Honor Council Observer

[Faculty Handbook Category #2]

The Faculty Observer to the Honor Council assists the members of the St. Olaf College Student Honor Council in learning their duties and in carrying them out in accordance with the constitution of the Honor Council. The Observer also serves as a liaison between the faculty and the Honor Council. Specifically, the Observer should attend the majority of cases being tried by the Honor Council to ensure that they are conducted in a fair, consistent, and thorough manner. In the process of trying cases, the Observer may ask questions of the persons appearing before the Honor Council, may participate in the deliberations of the members of the Honor Council, and may, most importantly, clarify issues and comment on the appropriateness of given procedures. But when it comes to making decisions, the Observer may not vote, nor attempt to coerce the decisions taken by the Honor Council members. The Observer must also encourage the president of the Honor Council, through due consultation, to make sure that elections are held in the proper time and manner to provide members to the Honor Council and leadership within the Honor Council. The Observer must stand ready to advise Honor Council members on any substantive or procedural question at any time, or to respond to questions or concerns the faculty may raise about the functioning of the Council.

The Honor Council Observer is elected by the faculty for a three‑year term of office.