(UNIJOS Main Gate. Photo by Punch News)
The University of Jos has documented over 200 occurrences of examination malpractice in a single academic semester, and the school warns students against using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and other unauthorized gadgets during exams.
The institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Tanko Ishaya, revealed this on Friday during a meeting at the Faculty of Social Sciences, where students, staff, religious leaders, and community representatives gathered to discuss security and student welfare following the recent death of a former student, Ibrahim Mbaya.
Ishaya condemned the growing trend of m0b justice, describing it as a dangerous practice that must be stopped, after Mbaya was allegedly lynched over a suspected phone theft.
He decried the increasing habit of bystanders recording viol£nt incidents instead of alerting authorities, urging members of the university community to adopt a more proactive approach to security, stressing that the university is one big family and that recording and posting videos when a member of that family is in trouble is unacceptable and must change.
The Vice-Chancellor said community leaders had pledged to collaborate with the university to strengthen security around the institution, while appealing to landlords and residents to support efforts to protect students.
He explained that the initiative had become necessary given the rising insecurity in Plateau State, including att@cks on communities and educational institutions.
As part of measures to improve emergency response, Ishaya announced that all students would be given the official telephone number of the university’s Chief Security Officer, along with emergency contacts for the Plateau State Police Command and other security agencies.
He also cautioned students against allowing ethnic or political differences to undermine the unity of the institution.
On academic integrity, the Vice-Chancellor warned students against bringing mobile phones into examination halls to access AI applications such as ChatGPT, cautioning that offenders would be caught.
He disclosed that the university handled over 200 examination malpractice cases during the previous semester, with penalties ranging from suspension to expulsion.
He recounted the case of a final-year student with a Second Class Upper degree who was expelled over examination malpractice, noting that the student’s father reportedly died while waiting to attend his graduation ceremony.
The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that the university had set up a task force to recover outstanding school fees owed by students since 2022.
Exam malpractice refers to any dishonest or irregular act committed before, during or after an examination that violates the rules governing that exam, with the aim of gaining an unfair advantage or otherwise undermining the integrity of the assessment process.