teacher.

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