Students in the college of accounting sciences make up the highest number of cases flagged by the University of South Africa (Unisa) for violation of exam rules and regulations.
This was revealed by the university’s acting vice-principal for institutional development, Professor Ramagoai Magano, when speaking to Sunday World at the institution’s quarterly media briefing held in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Magano said that although the college of accounting sciences was responsible for the highest number of students flagged for exam dishonesty, further investigations cleared most of them of wrongdoing.
“A lot of them, when we went back to check as per the explanation that was given, we realised that the cases were not material to have been escalated. So, ordinarily, a lot of those students ought not to have been flagged as students who would have been dishonest in their examination process,” he said.
He said the proctoring system used by the college of accounting sciences to clamp down on cheating, as per the requirements of the regulatory body, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, was sensitive.
“The system used is simply quite sensitive in picking up what was spoken about and noises that are really normal,” he said.
Magano said another reason accounting sciences students featured prominently in the initial list of students flagged for exam irregularities could be partly because of the number of enrolments in that college.
“They are a bit huge relative to other small colleges, such as the college of agriculture and environmental sciences,” he said.
Unisa confirmed that there was an investigation into 1 456 students for academic dishonesty. Magano said the university had kicked off formal hearings on March 25 with the affected students.
“Approximately 75 cases are targeted for completion each week until the targeted completion date for all cases at the end of May this year,” he said.
He said although the number of students who were being flagged from the college was high, the figure of those facing a formal hearing was very low.
Magano said all cases pertaining to non-adherence to the invigilator app, a mobile proctoring application, had been concluded. He said the investigations concluded that the contraventions were minor, resulting in the affected students being issued warning letters.
He stated that students who are currently under investigation or undergoing disciplinary action are eligible to register.
“So, should they be found not guilty, they are not disadvantaged with regard to their studies and academic progress,” said Magano.
