Exam malpractices: Universities agree to conduct audits

Aug 08, 2013

Quality assurance officers from both private and public universities have resolved that the institutions should conduct regular examination audits in a bid to reduce examination malpractices.

By Joyce Namutebi      
     
Quality assurance officers from both private and public universities have resolved that the institutions should conduct regular examination audits in a bid to reduce examination malpractices in the institutions.

This and other resolutions were reached during the first Ugandan Universities Quality Assurance Forum (UUQUA) National conference held at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU)-Female's Campus, Kabojja.

UUQUA president, Prof. Michael Mawa said they had in March this year conducted a study on examination malpractices in Uganda and found out that in most universities there are different kinds of malpractices.

"Each university has developed a system of managing malpractices, but there is no inter-university system of dealing with them," Mawa, who is also the director quality assurance at Nkumba University, said.

He for instance said that if a student is dismissed from one university due to malpractices, he can decide to go to another and he or she is admitted and this means that the disciplinary measure taken by university that dismissed the student, has not been effective.  

"We have agreed to carry out regular assessment of the examination system to ensure quality of exams in our universities and improve on management of our exams," Mawa said.

Participants came from universities in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi. In Uganda, universities represented included Nkumba, IUIU, Ndejje, Bugema and Kyambogo. Also present was the Country Representative Germany Academic Exchange Services, Dr. Mirja Gille.

The participants also resolved that the universities would develop and share Quality assurance best practices in teaching, learning, administration, research and publications with other institutions.

They further agreed to ensure institutions' adherence to the approved admission requirements for higher education institutions and classification of standards for certificate, diploma, degree, post graduate diplomas, masters and PhD levels of study.

They tasked their organization to engage National Council for Higher Education and relevant government bodies to treat all chartered private and public universities equally with respect to accreditation of programmes, monitoring, evaluation and financial requirements.

They agreed to develop a practical Quality Assurance Handbook to guide junior Quality Assurance officers in the universities in Uganda.

UUQUAF was established in 2012 during a quality assurance meeting held at Busitema University.

The Rector IUIU, Prof. Ahmed Sengendo said due to globalization, universities should be training for the globalized market.

 

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