The Association of University Teachers (AUT) at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) has issued a scathing rebuke of the institution’s leadership, accusing the administration of deliberately undermining academic standards by forcing students to sit for exams without sufficient teaching or learning support.
In a hard-hitting statement released this week, the AUT described the situation as a “travesty of academic standards” and an “unprecedented crisis of integrity in Zimbabwe’s higher education sector.” The union said the university’s decision to push ahead with exams, despite clear evidence of teaching shortfalls, amounted to a betrayal of both students and lecturers.
According to the AUT, many students have had to endure compressed, rushed learning schedules — sometimes receiving just a day or two of instruction for entire modules before being expected to write final exams. “This is not education — it’s academic theatre,” the statement read. “Expecting students to absorb complex content in a matter of hours and then assess them as if they’ve had a full semester is not only unfair, it’s dangerous.”
The union attributes the current crisis to the university’s failure to recruit adequate teaching staff. Several departments, particularly those relying on part-time lecturers, have reportedly struggled to attract qualified professionals to deliver critical modules. In some faculties, students have been left to self-study or rely on outdated notes in the absence of formal instruction.
Despite these glaring deficiencies, the administration has reportedly insisted on proceeding with exams — a move that has infuriated students, faculty, and education advocates alike. The AUT said that such decisions show “a gross disregard for student welfare” and reflect a deeper problem of governance and leadership at the institution.
AUT Slams University of Zimbabwe Over Exams Without Teaching: “A Crisis of Academic Integrity”
The union also took aim at the university management’s alleged arrogance and refusal to consult or respond to concerns raised by both students and lecturers. “We are witnessing a leadership style that refuses to listen to reason, rejects accountability, and places institutional image above educational quality,” the AUT said.
In recent days, students have begun to take matters into their own hands, staging protests and calling for exams to be suspended until proper learning conditions are restored. Their demands include a postponement of examinations, an urgent review of academic policies, and immediate steps to address staff shortages across faculties.
The AUT has publicly declared its solidarity with the protesting students, calling their actions “a brave and necessary stand against institutional negligence.” The union praised the students for challenging what it sees as the normalization of academic shortcuts that ultimately compromise their futures.
“They are refusing to accept a substandard education and are holding the administration accountable for its failures,” the statement read. “This is not just about exams — it’s about the future of higher education in Zimbabwe.”
The union also issued a direct call for accountability from the university’s leadership, urging Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo to take personal responsibility for the current state of affairs. In a pointed remark, the AUT said, “It’s time for the administration to stop protecting the interests of one man and start listening to the collective voice of students and lecturers.”
According to AUT representatives, restoring confidence in the institution will require immediate and meaningful action, including rescheduling of assessments, adequate staffing in all departments, and inclusive dialogue between management and stakeholders.
“The longer the administration ignores these problems, the more damage is done to the credibility of the University of Zimbabwe,” the union warned.
As tensions continue to rise on campus, AUT has vowed to keep pressure on the university until substantive changes are made. It also called on the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to intervene, describing the situation as a national crisis that threatens the very fabric of Zimbabwe’s tertiary education system.
For now, students and lecturers remain locked in an uneasy standoff with the university administration. But the AUT has made its position clear: until teaching is restored and academic integrity upheld, the exams — and those who insist on pushing them through — will remain under fire.
