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I am Reporting Myself

The purpose of BYU’s Honor Code is to build disciples of Jesus Christ. An important part of this experience is to learn how to make choices that align with personal values. As part of one’s decision to enroll at BYU, students commit to strive to maintain the highest standards in their personal conduct regarding honor, integrity, morality, and consideration of others. The Honor Code Office is here to assist students in their commitment, especially when they act contrary to their commitment.

BYU students are unique. They know how it feels to have a sense of inner peace that comes with making choices that align with the gospel of Jesus Christ, their values, and their commitments. When they act contrary to these inner inclinations, it can create internal conflict. Students often seek a path to resolve this conflict and bring themselves back to a sense of inner peace. It is common for students to self-report violations to the Honor Code Office when they have acted in a manner contrary to their commitments to help them resolve this inner conflict. In fact, about 25% of Honor Code reports are self-reports.

Students considering self-reporting to the Honor Code Office, may feel nervous or anxious. To help alleviate some of this anxiety, the following information explains what a student will experience when they self-report to the Honor Code Office.

Students will be given an explanation about what the Honor Code process entails and support resources that are available as they participate in the process, as well as the possible outcomes for an Honor Code violation.

The purpose of the Honor Code process is primarily educational. The focus is on working with students to understand, reflect, and recommit to help them succeed and thrive.

  • There are no set consequences for specific violations because context matters. Outcomes are determined individually, even in cases in which multiple students are involved. Prior violations, how students are able, or not able, to make meaning of their experience during the Honor Code Investigation process, and the impact and relative severity of the behavior are considered when determining the appropriate path forward for each student.

    It is very uncommon for anyone who self-reports to be separated from the university. A significant part of the Honor Code process is for students to reflect on their behavior and set goals and plans to make changes. This process works best when students are honest regarding the impact of their behavior, and demonstrate a desire and ability to make different choices. Students who self-report often have already internalized these lessons and are ready to move forward.

    However, there are times when the self-reported behavior is sufficiently egregious and/or patterned that it becomes necessary for the student to step away for a time so that they can work to develop new habits and behaviors. In these cases, the Honor Code Office continues to work with the student, even during the separation, so that they are able to return as soon as possible.

    Depending upon the issue that is being addressed, students can receive an educational action plan that creates an opportunity to increase self-awareness, develop new habits, and demonstrate a renewed commitment to abide by Honor Code principles.
  • Students have the option to have a support person present during any meeting related to this process. That person’s role is not to speak on the student’s behalf, but to sit quietly and provide emotional support. A person also involved in the incident cannot be a support person. It needs to be someone that is not associated with the behavior in question.
  • A bishop does not share any information with the HCO, and the HCO does not share any information with a bishop or other ecclesiastical leaders. Ecclesiastical leaders are NOT permitted to reveal confessional conversations. With that said, there are times when a student is working through the repentance process, and the Bishop invites the student to self-report to the HCO.
  • During the course of the Honor Code process, if the student in any way suggests an activity or behavior may have involved nonconsensual sexual acts or relationship violence, the process immediately stops and the student is referred to the Title IX Office.