News / National
UZ students cry foul over 'ghost' module
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Final-year postgraduate social work students at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) have raised alarm after completing a module without attending a single lecture or writing a formal examination, sparking fresh concerns about deteriorating academic standards at the country's oldest university.
The students, who were pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, said they were shocked when they were informed on June 30 that an individual assignment - initially issued as part of the coursework - would be used as their final examination mark for the Community Health for Social Workers module.
The module was supposed to be taught by a lecturer identified only as Chikombe, who circulated a course outline to class representatives on April 24. According to the students, while they submitted the assignments outlined in the document, no lectures were held, either physically or online, as UZ lecturers have been on strike since April demanding better salaries.
Lecturers at UZ are reportedly earning less than US$300 a month and have been engaged in industrial action over the stagnant salaries, severely disrupting the academic calendar.
One of the affected students, who requested anonymity, said the situation escalated when course coordinator Mavuka instructed class representatives via a message on June 30 to submit individual assignments from the course outline. These assignments were later marked and recorded as final examination results.
"We were told this was our exam mark," the student said. "This was orchestrated by the same lecturer who previously tried to impose a class representative on us last November, something we rejected. It seems this was punishment for defying him."
The students allege that on July 15, the Department of Social Work held a board meeting attended by lecturers to approve marks for examinations that were never formally conducted for a course that was never taught. These marks, they said, were then finalised and uploaded as official examination results.
One lecturer reportedly resisted the department's attempt to use the same strategy for the Mental Health and Social Work module, insisting on delivering lectures and setting a proper examination, which was eventually written in April this year.
Students said they are deeply concerned about being awarded marks for a subject they did not study, fearing it undermines the credibility of their qualifications.
"This is an issue of academic integrity. We didn't learn anything in that module. How can they assign us marks and claim we have passed?" said another student.
The developments come amid growing fears that the ongoing lecturers' strike is eroding academic standards at the University of Zimbabwe. Students worry the prolonged impasse will have lasting damage on the institution's reputation and the value of its qualifications.
Efforts to get comment from UZ administrators on the matter were unsuccessful.
The students, who were pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, said they were shocked when they were informed on June 30 that an individual assignment - initially issued as part of the coursework - would be used as their final examination mark for the Community Health for Social Workers module.
The module was supposed to be taught by a lecturer identified only as Chikombe, who circulated a course outline to class representatives on April 24. According to the students, while they submitted the assignments outlined in the document, no lectures were held, either physically or online, as UZ lecturers have been on strike since April demanding better salaries.
Lecturers at UZ are reportedly earning less than US$300 a month and have been engaged in industrial action over the stagnant salaries, severely disrupting the academic calendar.
One of the affected students, who requested anonymity, said the situation escalated when course coordinator Mavuka instructed class representatives via a message on June 30 to submit individual assignments from the course outline. These assignments were later marked and recorded as final examination results.
"We were told this was our exam mark," the student said. "This was orchestrated by the same lecturer who previously tried to impose a class representative on us last November, something we rejected. It seems this was punishment for defying him."
The students allege that on July 15, the Department of Social Work held a board meeting attended by lecturers to approve marks for examinations that were never formally conducted for a course that was never taught. These marks, they said, were then finalised and uploaded as official examination results.
One lecturer reportedly resisted the department's attempt to use the same strategy for the Mental Health and Social Work module, insisting on delivering lectures and setting a proper examination, which was eventually written in April this year.
Students said they are deeply concerned about being awarded marks for a subject they did not study, fearing it undermines the credibility of their qualifications.
"This is an issue of academic integrity. We didn't learn anything in that module. How can they assign us marks and claim we have passed?" said another student.
The developments come amid growing fears that the ongoing lecturers' strike is eroding academic standards at the University of Zimbabwe. Students worry the prolonged impasse will have lasting damage on the institution's reputation and the value of its qualifications.
Efforts to get comment from UZ administrators on the matter were unsuccessful.
Source - The Standard
