James Earl Orr Jr. appointed to International Center for Academic Integrity board

James Earl Orr Jr., assistant provost and director of Virginia Tech’s Office of Undergraduate Academic Integrity, will serve on the Executive Board for the International Center for Academic Integrity. His appointment was effective July 1.

Orr has been a member of the organization for eight years. The center selected him for his broad based-experience in academic integrity related to four key criteria: assessment, influence, practical/theoretical experience in implementing organizational change, and commitment to fostering student success. Earlier this year, Orr received the Waldvogel Exemplar of Integrity Award from the International Center for Academic Integrity.

In his current role at Virginia Tech, Orr led efforts to revise the university’s 107- year-old Undergraduate Honor Code by working with faculty, staff, and students to create a code that emphasizes educating both students and faculty members while seeking to create a culture of honor and integrity on campus. The new system gives significant responsibility to students and faculty to uphold academic integrity.

“James has, in his short time at Virginia Tech, changed the conversation about academic integrity at this university,” said Rachel Holloway, vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs. “He has collaborated with faculty and students to create a culture of academic integrity here so the Honor System is not just a mechanism to resolve violations of the Honor Code, but an opportunity to learn. His service on the Board of Directors for the International Center for Academic Integrity will be an asset for our institution as well as the overall efforts of the center.”

Orr has experience at three different college campuses to promote a culture of academic integrity and has worked with several other institutions.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the International Center for Academic Integrity as a member of their Executive Board of Directors. The organization promotes true student success through its focus on cultivating student learning, pedagogical practices that enhance student learning, and overall student ethical development,” Orr said.

Orr received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Mississippi State University.