If this semester is anything like previous semesters, as many as 30-50 students could be sent home from BYU-Idaho for serious Honor Code violations.

Students who have been found in violation of the Honor Code and have been asked to withdraw from school are given a second chance option of pleading their case before the BYU-I Honor Code Council, made up of four faculty or staff members and three randomly selected students.

“The council is set up as a fairness thing,” said Michael Lehman, BYU-I assistant dean of students. “If we make a decision to send a student home and they feel that what we are asking them to do is unfair, then they have the option of appealing to the council.”

Lehman estimates that usually four to five students each semester will take advantage of the opportunity to appeal to the council. The rest will decide to withdraw from school and go home.

“The council either upholds the [proposed] decision for the student to withdraw, or they say that the circumstances are such that they should be given another chance and then we usually put them on probation. It’s usually not being guilty or innocent, it’s more of a question of are they guilty enough to go home?” Lehman said.

Typical cases that have been brought to the council in recent years include issues of sexual misconduct, drugs, cheating, alcohol use and criminal activity.

“Every case is looked at individually,” Lehman said. “We consider the number of times a student has done something, previous incidences they may have been involved with, if we have seen them before, if they have been warned before. A brand new freshman may be treated differently than a returned missionary who has been here for four years.”

Although rumors abound on campus regarding those who may have seriously violated the Honor Code, Lehman believes that “the rumors are usually a little exaggerated and usually the numbers are off.”

Bishops are not able to report Honor Code violations to the school, but Lehman said that bishops are usually aware of the situation and may know something. However, because of the respect of confidentiality that is required from a bishop, they do not have to report anything to the school.

“We usually find things out from roommates or managers,” Lehman said.

Some students have decided to help build awareness of the seriousness and importance of the Honor Code and have created a student-run program in 2004 called Honor Outreach.

“Our goal is to help facilitate the students taking more ownership of the Honor Code,” said Dustin Hubbard, a freshman from Soda Springs, Idaho, and student director of the program. “We want students to teach students and help them make the spiritual connection of living basic principles of the gospel with living the Honor Code.”

Honor Outreach plans to host many more events for students to learn about, develop a greater love for and better live the Honor Code.

This past September 80 students attended a conference called “I-Honor It,” conducted by Honor Outreach.

“It touched on different principles of the Honor Code through talks, skits, videos and brainstorming. It was a very interactive conference,” Hubbard said.

In a poll taken of students who attend I-Honor It, over 75 percent said they had developed new desires and aspirations to do better and that the conference was more than they expected it to be.

Another conference has been planned for Jan. 28, 2006. “We’re always looking for improvement and growth to involve the students,” Hubbard said.