Malawi University of Science and Technology's (MUST) landmark first graduation of Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) students descended into controversy on Thursday, after multiple graduates came forward claiming serious injustices in how their degree classifications were awarded.
Nyasa Times can reveal that numerous ODeL students who failed to meet the minimum academic requirements were nonetheless awarded credit-level degrees, while other students who should have qualified for credit graduated with a mere pass instead - a stunning discrepancy that has thrown the integrity of the university's grading system into doubt.
Under MUST's own Senate rules and regulations, students are only entitled to graduate with credit if they achieve at least a 65 percent average at Level 3, or at least 60 percent at Level 2.
One graduate, who completed a Bachelor of Arts in Language, Communication and Culture, said the problem was particularly acute for students with carryover modules - those who had previously failed subjects and were required to retake them.
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Speaking on condition of anonymity, she said her grades, and those of fellow students in similar positions, did not appear to have been processed correctly against the university's own regulatory standards.
'I have seen two students who had carryovers like some of us but have graduated with credit,' she said. 'And there is another one who saw his credit through SARIS but today he has graduated with just a pass. These are just a few of many examples.'
A university official, speaking to Nyasa Times, pointed the finger at the institution's grading software, suggesting the chaos stemmed from either a systemic flaw or widespread human error.
'MUST uses SARIS system, which has serious operational problems,' the official said.
'Grades entered at departmental level frequently do not match grades generated by the system. We have seen cases where departments award credit, but the system shows fail. Whether this is a system defect or user error, I am not certain. Either way, it is messing up grades.'
More troubling still are separate allegations that some female students received inflated grades in exchange for sexual favours with members of staff - claims that, if substantiated, would represent a far graver scandal than administrative error alone.
Adding to the dysfunction, it has emerged that the university relies on just a single Registry Assistant to manage all grade processing for the entire ODeL programme.
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While described as highly competent, the officer is said to be severely overworked - a staffing shortfall that appears to have compounded the errors plaguing the graduating cohort.
The revelations raise serious questions over the credibility of MUST's inaugural ODeL graduation, with affected students now left uncertain whether the qualifications they walked away with on Thursday accurately reflect their actual academic performance.
