Director of Academic Affairs at the University of Ghana (UG), Lydia Anowa Nyarko Danquah, has defended the publication of names of students involved in examination malpractice, noting that it is aimed at protecting the integrity of the institution.
The Office of the Registrar of the University of Ghana earlier released names of students found guilty of examination malpractice, along with the sanctions imposed on them.
The Academic Affairs Director explained that the policy is not intended to shame or punish affected students, but to deter others from engaging in examination malpractice and to uphold the university’s reputation and integrity.
“This is university policy; we do it every year. We have a process to sanction students who commit malpractices during exams. We want to discourage that because it goes against the university’s image and against the certificate you receive as a student when you go out.
“It is not like we want to punish or shame people for evil reasons. We just want to discourage it,” she said.
Meanwhile, students of the University of Ghana have expressed mixed reactions to the move.
While some believe the directive will deter students from engaging in malpractice, others argue that, despite its intentions, the policy could subject affected students to psychological distress and stigma.
“Even though I think the university has good intentions for publishing the names, I also think that it exposes the student to a certain level of mental trauma,” a student said.
“I think it’s high time we dealt with people who are engaged in such behavior because examination has rules. I don’t think the university is wrong,” another noted.
