Students suspended for cheating and dishonesty have cried foul at the embattled University of South Africa (Unisa) over administrative bungles and alleged delays in finalising their hearings.

Four students, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, wrote to Daily Maverick accusing Unisa of treating them unfairly following their suspensions.

This comes after Unisa’s regional Student Representative Council (SRC) branch in Johannesburg issued a memo to the university’s management last week raising “deep concerns” about disciplinary processes.

Unisa claimed on Tuesday that the memo had not been received. 

“However, we take note of the statement issued by the Johannesburg SRC and the contents thereof. The university will engage with the relevant student leadership structures on the issues that have been raised, using existing engagement protocols for management and student leadership structures,” Unisa said in a statement.

The SRC memo

According to the undated memo, which Daily Maverick shared with Unisa, the Johannesburg SRC branch is concerned about the increasing number of student suspensions due to disciplinary actions.

“We strongly oppose this trend as it infringes upon student rights to education,” the memo reads.

The memo states that imposing “harsh suspension” for long periods not only hinders academic progress but also impedes students’ personal development.

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The memo says it is crucial to advocate for a more equitable disciplinary code.

“Rather than relying solely on punitive measures, we should incorporate clauses that emphasise remediation and support for students to learn from their mistakes.”

The disciplinary code, the memo states, should prioritise constructive approaches that foster growth over strict punitive measures.

‘Restorative justice’

The memo says consideration should be given to integrating restorative justice principles, mentorship programmes and educational support within the disciplinary framework.

This shift would emphasise a more rehabilitative stance, acknowledging that students can benefit from guidance and assistance in overcoming challenges.

“The university administration should reflect on these nuanced perspectives to ensure a fair and balanced disciplinary process that not only upholds academic standards but also facilitates the personal development of every student,” the memo reads.

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The SRC branch called for an immediate halt to disciplinary hearings scheduled during the current exam period.

“This practice poses a significant challenge for students, as it compromises their ability to concentrate on exams while concurrently attending disciplinary proceedings.”

Additionally, the memo states that the branch advocates for a comprehensive review of all disciplinary hearings conducted this semester, particularly cases that have been pending for more than a year.

“Such prolonged delays impede students’ academic progress, potentially affecting their graduation and other associated matters.”

Students’ accounts

One student, who is studying law, said Unisa has gone against its disciplinary code and is suspending students for about two years over allegations of plagiarism and cheating.

Since the start of October 2023, she said, Unisa had suspended affected students during online hearings on Microsoft Teams.

“This is happening in the law faculty. Students have made Facebook posts saying they are suicidal as they are poor and cannot afford to stay home for two years,” she said.

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Unisa, she said, relied on software called Turnitin to check for similarities between students’ answers and other published work.

For online exams, she said, Unisa used an invigilator app to highlight similarities between students.

“Law students who have been suspended by the university have been rejected by the Legal Practice Council when applying to register articles to become candidate attorneys.”

When law students apply to be admitted as an attorney, she said, this suspension had to be declared and would make it difficult for the person to be admitted as an attorney due to requirements for a candidate to be a “fit and proper” person. 

‘Forfeited fees, cancelled modules’

A second student said there were about 4,000 students whose disciplinary hearings were pending. 

“What stressed me out is that while having disciplinaries pending, they advise you to register for another semester and to re-register the module for which you received disciplinary action. Once you register, you have to pay your fees. As for me, I’m not a National Student Financial Aid Scheme beneficiary,” she said.

Her parents, she added, were paying her fees.

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In a semester, she said, a student could pay about R12,000 depending on the number of modules being studied.

“So once you register and pay while waiting for the disciplinary committee to call you, you will be able to do your assignments and even write exams. While waiting for your exam results, the disciplinary committee can decide to suspend you for about two to five years. Immediately once they suspend you, your fees will be forfeited and the modules you wrote will be cancelled regardless of whether or not you passed.

“I have depression and suicidal thoughts because of disciplinary action that is pending. No one in Unisa is willing to listen to our crisis. You will send them hundreds of emails but still not get a response. They are making money using this strategy of disciplinaries pending,” she said.

‘Systemic inefficiencies’

A third student said the disciplinary cases were unfair administrative acts.

“Students are being flagged for academic dishonesty but are not given a fair chance to plead their case,” he said.

In some instances, he said, innocent students had fallen victim to the system’s inefficiency. 

“Unisa always resorts to suspending students, which is contrary to their policy that says students who are first-time offenders should receive warning letters.”

“When we raise the matter with the Unisa lecturers and other committees, we are reprimanded for insubordination.”

A fourth student said she was suspended pending her results for a law module.

“I find it very disturbing and unfair after all the sleepless nights and stress of preparing for the exam,” she said. 

Unisa responds

Unisa said students and other stakeholders should be reminded that the university’s examination rules were in place to ensure the integrity of assessment processes and qualifications. 

During every exam period, according to Unisa, students are reminded of the importance of adhering to examination rules and the consequences if a student is caught violating these rules.

“In such instances, the university is obligated to invoke the student disciplinary code, which it applies without fear or favour, but also fairly and consistently. Both the university and the students have an obligation to protect and uphold the integrity of Unisa qualifications by ensuring adherence to the rules.”

Unisa said it must be emphasised that a pending disciplinary hearing did not block a student from registering. 

“The only students blocked on the system are those who have already gone through a formal disciplinary and have been sanctioned.”

A total of 1,541 students have been suspended. These students, Unisa said, had been suspended for violation of examination rules. 

“The acts of misconduct include plagiarism, contract cheating and non-compliance with the proctoring rules,” Unisa wrote.

Unisa said in terms of Chapter 7(3) of the student disciplinary code, a “student who is temporarily or permanently deprived in terms of the code of the opportunity which he/she has as a student or is temporarily or permanently denied admission to the University, forfeits any claim for repayment, reduction or remission of monies paid or payable to the university”.

Unisa said affected students have recourse to appeal against their suspensions. Currently, Unisa said the university was processing such appeals.

“Many of them have already been concluded and it aims to conclude the remaining ones as speedily as possible.”

In terms of the student disciplinary code, Unisa said suspension or any other sanction could be overturned on appeal.

“Until and unless the suspension decision or any other sanction is overturned on appeal, that sanction remains in force.” DM