Background
Following an appeal that was granted by the President of Ashesi University, an appeal committee was constituted to review the case of unauthorised use of another’s meal plan information reported to the community on April 20th, 2023. As stated in the Student’s Handbook: “A request for an appeal may be brought by any of the parties involved to the President of Ashesi … but only on the grounds of new evidence or procedural error” (Section 12.12)
Hearing
On Tuesday, April 25th, the Ashesi Judicial Council (Appeal Committee) adjudicated on the case. The accused denoted a procedural error, an eating disorder and being a first-time offender, as a reason to request for a lesser sanction than the dismissal.
Verdict & Recommendations
After deliberating, the Appeal Committee found the student still guilty and concluded on a lesser sanction of suspension for two semesters: this being the student’s first offense. As stated in Ashesi Student’s Handbook: In determining a sanction, the AJC will consider all the circumstances of the case, including the intent of the student; the character and magnitude of the offense; …and mitigating or extenuating circumstances (Section 12.11, II). The committee could give a sanction with the following ranges:..Social misconduct: Suspension (minimum of a semester) to expulsion from the University (Section 12.11, IV). Sanctions are cumulative increasing in severity for repeat offenders. (Section 12.11, V)
Advice to the Ashesi Community:
Recommendations presented to the community after the first hearing still stands and will be reiterated below for the benefit of all:
As stated in Ashesi Student’s Handbook:“Students who are found to have stolen property (or attempted to) from members of the University community are subject to an AJC hearing which could lead to dismissal.” (Section 9.4); “Individuals must not use another person’s user ID without expressed permission.” (Section 9.6 (1c).
- While being kind to others is encouraged at Ashesi, students should not share their meal plan ID details and passwords in any form with others. Should it become necessary to purchase meals/snacks for another, students should kindly go to the vending point and complete the transaction themselves. If you cannot go to the vending point for any reason, kindly ask another student to complete the transaction from their account and make payment arrangement later. The Natembea Health Centre also has a process for purchasing meals for students who are on admission.
- Students who share meal plan details should understand that they are placing the system's integrity at risk and exposing their accounts to unauthorised access by others.
- All vendors must ensure they have the equipment to scan ID cards and fully operate the meal plan system. Meal plan IDs should not be entered manually. The Committee recommends that the University implements a policy for fining vendors who continue to do this or terminate contracts if the behaviour is repeated.
This case provides a lot of learning for the entire community. Parents/guardians upload money onto this meal-plan system to ensure their wards have adequate food for the day, and a breach in that has ramifications that go beyond their wards possibly going to bed hungry, into loss of trust in Ashesi’s community code of ethics and 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.