On Thursday, March 28^th, 2024, the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) heard and deliberated on allegations of violating examination rules during the Signals & Systems quiz in the 2023/24 Spring Semester by a student from the Class of 2025.

 

Background to the case:

During the Signals & Systems quiz, the student in question was observed by the FI fidgeting with an item believed to be a phone hidden underneath the thigh. The FI approached the student and asked him to hand over the phone. The student pulled the phone out of his bag and handed it over to the FI. The FI inspected the phone and found a question bank on the students’ web browser. The FI reported the issue to the faculty member for the class and to the Dean of Student and Community Affairs. The case was subsequently submitted to the AJC.

 

At the hearing:

The FI, faculty member and student involved were all questioned at the hearing. The FI could not provide tangible evidence regarding the item believed to have been hidden underneath the student’s thigh. However, the student did share that he borrowed a calculator from a colleague who was invited as a witness at the hearing. As the hearing progressed, there were several inconsistencies regarding the accused and the witness’ testimony. The panel found that:

• The accused shared that they came to the lecture hall with a Casio calculator, however, the witness mentioned that they rather had two calculators, a Casio and TI-89, and lent the Casio to the accused.
• The student also shared that they picked the calculator from the desk they were sharing with the witness without exchanging any form of communication; however, the witness reported that the student used hand gestures to signal the need for a calculator to the witness.
• The student shared that their bag was placed on the floor between them and the witness, yet the witness shared that the student left the bag on the window ledge.

It was also discovered that prior to the hearing, the accused tried to collude with the witness by scripting questions and responses for the witness’ in readiness for the hearing. This evidence, a snapshot of exchanges sent on Snapchat, was shown to the accused, who was unable to justify the action.

 

The AJC deliberated on the following infractions of policies in the Student Handbook:

• “Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, unauthorized exchange of information or use of material during an examination…” (Section 7.4).
• “During an examination, students are not allowed to talk to each other, exchange verbal or nonverbal information or physical objects of any kind or engage in any activity that could result in the unfair advantage for one or more students before, during, or after the quiz or exam, while they are in or out of the classroom.” (Section 8.1)
• Students must leave mobile phones or electronic communication devices switched off. Mobile phones must not be kept on desks or on their person during the examination. (Section 8.2)
• Attempting to discourage, intimidate, or deter complainants, witnesses, or other participants in an Exam Honour Code investigation. (Section 8.3)
• “A student should not knowingly provide false information or make misrepresentation to any University office…Students who are found to have provided false information may be subject to dismissal.” (Section 9.2)

 

Verdict & Recommendations

After carefully reviewing all the case facts, the AJC concluded that the accused is guilty of violating the examination code of conduct and for lying to a university official, in this case, the AJC. The student is therefore dismissed with immediate effect from the university.

The witness was also found guilty of violating the examination code of conduct by exchanging materials with the accused during the quiz. The witness was therefore required to sign an informal resolution with the Dean of Students.

 

Advice to the Ashesi Community:

The Committee would like to advise that:

• There should be strict enforcement of examination rules and more education around the exam code of conduct, especially from faculty members, faculty interns, and invigilators. Exchanging anything during exams is not allowed.
• Faculty members, faculty interns, and invigilators should ensure to collect tangible evidence in the event of misconduct before confronting a student.
• Students are still expected to read and be aware of the examination code of conduct at Ashesi. Defer to the Student’s Handbook if ever in doubt.
• Ensure you have all the needed materials for any assessment.
• Lying to a university official or office and tampering in any way with the AJC process is not tolerated and will always have severe consequences.
• Students should ensure their calculators are cleared of any formulas or answers before they enter the exam hall; faculty reserve the right to do random checks during exams.
• Students must learn from past infractions regarding academic integrity to understand the seriousness with which cases are treated.

 

This case provides a lot of learning for the entire community, and the hope is that it is reflected on as such. Our code of ethics 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. This code applies to all, no matter the circumstance.