Makerere University law students to face committee over exam malpractice

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 70 law students at Makerere University will face the Examinations and Malpractices, Irregularities, and Appeals Committee to answer allegations of malpractices.

The allegations arise from online exams for the academic year 2020/2021 second semester.

While the rest of the university students did physical examinations early this year, leaders from the School of Law requested the management of the university to allow law students to do online examinations.

Percy Mpindi, the President of the Makerere Law Society said that while many students have been accused of malpractice, no verdict has been passed yet. She says that they will ensure that all the affected students get a fair hearing.

Information obtained from some of the students affected is that the first set of online exams was supposed to be take home with the students being given up to nine hours before submitting their work.

However, for this round of exams, students were given only four hours. It is alleged that some students submitted similar work.

This is not the first time students are being summoned over malpractice since the adoption of online exams.

Last year, six students from the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Education and External Studies were summoned by the Senate over the same.

While online examinations were largely adopted by higher institutions of learning as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown, a number of academic dons questioned whether it was the right timing to fully embrace it or step back and prepare better.

Dr. Julianne Sansa, a lecturer at the College of Computing and Information Science says that institutions still have a long way to ensure efficient supervision during exams.

Rev Dr. John Mutayimbwa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academics at Uganda Christian University-UCU faulted the manner in which online examinations are being set.

He noted that online examinations should not be set as sit-in exams which may require cram work but instead questions that test an individual’s thinking capacity.

Makerere University’s rules on Examination Malpractice and Irregularities state that in case one is found guilty, they are liable to cancellation of their exam and suspension not exceeding two years.

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