What is the Tiger Pact?
The Tiger Pact is an honor code that incorporates the values that are important to the Fort Hays State University Tiger Family. The Tiger Pact was developed by students to share our story and experience as a member of the FHSU family. It not only defines who we are as a member of FHSU, but also who we strive to be by every action. By forming our own honor code, we became Forward Thinking, and by striving to uphold the Tiger Pact, we become World Ready. We embrace our experience here, with our Tiger Family, because it allows us to go out and influence others. I am the future. I am a Tiger. I belong to a Family.
History of the Tiger Pact?
Fort Hays State University has always prided itself on family values. However, what makes FHSU special to many faculty, staff, students, and alumni had never before been defined. Under the leadership of Dr. Keegan Nichols, past Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, a task force was formed in 2013 to define these values. While the Tiger Family had believed an honor code existed, no such thing had existed before. It was decided that these values would be incorporated into a university honor code known as the Tiger Pact.
A survey was created by the task force and shared with all FHSU faculty, staff, and students for them to provide what they believed were the top values shared by an FHSU Tiger. From the values provided student organizations discussed and debated which values should be a part of this new honor code.
This feedback was collected and provided to a group of 20 students from across the Tiger Family. These students came together to carefully incorporate the most important values of the Tiger Family into one honor code that we now call the Tiger Pact.
The beginning of the first year with the Tiger Pact was celebrated with a candle lighting ceremony in the Quad on the evening before classes began in August 2015. The statement that was originally created by students continues to be celebrated throughout the school year by students.