All new classes at Ashesi are given the opportunity to discuss the honour system during their first semester, and to make a conscious decision to ratify the honour code or to operate outside the honour system. First-year classes are required to vote after the mid-semester break of their first semester, and the result of that vote is effective for their four years of college at Ashesi.

Classes that vote not to join the honour system are not given the opportunity to join at a later date. Similarly, classes that vote to join the honour system during their first year are not given the opportunity to vote out of the system at a later date.

In order to ensure that there is a clear consensus among classes that join the honour system, a class must achieve a 2/3 majority vote in favor of joining the honour system

The honour code is intended to build a high-trust community, to put students in charge of their ethical posture and the reputation of their alma mater, and by so doing, to take a significant step in Ashesi’s mission to educate a new generation of ethical leaders in Africa. Classes that choose to join the honour system are deciding to put every member of that class in charge of enforcing a no cheating environment.

Students will be making an affirmative choice to act according to a high standard of personal ethical behaviour, and to hold their peers to the same standard. Classes that take this stand with regard to exams are also implicitly committing to ethical behaviour outside the classroom as well. They will be afforded a high level of trust by the faculty and administration, and as such, will fully participate in a university that is currently the only one in Ghana where students can be trusted to take un-proctored exams.

Classes that choose not to join the honour system are simply stating that they are not prepared, as a class, to hold each other responsible for ethical behaviour. Some students who vote against the honour system may do so because they are unwilling to personally commit to Ashesi’s ethical code and are not in favour of being held accountable by their peers. Classes that choose to operate outside the honour system will not have the same level trust with faculty and administrators. Their exams will be proctored.

Please note, however, that the university remains committed to its principles and will hold all students accountable regardless of whether their class has joined the honour system or not. Not joining the honour system does not constitute a license to cheat; it only means that members of the class will be less trusted than others in this community. The university will continue to hold students individually responsible for complying with the university’s code of ethics

The Office of Student and Community Affairs oversees the implementation of the exam Honour Code, working closely with faculty, students, and student government. Suspected violations of the Exam Honour Code may be reported by intentionally omitting to sign the pledge – included with every exam booklet – or by speaking directly with the Faculty member teaching the class, or the Dean of Student and Community Affairs.

If a pledge is unsigned and unchecked, the student will be contacted in order to determine whether they intentionally left the pledge unsigned. If the absence of signature was intentional, the faculty member or Dean will investigate the matter further.

Violations of the Exam Honour Code are adjudicated by the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) as described in the Ashesi Student Handbook.

Information about the AJC can be found in the student handbook (See student handbook page 141 section 4)