Student Handbook 2024-25 > Community Expectations and Honor Board > Other Honor Board Policies and Proceedures > Honor Code Amendments

Honor Code Amendments

Within a month of the start of every academic year, a town hall must be called to ratify and/or amend the Honor Code for that academic year. Any member of the Olin student body may submit a proposal for an amendment to the Honor Code to the Honor Board Chair or Vice Chair at any time. The proposal must include the reasons for the amendment and the proposed wording of the amendment, along with signatures of at least 10% of the student body.

Once the proposal has been brought to the Honor Board, a Town Hall Meeting must be called within the same semester to discuss and vote on the proposed amendment. If the proposal was brought to the Honor Board within the last two weeks of the semester, the Honor Board reserves the right to hold the Town Hall during the first month of the next semester. Multiple amendments may be considered at one Town Hall Meeting. The Town Hall Meeting is open to all of the Olin community, and all students are expected to make an effort to attend. Quorum (half of the student body) must be met to vote on any amendments.

At the close of the meeting, all students present in-person, present on zoom, or otherwise previously informed and adequately knowledgeable of the amendment(s) changes will vote by secret ballot, once per amendment, with the option to vote for each proposed amendment or the unchanged Honor Code. Each amendment that is approved by 50% of the student body will immediately go into effect. If no amendments are approved by 50% of the student body, the Honor Code remains unchanged.

After all proposed amendments are voted upon, all students present in-person, present on Zoom, or previously informed and adequately knowledgeable of the Honor Code will vote by secret ballot on whether or not to abolish the Honor Code. If less than 50% of the student body votes to abolish the Honor Code, the Honor Code remains in effect.

If the Honor Code is abolished, policies drafted by the Student Affairs and Resources Office will take effect immediately. In order to reinstate the Honor Code, a proposal must be submitted to the Student Affairs Office, which will put the issue to a student vote, as per the policies of the Student Affairs and Resources Office.