This September, Marlborough’s Academic Integrity Council (AIC) was elected and convened for the first time. The council, made up of nine students in grades 9 through 12, is responsible for assigning penalties for cases of academic dishonesty, and works heavily with faculty, including teachers, department heads and Dean of Students Kendall Beeman. So far, the AIC has worked on 16 cases.

The night before a council member has a case, they are emailed the name of the student and a thorough description of the infraction. The next day, that student explains the situation and their perspective in front of two or three council members, two or three advisors and the teacher involved. Prior to the creation of the AIC, individuals who had engaged in academic dishonesty would share their thought process in front of a group of teachers and administrators. Including peers in the process has been crucial since they are able to understand their peers in a way teachers and advisors cannot.

“[Students] liked having students there because they could really empathize with them,” Beeman said. “A lot of times, the seniors will say, ‘I know how hard junior year is … I remember that essay, and that was really hard.’”

Prior to their case assignments, the AIC went through extensive training on how to implement restorative justice and making unbiased choices. They were given several cases, decided the best steps and presented their decision to advisors who gave feedback. Their training equipped the students with the tools necessary to make fair, compassionate and equitable decisions.

“We always try to put ourselves in the student’s shoes and take into account what they’re feeling, as well as what would have been a better solution,” AIC member Breylin ’25 said.

When assigning cases, Beeman primarily looks at grade level and extracurricular involvement in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Typically, seniors are assigned junior cases, juniors are assigned sophomore cases and so on. However, subject specificity also plays a role so there has been a further attempt to create a more understanding environment for individuals whose cases are particular to a certain class.

For council members, the experience has helped them gain a greater sense of empathy and improved their interpersonal skills.

“I knew that coming to the board I would have to be very open-minded and empathetic to the students’ experience because it’s obviously really hard to come in front of a board,” AIC member Lilly ’26 said. “But also, you have to know what to say to that student when you ask the questions. You have to phrase it in a ‘I’m not judging you, but I’m just wanting to know more [way.]”