About Us

All universities have a code of conduct which outlines the expectations of behavior for its students. BYU refers to their code of conduct as the Honor Code. All universities have an office that is primarily responsible for addressing behaviors that violate its code of conduct, which is generally under the purview of the Dean of Students Office. At BYU, the HCO has the responsibility to address behaviors that violate the university’s code of conduct.

Our goal is to help students come back into good standing as quickly as possible. We want students to succeed. Similar to other universities, the student conduct process exists to protect the interests of the community and to guide those whose behavior is not in accordance with its policies. HCO actions are intended to develop students’ moral and ethical decision-making. Decisions are carefully considered as the HCO strives to protect the rights, health and safety of all members of the BYU community.

The purpose of the Honor Code process is primarily educational. Our focus is working with students to understand, reflect, and recommit to the standards of the university. We want all BYU students to succeed and thrive. While a separation from the university may occasionally be necessary, we believe that as students engage in an educational Honor Code process, we can address almost all behaviors without any need for separation from the university. In fact, over 95% of our cases are resolved with the student remaining fully enrolled at BYU, with only about five students being expelled each year from a population of 33,000 students.

The HCO staff participates in ongoing training on important topics such as trauma and sexual assault. As members of the student conduct professional organization, we participate in national trainings on best practices and current issues in higher education. The staff has also completed trainings by Counseling and Psychological Services including in QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer), recognizing signs of suicidal ideation. Additional trainings also include trauma informed care, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), addiction, mental health, and other relevant topics. The members of the HCO staff also come with a wide variety of experience, background, and training in working with students.