Air Force Academy makes changes to honor code

By Mary Shin  |  Colorado Springs Gazette

The Air Force Academy has revamped its honor code implementation for freshmen and sophomores to focus on education when they do not report others for violations.

The honor code states cadets will not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do.

The school changed its practices in early 2024 after the number of cadet-initiated character investigations reached historic lows, said Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, commandant of cadets.

During the 2022-2023 school year, cadets initiated three cases or 0.4%, according to a presentation Marks gave last week to the Board of Visitors. The board includes members of Congress, who ask questions about curriculum and other aspects of the academy.

Often when the numbers of cadet-initiated investigations into honor violations, such as cheating, fall it can be an indication that cadets are disengaging from practicing and abiding by the code, Marks said. Cadets are expected to confront and report those they suspect of violations.

Former Superintendent Gen. Richard Clark asked the school to solicit ideas from cadets about how to encourage participation in the code and found that it can be tough for the youngest cadets to turn in others.

“We came to the realization we needed to revamp our code, or the practice of it, so that it resembled the developmental journey,” Marks said.

While freshman and sophomores are still strongly encouraged to confront and report those they suspect of violating the code, the academy is adjusting its expectations to meet younger cadets where they are, he said.

If a freshman confronts another cadet but does not report them, the academy now expects they will continue to participate in the robust honor training in place for freshmen, he said, which includes courses and journaling required for all.

If a sophomore is in the same situation, where they confronted someone but did not report the person, Marks said, the school expects they will seek a mentor to help them determine why they could not report the violation.

A statement from the academy said the honor code standard remains the same, but the school has realized additional development is necessary to achieve the standard.

Juniors will be held to sanctions if they do not report a violation, Marks said.

Once someone is reported for violating the honor code, the school provides an informal and a formal process for the accused cadet to explain their actions. Honor violations can lead to probation and disenrollment.

In addition, the school now introduces the honor code expectations on the cadet’s first day at the academy.

“We found there is benefit to laying out what the expectations are as early as possible,” he said.

Since the changes, the school saw cadets report 18 cases or about 19% of the honor investigations in the 2023-2024 school year, his presentation said. Senior cadets made about 75% of those reports. The rest came from underclassmen, a statement from the academy said.

Academic faculty at the school report the majority of honor code violations, a statement from the school said.

Retired Brig. Gen. Marty France, a graduate and former Air Force Academy academic department head for over 13 years, said he believes the academy’s changes to honor code enforcement might work against the academy’s goal of encouraging cadets to come forward.

“It would seem very difficult and problematic to me that, after two years of allowing something that equates to lower standards, you flip a switch and expect different behavior,” he said.

He also noted that if a certain standard is enforced, cadets will learn from their mistakes and their successes.

“It is insulting to the incoming generation to assume they can’t uphold the same standards that earlier classes were held to,” France said.

“The current generation is every bit as good as those hallowed graduates of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. We should and can expect just as much from them.”

Cadets also need to be prepared as officers to hold others accountable, France said.

“The honor code is to me the heart of the idea of service to the nation,” he said. “Diluting it is not the answer.”

The last major cheating scandal at the school was during the pandemic.

In 2020, about 250 cadets were involved in honor violations after 3,000 cadets were sent home during the pandemic. Some of the infractions included failing to properly cite sources and using unauthorized tutoring websites, to receiving solutions to exam questions in real time and completing final exams in small groups, The Gazette reported previously.

Contact the writer at [email protected] or 719-429-9264.

First published in the Colorado Springs Gazette

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