In the media

A University of North Sumatra (USU) rector has been involved in four separate plagiarism allegation: one in 2014, two in 2017 and one in a 2018 dissertation submitted to apply for a professorship. This is the third plagiarism case at USU following a 2013 case involving a lecturer and a professor in 2015. The two had been sanctioned with delayed promotion and were not allowed to hold any academic position inside or outside the university. The rector could face similar sanctions if found guilty.

About 22,556 ghost workers were discovered in local government pay system in Borno after two verifications exercises on local government staff and primary teachers. Reports show that N183.6m has been recovered in bogus teacher’s salary while N237m from ghost local government staff. The total number of primary school teachers in the 27 local government areas was 26,450 before the verification, however, 2, 204 did not appear before the committee.

Over 75 students were charged for breaking West Point’s Cadet Honor Code in a math test while studying remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those who admitted cheating had been sent on a six-month rehabilitation programme and would be on probation for the rest of their time at West Point. This is the biggest cheating scandal at West Point since 1976 when 153 cadets were expelled or resigned for cheating on an electrical engineering exam.

Academic corruption linked to the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgency of strengthening transparency and accountability in African universities. Such corruption includes research malpractice, questionable research management, mismanagement of research funds and procurement fraud. Several university officials bypassed public procurement procedures for the purchase of materials and equipment for coronavirus research. 33 papers were identified as unsuitable for public use and either retracted, withdrawn, or noted with concern.

The Florida Department of Education revealed that the Sarasota County School District falsified records and placed students on alternate assessment to avoid state testing or accountability in order to benefit financially. Investigators found that 27 of 66 sampled students’ files did not include sufficient documentation to demonstrate that they were placed correctly.

A survey of staff at South Australia’s three major universities has uncovered widespread bullying and harassment, with managers accused of being more concerned with their institution’s reputation than academic and general staff well-being. The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption survey received responses from more than 3,000 staff and one in five said that their university did not have adequate protections for those reporting misconduct and more than 10 per cent said their organization actively discouraged reporting.

The Director of the now-closed Christian University of Rwanda and the former Prime minister received a three-year jail sentence and a fine of RWF892.2 million (US$907,000) after he was found guilty of issuing cheques that bounced and for failing to pay the teaching and administrative staff. The Rwanda Investigation Bureau also arrested the former vice-Chancellor of the University of Kibungo for alleged nepotism and mismanagement of the university’s finances.

There have been reports of students in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay, IIT-Kharagpur, and IIT-Ropar using WhatsApp groups to share solutions to questions, and using breaks to call their peers during the examinations. A professor reports that 95% of students cheat. To prevent it, the Ministry of Education has established a committee to develop a common protocol for online internal examinations, and universities are considering the introduction of a code of honour.

172 cases of sexual harassment committed by students and staff have been reported in the past five years. A science professor left the university in September after sexual harassment allegations made by a female employee and NUS and the police launched investigations. However, in many cases, complaints might result in termination without disclosure, allowing the faculty member to secure a job elsewhere and continue his career.

There were over 100 cases of cheating at the University of British Columbia (UBC) during an online math exam. The UBC director announced that the consequences for the students involved might vary from a warning to a zero on the test, a zero in the course, or even suspension or expulsion. The University has taken the necessary measures to ensure the integrity and security of all online courses.