On 5th May 2017, the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) ruled on a case of academic dishonesty and violation of Ashesi’s code of ethics in a Social Enterprise course.
The AJC concluded that the student, a member of the Class of 2014, was guilty of unauthorized transfer of information and for misrepresentation of information to a university official, after finding that the student had unlawfully taken a journal that belonged to another student from a pile submitted to a Faculty Intern and denying knowledge of such upon being confronted, and ruled on accordingly.
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. – Section 7.4.
Code Ethics—Ashesi University, its students, and its professional associations will not in any way condone cheating, lying, or any other misrepresentation. moreover, anyone who willingly conceals these activities will be considered accomplices and equally culpable—Section 7.5.
After deliberating, the AJC arrived at the following sanctions:
The student will receive a failing grade for the course and a semester suspension (First Semester of 2017/18 academic year).
Advice to the Ashesi Community
The AJC encourages the Ashesi community to remember that academic dishonesty and violation established ethical guidelines can have serious repercussions on our mission and adversely impact the wider community. The AJC would like to further remind the Ashesi community of the following:
- Students must note that taking items that do not belong to a student is a violation of the University code of ethics.
- Students must understand that misrepresentation and lying to university officials is a serious offence.
- Students must understand that information delivered to, under the care or oversight of a University official cannot be retrieved or taken by the student or any other student without permission from the custodian.
- Students should take great care in ensuring that work submitted is a true reflection of their abilities.
- Students should be aware of previous informal resolutions; repeat offenders will come straight to the AJC.
Academic honesty is very important at Ashesi and is central to our mission. We trust that the Ashesi Community will learn and grow through these experiences.
