On April 17 2006, the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) ruled against two students for academic dishonesty. One student had sought help from another on a practical although the lecturer had instructed that students work independently on all practicals. During the hearing the students admitted to collaborating on the practical.
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 behavior. Disciplinary action will be taken against perpetrators of academic dishonesty”
Sanctions:
- The students received an F on the practical
- The students are required to present an oral and written apology to their lecturer and classmates
- The incident would be on their student file for reference in the event of another AJC case.
Although a typical sanction for this type of offense might be a failure in the course, in this case the students’ sanctions reflect the relatively minor nature of the violation. However, the sanction is on the students’ record and will be considered a first offense in case of any subsequent violations.
The AJC would especially like to advise students of the following:
- Carefully read instructions on assignments.
- Avoid collaborating on work that requires you to work independently.
- Communicate with lecturers about any difficulties with assignments.
