Harvey Mudd College Honor Code

“All members of ASHMC are responsible for maintaining their integrity and the integrity of the College community in all academic matters and in all affairs concerning the community.” –ASHMC Constitution

Harvey Mudd College’s Honor Code is a matter of trust and team play. It is not a class in ethics or a set of rules dictated by the faculty. It’s a way of life, created and governed by students—respected by everyone. The Honor Code is based on the simple premise that, given the chance, people will do the right thing.

The Honor Code states that students are expected to act as responsible individuals, to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity both personally and academically and to respect the rights of others. The College considers these standards to be essential to its academic mission and its community life.

The Official Standard of Conduct

Harvey Mudd College is an inclusive community of faculty, staff and students. Students entering the community are assumed to have an earnest purpose. Diligent pursuit of this purpose is enhanced by standards of conduct agreed upon by the community. These standards are:

Thoughtful respect for the rights of others;
Honesty and integrity in both academic and personal matters;
Responsible behavior both on and off campus;
Appropriate use of campus buildings and equipment, and;
Compliance with College regulations and policies

What the Honor Code Means for Our Students

The Honor Code means closed-book exams in your dorm room. It means having an expensive calculator returned to you by a classmate after you left it behind in the lab. And it also means 24-hour student access—via card swipes—to state-of-the-art computers, labs, studios and shops.

Why the Honor Code Works

Students come to Mudd because they’re serious about getting a great education. When you come to campus, you’ll find an atmosphere that encourages honesty and cooperation. Students are immersed in an environment that reduces grade competition, in which freshmen experience their first semester at Mudd with a “High Pass/Pass/No Pass” grade system. Each Mudder has made a decision to join a community whose members act with honesty and integrity.