The institution has a comprehensive policy on the promotion of academic integrity and prevention of plagiarism, which is applicable to all its staff and students. The University regards plagiarism as anathema to the essence of what it is to be an academic institution as well as an academic, and does not tolerate any form of plagiarism from staff, students or associated persons.
It was thus with great concern that the University learned, through a newspaper report dated 14 October 2020, of the allegations of plagiarism against a company linked to one of its Adjunct Professors.
Adjunct Professors are not employees of the University. They are awarded the honorary title in accordance with the institutional Policy on conferring Honorary, Emmeritus, Ad Personam, Visiting and Adjunct Professorial Titles (HEAVA).
An Adjunct professorship is a title conferred on persons of professorial status employed in other institutions or agencies, whose appointment would assist in developing and strengthening engagement with industry and the professions, and enhancing the levels of experience and expertise within the University, as well as its scholarly and intellectual work.
While Adjunct Professors are not in remunerated employment of the University, all HEAVA title holders are required to comply with the University’s rules, policies and procedures. The HEAVA policy states that such an honour may be withdrawn if, inter alia, the awardee brings the University into disrepute.
The University, however, has to follow a procedure which is “lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair”, as per the Constitution. To this end, the Professor has since been requested to respond to the allegations, in keeping with fair administrative processes.
Once received, the matter will be subjected to an internal process and a ruling duly made thereafter.
The University wishes to allow sufficient time for this process to take its course.