As the school year begins, our lives as students at the University of New Haven begin to take shape. Freshman start to acclimate, returning students get ready for another year, and seniors begin to plan their lives outside of UNH. That being said, this year the University plans to bring a new level of student excellence to campus with the implementation of the Charger Compact.

The Charger Compact, created by students for students, is an honor code developed to motivate members of the student body to strive for excellence both in and out of the classroom.  Approved by President Kaplan, the Undergraduate Student Government Association, the Graduate Student Council, the Faculty Senate and the Staff Council, the Charger Compact is set to become the new mantra on campus.

The Charger Compact embraces six important values and asks each and every member of the University community to strive to live up to them. While these values are not required to be a student here on campus, living on campus to the standards provided by the Charger Compact will not only enrich students’ lives on a personal level, but will provide for a safe and respected inter-campus community.

The Charger Compact asks members of the UNH community to do each the following: strive for academic excellence, assume responsibility for one’s words, actions and inactions, respect the dignity, rights and property of all persons, strive to appreciate, respect and learn from others whose experiences and opinions are different from their own, conduct one’s academic and personal life with integrity and strive to contribute positively to the campus, local and global communities.

Think you know someone who embodies the Charger Compact on a daily basis? The Charger Bulletin will soon be featuring students (suggested by faculty, staff, and the Office of Residential Life) who integrate the six goals of the Charger Compact into their everyday lives. As you embark into the 2009-2010 academic year, take the University’s new honor code with you and be recognized as an excellent student both in the classroom and around campus!

As an extra: want to meet one of the people who helped to make the Charger Compact a reality? Want to have a face-to-face discussion with one of the most important people on campus? Make sure to go to Pizza and a Movie Aug. 26 at 5:00 pm in the Alumni Lounge to meet President Kaplan and watch An Inconvenient Truth!