On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) adjudicated an alleged case of plagiarism. The students involved were accused of having portions of their work similar to another student. The case was escalated to AJC due to an informal resolution already on the student’s record.
As stated in Ashesi’s Student Handbook:
“Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, unauthorized 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, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, and other unethical behaviour. Disciplinary action will be taken against academic dishonesty” (Section 7.4)
After reviewing statements and interviewing students in question, the AJC concluded that the student involved was guilty of plagiarism. After deliberating, the AJC arrived at the following sanction:
The student found guilty will receive a failing grade for the course; and the student whose paper was being copied will sign an informal resolution due to the nature of collaboration that both students had indulged in before the exam.
Advice to the Ashesi Community:
The AJC would like to remind students that plagiarised work and a lack of academic integrity will have serious repercussions. In addition to this, the Ashesi community should remember the following:
- Signing on to the Honour Code is not just for signing sake. The onus lies on students to uphold all the tenets of the code and live by them daily regardless of the environment or circumstance. Sacrificing the Honour Code for friendship is obviously a dangerous path to take and students are advised to desist from it.
- With academic work moved to virtual learning spaces, students have discovered tempting and easy means for collaborating in their academic work i.e., WhatsApp, Telegram, Snap Chat etc. It is imperative that students take the signing of the honour code seriously now more than ever.
- Students should be careful about how they exchange their work. You can be held equally responsible for plagiarized work.
- Students should plan their academic life well because leaving things to be done at the last minute can be very tempting for students to seek assistance elsewhere. Time management is a skill that we all need to practice especially in this current dispensation of virtual learning.
- Students must learn from past infractions regarding academic integrity, to understand the seriousness with which cases are treated. In addition to publishing AJC cases, we will start publishing informal resolution cases to increase community awareness around infractions.
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.