Norfolk Collegiate School 
Institutional Demographics
- Private, coeducational, college preparatory school enrolling students in Kindergarten through grade 12
- Enrollment of 900+ students
Honor Code
Norfolk Collegiate School students pledge that they have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on any test or assignment. Students are strongly encouraged, though not required, to report violations of the honor code.
Honor Council 
Students in middle school (grades 6-8) have an honor council with representatives elected from each grade. Students in upper school (grades 9-12) have an honor council with 2 freshmen, 2 sophomores, 2 juniors (who remain on the council for their senior year), and 3 seniors who are elected by their peers in the respective grades. Student representatives serve on the honor council for one year and are responsible for educating their peers about the honor code and for hearing cases of honor code violations, determining whether or not the student violated the honor code, and recommending sanctions to the Dean of Students.
Faculty
Faculty members are encouraged to demonstrate trust in students and to engage students in regular discussions about the importance of mutual trust and respect and the damage caused by academic dishonesty in the Norfolk Collegiate community. Faculty members are also urged by the honor council to take precautions to prevent academic dishonesty, including:
- Clearly stating the honor code and its relevance to homework, projects, tests, other assignments and tests on the course syllabus
- Engaging students in a discussion of the honor code on the first day of class and reminding students about their expectations for academic honesty regularly throughout the year
- Clearly explaining the parameters of assignments, including how much collaboration, if any, is acceptable
- Avoiding testing and grading procedures that create temptations to violate the honor code (such as using the same tests year after year, allowing students to grade their own tests, testing students on material not covered in class, etc.)
- Reducing the temptation to discuss test questions by giving alternate tests for different course sections and for students taking a test early or late
- Leaving explicit instructions for substitute teachers tasked with administering tests or quizzes
Initiatives
Peer education about academic integrity, an important role of the Upper School honor council at Norfolk Collegiate School, is accomplished through programs and events throughout the school year. Initiatives have included:
- Presentations by the honor council of the philosophy and procedures of the honor system, as well as their own beliefs about the importance of honor and integrity
- Presentations by prominent alumni, guest speakers from the community, representatives from college and university admissions offices, and our own college counselor about the importance of integrity at Norfolk Collegiate School, in athletics, in college, and in professions such as medicine, law, athletics, and government
- All students in middle school (grades 6-8) and upper school (grades 9-12) sign a collective honor pledge which is framed and displayed in the lobby of each school
- Honor convocation for all new students in grades 9-12 at the opening of the new school year featuring an address by the headmaster and an overview of the honor system by the honor council advisor. New students recite and sign the honor pledge at this convocation.
- Assembly for students in kindergarten through grade 5 featuring a local police officer and puppet friend with a ventriloquist presentation about character, honesty, and integrity issues
- INTEGRITY WEEK (mid-year) for grades 6-12, featuring
- presentation of framed honor code pledge signed by all students in grades 9-12 to the headmaster (to be displayed in the school)
- a “Day Without Trust” wherein students experience what the school community would be like without trust. (A variety of privileges were suspended for the day, including the freedom to leave the cafeteria and eat lunch outside, and seniors were not permitted to be dismissed from classes early and spend study hall time in the senior lounge.)
- workshops hosting honor council representatives from other local independent schools for training and discussion
- workshops with representatives from college and university honor council
- program for students in grades 9-12 on Integrity in the Workplace, with guest speaker from a local university
- special edition of "Oak Leaflet," Norfolk Collegiate School newspaper, featuring integrity issues
- programs for students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 on Academic Integrity at Norfolk Collegiate and Beyond, with a guest speaker from a university honor council
- Honor council visits to the Lower School campus to meet with students in grades 4-5 about honor and integrity
- Classroom visits by the guidance counselor to discuss character, honesty, and integrity with students in Lower School (kindergarten through grade 5)
For more information, contact Karen Clifford at Kclifford@norfolkcollegiate.org or visit the Norfolk Collegiate School website.