By Tiffani Nichols
Similar to BYU''s honor code, Notre Dame has the duLac and Texas Christian University has a code of conduct. These religiously affiliated universities have values that they expect their students to abide by. BYU''s honor code is unique in its rules as well as how the honor code is executed.
BYU is the only school out of the three that is a completely dry campus, meaning students are not allowed to consume alcohol at any time, including in their dorms and apartments.
Notre Dame, a Catholic university with 10,800 students, and TCU, a Christian university with 7,775 students, have specific regulations regarding alcohol, including no underage drinking and places that are off-limits for consuming alcohol.
Notre Dame has parietals, which means that members of the opposite sex have a curfew for hanging out in each other''s dorms.
Tess Civantos, a Notre Dame student, said the university is strict about parietals.
'They are really serious about that,' Civantos said. 'Dorm parties will always end before 2 a.m.'
Another Notre Dame student, Irena Zajickova, said, 'How strictly enforced parietals are depends a lot on the location. I think rules are definitely more strictly enforced in girls'' dorms than in boys'' dorms.'
BYU and Notre Dame share the same visiting hours during the week: 9 a.m. to midnight. On weekends, Notre Dame''s visiting hours extend to 2 a.m.
TCU has co-ed halls, but members of the opposite sex are not allowed to sleep in each other''s residences. The visiting hours differ based on the hall.
Greek life is nonexistent at BYU and Notre Dame. TCU, on the other hand, has fraternities and sororities, but there are detailed rules restricting hazing.
BYU''s honor code statement is much shorter than the other two schools. Instead of describing the regulations of specific situations, the honor code has short statements of expectation.
'Our honor code is principle based,' said Jonathan Kau, the associate dean of students at BYU. He said the honor code is based on the 13th Article of Faith of the LDS church.
Patrick Lovelace, a BYU student from Atlanta, said many BYU students have been members of the LDS church for a long time so they understand the LDS church''s values.
'I think they believe your word and don''t feel the need to give baby steps,' Lovelace said. 'The honor code is enforced well.'
Each of the schools has an office that handles students who break university policies.
Glory Robinson, the associate dean of students and discipline officer at TCU, said situations at TCU are handled case by case.
'Our philosophy is educational,' Robinson said. 'It is not punitive.'
BYU students are required to get an ecclesiastical endorsement before continuing on with each academic year. The endorsement is entirely based on the student''s honesty.
Ecclesiastical endorsements are unique to BYU.
Notre Dame students sign to follow the duLac when they are accepted to the university.
'Obeying the duLac is not something many students really commit to at any time, and definitely not year after year,' Civantos said.
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