On Thursday, April 13th 2023, the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) adjudicated a case of a student violating the examination code of conduct.
Background
A faculty member in the Computer Programming and Embedded Systems in the MSc. Mechatronics programme flagged the end-of-semester examination paper of a student from cohort 2 of the C2025. Investigations carried out by both the ETH and Ashesi faculty members revealed that in arriving at the answers for certain questions, it was apparent that the responses of two students were very similar both in the method used and the answers they both arrived at.
Hearing
During the hearing, the accused admitted to looking at the responses of the other student and copying the method and answers. The other student whose work was copied was oblivious to all that transpired in the examination hall and was only made aware after the Dean requested a formal statement about the incident.
Verdict & Recommendation(s)
After deliberating, the AJC concluded that the student involved was found guilty of plagiarism and would receive a failing grade (E) for the course. As stated in Ashesi’s Student Handbook: “Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, unauthorised exchange of information or use of material during an examination, unauthorized transfer of information or completed work among students, use of the same paper in more than one course, unauthorised collaboration on assignments, and other unethical behaviour. Disciplinary action will be taken against academic dishonesty” (Section 7.4)
Although the Mechatronic Engineering Graduate Class of 2025 has not signed onto the honour code, it is clearly stated that…“Students who have not yet signed onto the Honour Code are still bound by the Examination Code of Conduct and Examination Rules.” (Section 8); and “Students must not look in the direction of another student’s work.” (Section 8.2)
Advice to the Ashesi Community:
The AJC would like to remind students that violating the examination code of conduct and a lack of academic integrity will have serious repercussions. In addition to this, the Ashesi community should remember the following:
- All students are to read the Student’s Handbook thoroughly and abide by all its rules and regulations. As stated in Section 1 “Refer to it often, keep it handy and let it guide you through your years at Ashesi.”
- Students should learn to plan their academic life better because leaving things to be done at the last minute can be very tempting and cause you to seek assistance elsewhere. Take the needed time to study ahead of an exam to allow your responses to reflect the effort you put into studying and to ensure the work is yours. Starting late can make you susceptible to tempting opportunities such as these which could have been avoided.
- Students should be cognisant of their surroundings when taking exams to ensure they are not giving others the opportunity to copy from them.
- During any exam, faculty “must leave as much space as possible between students (as much as the room allows)” (Section 8.1)
- Students must learn from past infractions regarding academic integrity, to understand the seriousness with which cases are treated.
We trust that this case will serve as a learning experience for our community. Academic honesty is very important at Ashesi and is central to our mission: To train a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders in Africa; to cultivate within our students the critical thinking skills, concern for others, and the courage it will take to transform a continent. Remember, this mission applies to all no matter the circumstance.