The dam broke this week and horror stories flooded out about Brigham Young University’s Honor Code Office and the critical need for reform.
In the process, the wave that has swept across campus has opened an opportunity for a constructive discussion regarding student expectations and, just maybe, an atmosphere that more appropriately balances the desire to maintain standards with a sense of mercy and forgiveness.
BYU is a private institution, to be sure. Moreover, it’s a religious institution and therefore has standards of conduct — embodied in the Honor Code — and nobody should expect any different.