Improving the University’s Self-Managed Admissions Process
The findings of a graft in the University of Lampung (Unila) Simanila should be a reflection for state universities to improve bureaucracy and governance.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named the rector of the University of Lampung as a suspect in accepting bribes.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The arrests of the Unila rector and his colleagues is an indication that the admission of new students through the Simanila provides opportunity for corruption. The campus management and the government should jointly improve the governance of the Simanila mechanisms to be used for campus needs and to benefit the right targets.
The Simanila is a non-mandatory mechanism for state universities (PTN). Usually, through this process, state universities allocate 20 percent of student admissions for underprivileged families, of which the school fees are taken through cross-subsidization.
In addition, the Simanila is an affirmative policy targeting new students or prospective students with special needs or goals, such as those coming from disadvantaged areas or leadership programs.
The chairman of the Indonesian State University Rectors Council (MRPTNI) Jamal Wiwoho on Sunday Aug. 21 stated that he had reminded the rectors to carry out the Simanila by maintaining a good university governance. This is implemented through transparency, accountability, responsibility, independence and fairness.
Although each state university (PTN) has authority over the Simanila, according to Jamal, accountability in the selection must be prioritized. There needs to be a passing grade (a minimum score to pass) to ensure that students who are accepted meet the academic ability requirements.
The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry’s acting Director General of Higher Education, Research and Technology Ir. Nizam said he would continue to evaluate and improve the state university’s admission system.
The Education and Culture Ministry Inspector General Lindung Sirait said he would evaluate and review the current state of the university admission system. "We see that there is still potential [for corruption]. We will immediately evaluate the situation so that it does not happen again," he said.
One thing that needs to be evaluated, according to Lindung, is the long interval between the exam [of university admission] and the announcement. This opens the gap for transactional practices.
Opportunity for improvement
Vice Rector IV for planning, cooperation, technology and information at the Unila, Suharso, on Sunday said that they have taken this incident as an opportunity to improve the new student admissions system, which is considered prone to bribery practices. According to Suharso, the Unila student admission system is actually in accordance with regulations.
He admits that the scoring system during the student admission process, which is less transparent, is the weakness that will be corrected. The Unila will be more stringent and transparent in accepting students through its self-managed admissions system.
He said that the minimum limit for donations to be enrolled at the Unila medical faculty through the Simanila scheme was set at Rp 250 million. The donation is an official and legal income received by the Unila.
KOMPAS/SUSANA RITA KUMALASANTI
Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) showed evidence in the form of cash, time deposits, and savings books during the arrest operation of the rector of the University of Lampung Karomani and three other suspects at a press conference on Sunday (21/8/2022).
Regarding the status of the students involved in this graft case, Suharso stated that he had to consult with the Education and Culture Minister.
Meanwhile, M. Komarudin from the Public Relations of the Unila’s 2022 new student admissions committee, said that the quota through the Simanila is set at a maximum 30 percent of the total number of new students accepted by the university. This year Unila has accepted 10,000 new students. The number of students who are accepted through the self-managed admission process is 2,300.
As reported, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named the rector of the Unila, Karomani, as a suspect for allegedly accepting bribes and gratifications worth approximately Rp 5 billion related to the admission of new students through the Simanila scheme. The KPK suspects that the practice of bribery in admitting new students through the Simanila is due to the selection mechanism being unmeasurable, non-transparent and unaccountable.
Thus, the KPK stated that there is an urgency to evaluate the process and mechanisms for the selection of new student admissions, especially the Simanila.
In addition to the rector of the Unila, the KPK has also named Unila’s Deputy Rector I for academic affairs, Heryandi, the Chair of the Unila senate, Muhammad Basri, and an individual as the bribe-giver, Andi Desfiandi, as suspects. They were immediately detained for the next 20 days.
Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Nurul Ghufron, in a press conference on Sunday Aug. 21, said that bribes were carried out in connection with the Simanila to enter Unila in the 2022 academic year. As rector, Karomani has the authority to determine whether or not the prospective student participating in Simanila will get enrolled.
According to Ghufron, Karomani ordered Heryandi and Budi Sutomo (head of the bureau of planning and public relations of Unila) and involved Muhammad Basri as chairman of the senate to make a personal selection, especially regarding the ability of potential students’ parents to submit a sum of money (excluding the official amount for mechanism determined by the university).
As rector, Karomani has the authority to determine whether or not the prospective student participating in Simanila will get enrolled.
The agreed amount varied, ranging from a minimum of Rp 100 million to Rp 350 million per student, for assistance in the selection process.
Meanwhile, Indonesia Statistics (BPS) in the Anti-corruption Behavior Index (IPAK) survey in 2022 found that the number of people who claimed to be offered assistance or guarantees to be accepted by universities this year has increased compared with the previous year. A researcher from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Dewi Anggraeni, said that the arrest of the Unila rector and other Unila leaders seemed to confirm the findings of BPS in the IPAK survey.
Acting rector
Suharso said that the Education and Culture Minister will immediately appoint the Acting Rector for the Unila. He added that other policies related to Unila will be determined after the appointment of an acting rector.
Suharso said Unila respects the legal process carried out by the KPK. Nevertheless, Unila plans to provide legal assistance to the three high-ranking university officials.
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