...48 students rusticated for registration malpractices
Cape Coast, April 04, GNA - Four members of staff of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), have been dismissed and 48 students at various levels of study, rusticated, for "academic registration malpractices" during for the 2005/2006-second semester, by the UCC authorities. Twenty-two of the students, have been rusticated for four semesters, and the remaining 26, for two semesters.

The students were alleged to have registered for the second semester after the deadline for registration on January 27, after paying monies ranging between one million and five million cedis to the four members of staff.

Mr Isaac Ohene, Deputy Registrar (Academic) who disclosed this to the GNA in an interview at Cape Coast on Tuesday, did not provide names of the affected staff, but said the UCC authorities took the action after a disciplinary committee had investigated the matter. He said nine other students who had been implicated, were however, not found guilty and no action had been taken against them as a result.

Mr Ohene explained that although notices were posted early, before the end of the first semester to enable each student register for the second semester, the affected students, failed to meet the deadline. He said the UCC authorities took the action to instil discipline among the students, serve as a deterrent, and argued that by their actions it was evident that they were capable of engaging in examination malpractices.

Mr Ohene said the university "would do everything possible", to protect its image and would not condone such malpractices, adding; "Investigations are still on-going and any student found guilty would be dealt with accordingly."

He said so far, 98 students had been rusticated since the 2002/2003 academic year when on-line registration was introduced at the university in 2001.