The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has blocked the graduation of students implicated in the alteration of more than 500 academic results in a major academic records scandal uncovered by the university.

The affected students are among 178 people identified by an investigation into the manipulation of students’ academic records, with the university withholding the graduation of those linked to the scheme pending further investigations and disciplinary action.

The Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Prof. Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, disclosed this at the university’s 18th Congregation, describing the development as “highly unacceptable” and warning of the serious implications for the integrity of the institution’s academic records.

According to him, investigations revealed that students and other individuals had breached the university’s information systems and manipulated results.

“Some unscrupulous students and some unscrupulous individuals breached our system by hijacking our system and changing results in our system,” he said.

178 People identified

Prof. Mawutor said the university’s investigation had so far identified 178 people connected to the manipulation of academic records.

He said some of the students involved subsequently admitted paying individuals to alter their results, while others confessed to collecting money from colleagues to facilitate similar changes.

“After the investigations, a number of them came to confess that indeed, they paid money to some unscrupulous people to change their results. Others also denied, while others confessed that they collected monies from their colleagues,” he stated.

The revelations have triggered disciplinary proceedings against those implicated, with the university taking the additional step of stopping affected students from graduating.

Graduation put on hold

Prof. Mawutor said some of the students identified in the investigation were scheduled to graduate but had been prevented from doing so because of their alleged involvement in the scheme.

“Some of these culprits were supposed to graduate, but due to the hard work of our ISTD team and the investigative committee, we have withheld their graduation until further notice,” he said.

He explained that the decision was necessary to allow the university to complete its investigations and determine the appropriate disciplinary measures.

The Vice-Chancellor said the scale of the latest incident made it particularly disturbing, although attempts to manipulate academic results were not entirely new to the university.

“This is a very, very unfortunate incident, which to me is not the first time, but this time, the magnitude is very, very significant,” he said.

System breach uncovered

Prof. Mawutor commended the university’s Information Systems and Technology Directorate (ISTD) and the investigative committee for detecting the alterations and tracing those connected to the scheme.

Their work, he said, had helped the university identify the manipulated records and persons allegedly involved in the process.

The university will continue with the investigations and disciplinary proceedings, he added, as it seeks to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alterations and determine the appropriate sanctions.

The Vice-Chancellor stressed the importance of protecting the credibility of UPSA’s academic records, particularly because certificates and academic results are relied upon by employers, professional institutions and other organisations in assessing graduates.

The case has therefore placed renewed emphasis on the security of digital academic systems and the need for strong controls to prevent unauthorised changes to students’ records.