The Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages is an ‘Honors’ Program.  As such it outlines clear norms of conduct for its students to follow. 

The IUHPFL relies upon the individual student’s sense of responsibility and honesty to understand and abide by the IUHPFL Honor Code.  By participating in the Honors Program, the student agrees to abide by the following norms:

1. Language Commitment:  The students’ commitment to speak only the foreign language during the length of the Honors Program is the key to their success and the pillar of the Honors Program.  Only the foreign language is to be used in the school, by the host families and the students outside the school and home at all times, except in case of an emergency.  For this reason, telephone communication with your family and friends is limited and access to the Internet is restricted to one hour per week.
    
   1. When we say that communication with your family and friends is limited, we mean that you are permitted to call home once, upon your arrival to the host country.  No other calls to your family or friends should be made, except for in case of an emergency.
       
   2. This commitment implies no devices shall be used (e.g. walkman, CD player, iPod, or any other MP3 player, etc) to listen to music that is NOT in the foreign language of study.  Also implied in this commitment is the prohibition of all cell phones and laptops abroad.
       
2. Restrictions on Dating Pledge:  Honors Program students may not date abroad as they may be accustomed to doing in the U.S. not only because dating customs are different in other countries but also because focusing on one person can be counterproductive to the unity of the group of students, the interaction with the host family and the learning experience.  This applies to relationships with other Honors Program students or with a member of the host culture.
    
3. Prohibition of the Use of Alcoholic Beverages, Drugs and Tobacco:  Even though the laws of other countries may differ from those of the U.S. with regard to the consumption of alcohol, drugs and tobacco, Honors Program students are to conduct themselves abroad as minors from the state of Indiana.  That is, they are not allowed to buy or accept alcoholic drinks at any time, including in their host family.  Additionally, students may not take alcohol home with them to the United States.  They also may not purchase, possess or use drugs which are not prescription medication dispensed for their own specific medical condition.  Honors Program students are not permitted to smoke.
    
4. Risky Activities:  Driving a car or other motorized vehicle is forbidden.  Riding passenger on a motorcycle is prohibited.  Honors Program students are only permitted to ride passenger in a car with an adult driver who is a member of the host family or has been authorized by the staff.  Any risky athletic activity that could result in physical injury can only be practiced with the authorization of the students’ parents and that of the staff.  Honors Program students are not permitted to receive tattoos or piercings during the Program.
    
5. Weeknight and weekend activities:  Honors Program students may spend one to two hours (depending on the Program site) after the classes and activities in the afternoon socializing in the town center, provided they have informed their host families of their whereabouts and have received their permission.  During weeknights, students may go out only with their host families, provided they have obtained permission from the staff and are home at a reasonable hour so as to prepare well for classes the following day.
   
   During weekends, students must have special permission from the host parents and from the staff to go out in the evenings.  Additionally, students are to return home by the curfew established by the staff.  Discos are prohibited to Honors Program students at all times.*
   
   *There may be minor exceptions to this rule with regard to certain family outings in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
    
6. Pledge to adhere to host family norms:  Honors Program students are to treat their host families with respect and courtesy, making every effort to follow the norms established by the family.  Students are to follow suggestions presented to them at Orientation in an effort to abide by host family norms.
    
7. Travel:  There shall be no unaccompanied travel outside of the host town.  If students wish to travel with their host families outside of the host town, they must receive permission from the staff.  Overnight trips with host families shall not interfere with the class schedule as academics are the Honors Program’s top priority.
    
8. Honors Program students are not to host U.S. friends or family in the study site while the Program is in session.  The Honors Program session officially ends the day of the students’ scheduled departure from the host country for the U.S.
    
9. Post Program Language Commitment:  All Honors Program students must pledge to help the school’s language program in any way possible, as well as continue studying their foreign language during their senior year in high school or at a local university.  If such an opportunity is not available at the students’ school or local community to continue classes in the foreign language, the student must simply pledge to help the school’s language program in any way possible.
    
10. Honors Program Pledge to Excellence:  Above all, Honors Program students pledge to follow the above Honors Code in order to facilitate maximum language learning while abroad and to ensure their safety.  Honors Program students shall maintain a positive attitude and strive to make the most of their unique opportunity abroad.  Students who have fulfilled the Honors Program Pledge to Excellence and have thereby demonstrated consistently outstanding class performance and adherence to the Honors Code will earn the Honors Program Award of Excellence upon their return to the U.S.

In the IUHPFL model, the strength of the Program as a whole is only as strong as its individual constituents.  This means that the pledge to adhere to the Honor Code is as much a group pledge as it is an individual pledge.  Consequently, in making the pledge, the IUHPFL student not only agrees to fulfill the pledge him or herself, but also agrees to hold his or her peers accountable for maintaining the pledge as well. 

• The adherence to these norms is of critical importance.  Infractions of the Honors Code will result in repercussions, the most severe of which could be expulsion from the program.
   
• Any infraction of the Honors Code will be recorded by the on-site staff in an official Incident Report and immediately communicated to the guardians of the Honors Program student, the student’s host family and the Honors Program staff in Bloomington.  Repeated infractions are grounds for re-evaluation of the student’s participation in the Honors Program. Any infraction deemed egregious by the on-site and Bloomington staff will result in immediate expulsion from the Honors Program.
   
• It is important to note that if a student receives an Incident Report, he/she may jeopardize his/her chance to earn the Award of Excellence. Any Incident Report received will also be noted on the student's final evaluation.
   
• It is also important to note that the actions of the majority may sometimes affect the whole group.  In the event that the Honors Code is violated by a large number of students collectively, the consequences may apply to the entire group of students.  For this reason, IUHPFL students must hold one another accountable for their actions and for their adherence to the Honor Code.