The University of South Africa (Unisa) is investigating at least fifteen thousand students accused of plagiarism. The institution’s online system flagged potential instances of copying and cheating during recent exams.
Unisa uses an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) approach to education. This means that students study from home and don’t attend any in-person classes. In recent years, the institution also began conducting its examinations online.
Several measures have been put in place by the University to maintain the integrity of its online examinations. This includes requiring students to use proctoring tools so their activities can be monitored while they write their examinations.
Unisa Plagiarism Rules
According to Unisa, all academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by a student is expected to be the result of their own work. The University views acts of copyright infringement and plagiarism as a serious offence.
Plagiarism is the act of taking words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as your own. It is a form of theft which involves a number of dishonest academic activities.
Students are advised to review the University’s Policy on Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism and the Student Disciplinary Code, which are both available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/unisarules
Students are advised to study the Disciplinary Code, especially chapter 3 (1.19).
Unisa SRC Concerns
Unisa SRC President Nkosinathi Mabilane says students have been flagged in other examination sittings. During the 2023 October/November Unisa exams, approximately 5,000 students were flagged for alleged cheating.
Mabilane explains that many of these students who were classified as first-time offenders were allowed to rewrite their examinations. However, students classified as repeat offenders faced the university’s disciplinary processes.
So, there are students that were pardoned who were first-time offenders. And there’s about 2,000 or less students that are repeat offenders and the university had to take them through the disciplinary processes of university
The SRC president adds that it is critical for the university to ensure that its mechanisms to prevent cheating are imperative for protecting the qualifications obtained by students. This includes strengthening its processes and improving the tools it uses to protect the integrity of exams.
Mabilane emphasises the importance of ensuring students understand its examination rules and the use of proctoring tools.
"We must emphasise more on educating our students on how online examinations work and and that the rules have not completely changed besides the fact that now you must have the self-discipline to know that you are writing remotely and the same rules that would apply when you're in a venue would still apply now."
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