ACADEMIC PROGRAM In keeping with its original purpose, HampdenSydney seeks “to form good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning.” The College is committed to the development of humane and lettered men and to the belief that a liberal education provides the best foundation not only for a professional career, but for the great intellectual and moral challenges of life. In an age of specialization, Hampden-Sydney responds to the call for well-rounded men who are educated in world cultures and can bring to bear on modern life the wisdom of the past. The College seeks to awaken intellectual potential in a search for truth that extends beyond the undergraduate experience. The College encourages each student to develop clarity and objectivity in thought, a sensitive moral conscience, and a dedication to responsible citizenship. The liberal education offered at HampdenSydney prepares the student for the fulfillment of freedom. It introduces the student to general principles and areas of knowledge which develop minds and characters capable of making enlightened choices between truth and error, between right and wrong. The mere facts about a subject do not speak for themselves. They must be interpreted against a background of ideas derived from an understanding of the nature of logic, language, and ethics. The individual who is educated in these areas and in the basic disciplines is able to confront any event with true freedom to act, outside the constraints of prejudice and impulse. Thus Hampden-Sydney’s curriculum is directed toward the cultivation of a literate, articulate, and critical mind through the study of the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. It provides both breadth and depth in learning and encourages independent programs of study. Believing that education should be a liberating experience emancipating men from ignorance, Hampden-Sydney strives to make men truly free.
Full details about the Honor System and the Code, including a description of penalties are published in The Key: Hampden-Sydney College Student Handbook.
THE HONOR SYSTEM The heart of all academic and social conduct at Hampden-Sydney is the Honor System, and the heart of the Honor System is individual responsibility. It presumes that every student is a gentleman who will conduct himself in a trustworthy and honest manner; it assumes further that every student is concerned with the strict observance of those principles for his own sake, for the sake of his fellow students, and for the sake of the College. Students, faculty members, and administrators place the highest value on integrity and honesty, and all support the Honor System. The Honor System is administered by students elected to office by the student body. In the orientation of freshmen and transfer students, Student Court members explain the Honor Code. Before formally matriculating at the College, a student must sign a statement acknowledging that he understands the Honor System and that an infraction is punishable by dishonorable suspension or dismissal. The Honor System pledge, which students write on their tests and other college work, is “On my honor I have neither given nor received any aid on this work, nor am I aware of any breach of the Honor Code that I shall not immediately report.” Infractions of the Honor Code are cheating; plagiarism; lying; stealing; forgery; intentionally passing a bad check; knowingly furnishing false information to the College; failing to report Honor Code violations; altering or using College or other documents or instruments of identification with intent to defraud or deceive; taking a book or other library materials out of the library without checking it, or them, out at the desk; removing any section of library materials, such as tearing or cutting out a page, or parts of a page; and unauthorized access to or use of College computer files, including attempts to gain unauthorized access or use. Suspected violations are investigated by student officers; trials are conducted by the Student Court. The aim of the Honor System is to instill and emphasize the highest standards of character and conduct, and to maintain community trust. A student’s obligation under the Honor System does not stop at the limits of the campus but applies in all places at all times.
