Board Room—PM Breakout Session  

• Tolerance (USMA, USAFA, T A&M) 
• Discourage/culer? 
• Coercion (Norwich) 
• Honor oath (USAFA) 
• Conspire to Decieve 
• Honor Concept (USCGA) 
• Act and Intent 

How soon is too soon in teaching the idea of an Honor Code? 

• Appreciation for the Honor code may not come until after out of the institution 
• Making/building character vs. revealing character 
• Theory X—“Pain avoidance” may be best for particular age group 
• Theory Y—“Right thing to do” may better serve older group 
• There may be cultural, societal, differences in accountability at younger ages 
• There may be communication/interpretation challenges with different age groups 

How difficult is it to turn in a classmate/colleague? 

• Stigma may attach as the enforcer of the code 
• Integrity and honesty can’t be a “ some time” thing 
• Conundrum: Loyalty to Peers vs. Duty to Code/Institution 
• For the system to work, it must be “All or Nothing” 
• Disciplinary actions can be constructed for age appropriateness 
• Use removal of “reward” for younger students 

Should “intent” be a factor in determining violations of Honor Code? 

• “Ignorance” is no excuse 
• Does the end justify the means? 
• Does environment circumstance influence “Cherry Picking” through the Honor Code? 

Is there a universal moral compass? 

• One set of conduct codes at the institution; one set for a “secular” environment (Peer pressure; social norms) 
• “Friends don’t let friends lie, cheat, steal. . .” 
• Basic goodness and sense of “right” should prevail—is this a safe assumption? 
• Choose your friends carefully 

Should an Honor Code be “Situational” vs. “Bright Line”? 

5 October 2010, 1030 Breakout Session, Gouldthorpe (facilitator) 

• Does a “Single sanction” system run counter to a learning environment? 
• There are ample opportunities to ask questions to avoid violations 
• Enforcement serves as a reminder and proof of accountability 
• Toleration may reduce reputation of institution and the value of its credentials and degrees 
• Isn’t rehabilitation a part of the learning process? 

 Overcoming the Challenges to Leader Development 

• How do we overcome the stigma to asking for help in academia and beyond 
• Honor system versus a real world which tolerates a lack of ethics 
• Diffusion of values 
• Lack of Code outside of military academies 
• Misunderstanding of the terms “character” and “morality” 
• Breakdown of the family unit 
• Loss of absolute values 
• Lack of discipline and consistency academically 
  • Liability issues at school 
   
• Separate values professionally and personally 
• Who’s in charge of discipline and character building? 
• Divide between academic and residential life 
• How do we teach leadership and character development institutionally as a unit? 
• Defining ethical platform- Can we agree on certain absolute principles? 
• How do we assure that faculty consistently embrace the core mission? 
• Moral-ethical dilemma of ranking values 
• Lack of commitment/loyalty in business, military… 
• Education recognizes almost exclusively individual effort and performance rather than leadership 
• Lack of effective communication due to technology, social networking, lack of attention 
• How do we address constant change? 
• Role of media in influencing values (mainly negative) 

What we need: 

• Balance of change and continuity 
• Positive reinforcement 
• Leading by example 
• Encouraging mentorship 

5 October 2010, 1425 Breakout Session, Gouldthorpe (facilitator)  

Honor Systems as Components of Leader Development 

Nature of Honor in academic and social settings: 

• Perceived honor/ reality 
• Many companies encourage employees to simply accumulate billable hours without  
• Which are the companies seen as “good,” held in high esteem? 
  • Apple, google, Chick-Fil-A, Disney, GM…military 
   
• What do these companies have in common? 
  • They give workers flexibility but expect professional work 
  • Comfortable work environment 
  • Take care of employees (stock options, etc) 
  • Value people 
   
• But, how do they treat past employees? 
• Does the honor code exist in the corporate world? 
  • No           
    • Debt 
    • Unethical practices (Enron) 
    • Only if someone gets caught 
    •  
     
• Where does it start? 
  • Leadership 
  • Home, family 
  • “they” are only a reflection of us (poor leadership, congress, etc) 
  • It’s about more than self; unit, culture, values 
  • Adhering to an honor code does not equate to living honorably 
   
• What do “good” companies do with new employees? 
  • Training 
  • Mentorship 
  • Outline expectations 
  • Code of conduct 
  • Familiarize them with company values 
  • “Inspect what you expect” 
   
• Code of Conduct 
• Is it voluntary? 
• Great organizations have trust, honor, horizontal communication, upside down pyramid   

Questions: 

• How do we get around toleration in the honor code? 
  • It is better for you not to tolerate 
  • Loyalty to the unit/organization comes first 
  • Don’t let dishonorable people get ahead 
   
• What qualifies as an honor code violation? 
• Should honor codes sanction all violations equally? 
• Should all military academies have a uniform honor code? 
  • One and done? 
  • Single sanction? 
  • Rehabilitation? 
   
• Does a second chance system encourage dishonorable behavior? 

General Conclusions: 

• Need integrity in having and living core values 
• Assure common values in order to have happy employees and success 
• Students and officers have the obligation to uphold their organization’s honor code and make necessary improvements. 
• Distinction should be made between conduct and honor 
• Education and Enforcement are necessary in conjunction