Exercise and sport science requires Honor Code training

Students taking department of exercise and sport science classes now have to go through an extra step to prove their academic integrity.

The department is the first at the University to incorporate an online module about the Honor Code, provided by the Honor Court, into its curriculum.

The module was created by the Honor Court last semester and became mandatory this fall for incoming freshmen and transfer students.

But exercise and sport science is the first department to make it mandatory, said Student Attorney General Amanda Claire Grayson, one of the module’s creators.

The module is a collection of slides detailing aspects of the Honor Code, such as plagiarism and cheating policies.

Troy Blackburn, associate professor of exercise and sport science, said after students review the slideshow they have to pass an assessment and then receive a certificate of completion.

He said the requirement did not come in response to any sort of issue, but rather was put in place to make sure one did not happen.

He said that with the close relationship the department has to athletics, leaders wanted to prevent any unwarranted suspicion by requiring this module.

“We wanted to reinvest in the Honor Code,” Blackburn said.

“This module acts as a contract between the student and (teachers).”

Blackburn said the department also wanted to clear up any confusion about what constitutes a violation.

He added that professors have had mixed reactions to the module.

The chief complaint is that because the certificate doesn’t specify students’ names, it is difficult to verify true completion.

Grayson said the module is intended to ensure that students understand University polices.

“Naturally, they need to understand what that is and how to comply with it,” Grayson said.

But some students doubt the effectiveness of the module.

“There was nothing that I felt like I didn’t already know,” said senior Anna DeFrancesco, an exercise and sport science major.

DeFrancesco said the module is a hassle, especially because she has to show her certificate to each course instructor.

Grayson said that no other departments besides exercise and sport science have approached the Honor Court about implementing the module.

Blackburn said that the department would be happy to be a leader in an effort to strengthen the Honor Code.

Senior Bridgette Bryant, an exercise and sport science major, said she thinks the module is excessive as one of her classes required it to pass the course.

Bryant said measures are already in place to prevent Honor Code violations.

“To be fair across the board, it should be done in all majors or none,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.