On 27 May 2014, the AJC found a student guilty of providing false grades to a potential employer. This is known as misrepresentation or fraud. Ashesi learned that the student provided the employer with grades that were inconsistent with Ashesi’s official records when the employer brought it to Ashesi’s attention. The student has been suspended for a semester.
The fact that the student presented inaccurate and misleading grades is an ethical violation and does tremendous damage to the name of Ashesi and the efforts we have made to foster integrity and positive behavior. A student who misrepresents grades to potential employers makes it more difficult for subsequent Ashesi students to present themselves as ethical and trustworthy. Furthermore it makes a mockery of what Ashesi stands for.
Sanctions:
1) The student has been suspended with immediate effect, to include the semester that runs from September to December 2014. The student will be eligible to return in January 2015.
2) The student will not be allowed to represent Ashesi externally, to compete or participate on behalf of Ashesi until September 2015. This includes international exchange programmes.
3) Any staff or faculty recommendations that the student requests from Ashesi between now and September 2015 will mention this judgment.
4) The student will write a reflective paper about the case, highlighting the mistakes, where the student went wrong, and how the student thinks think this act has affected the Ashesi community, including past and present students.
5) The student will not be allowed to submit grades to any external partner without verification by the Ashesi Registry.
In addition, Ashesi will be informing the potential employer who raised the case which lead to the AJC hearing and judgment, and will ask the employer to rescind their offer. Ashesi will also inform another employer, who has already committed to employing the student through Ashesi, about the incident and ruling.
The AJC would like to advise students of the following:
1) When asked to present grades, quote official grades accurately, and if needs be, have them verified by the Registry.
2) Understand fully the system surrounding Focus, Records and Courseware, and how the grades are recorded.
3) Attend sessions run by the Registry to fully understand Focus, Records and Courseware.
Do not exaggerate or misrepresent your grades and accomplishment when applying for jobs or educational opportunities.
