UJ expels 50 students for fake matric certificates, sick notes and misconduct

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has expelled 50 students for serious breaches of academic integrity, including the submission of fraudulent medical certificates and plagiarism.

UJ spokesperson Herman Esterhuizen said it had become common for students to submit fraudulent sick notes during exams. He said 25 students were recently expelled for fake sick notes, while the other 25 were dismissed for infractions such as plagiarism, presenting fake matric results, and submitting unauthorised notes.

“Regarding the issue of fraudulent medical certificates submitted by students during exams, this is a common phenomenon at universities nationally and internationally. The university views this behaviour as a serious breach of trust and academic integrity,” he said. 

The university said the expulsions would be in effect for up to two years after they were found guilty.

Esterhuizen said the recent expulsions highlighted UJ’s stance on maintaining the credibility of its academic assessments. “UJ employs several verification measures, including cross-referencing with medical providers, verifying contact information, and examining the formatting and content of the certificates.

“The number of transgressions, though worrying, is a very small percentage of our overall student population and is in line with transgressions observed at other higher education institutions with similar rigorous processes. We take academic integrity very seriously and uphold stringent ethical standards,” he said.

The crackdown follows previous instances of academic misconduct at UJ, including a case in 2017 where students used fake sick notes bearing the names of rap artists, Dr. Dre and Wiz Khalifa to bunk exams.

Medical doctor Liz Kudita shed light on what constitutes a valid sick note.

“A sick note must include the patient's name, signature from the doctor, date, and a hospital stamp. It should also have a patient number and, in some cases, the doctor's practice number for verification purposes,” she said. 

Kudita said though doctors are not allowed to disclose patient's diagnoses, it was unethical for a doctor to falsify information about a patient's condition or the duration of their sick leave.

“As a doctor, I cannot disclose the patient's diagnosis, but employers can verify the authenticity of the sick note by contacting the hospital to confirm the patient's treatment period,” said Kudita.

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