WIN Media, Makassar, 17/1/2026 – The rampant operation of “ghostwriting” or thesis completion services blatantly active on social media and online forums is not only damaging individual academic integrity but has escalated into a serious threat to the credibility and reputation of higher education institutions nationally. University Rectors and higher education management experts are beginning to voice deep concern, as bachelor’s degrees produced through this fraudulent practice potentially create “counterfeit” graduates, ultimately undermining public trust.
A recently uncovered case at a prominent private university, where students were strongly indicated to have used the same service for their theses, is concrete evidence of how this problem is systemic. “This is no longer a sporadic case. There is a neat operational chain, from marketing, writers, to proofreaders. What we fear is that this is becoming a silent culture perceived as a ‘normal shortcut’,” asserted Harry Yulianto, Head of STIE YPUP Makassar, in a limited forum.
The most tangible damage is the erosion of academic degree value. The industrial world and postgraduate programs are beginning to question the quality of graduates from certain campuses. “When we recruit fresh graduates, it’s a red flag if their thesis research and writing methods are inconsistent with their analytical skills during the interview. This forces us to tighten technical competency tests,” revealed Maya Siregar, HR Director of a state-owned enterprise.
International reputation is also at risk. University cooperation networks, degree recognition, and world rankings heavily depend on the assumption of authenticity and quality of student research. “Imagine if a partner university abroad discovers a plagiarized or purchased thesis. Not only would that cooperation be severed, but all universities in Indonesia could be stigmatized negatively,” added Harry.
Internally, this practice poisons academic culture. Honest students feel discriminated against and lose the spirit of healthy competition. Meanwhile, supervising lecturers are in a dilemma: spending energy on policing rather than guiding.
However, the campus response is still considered half-hearted. Sanctions are often only imposed on students as the spearhead, without pursuing the intellectual actors or the service provider platforms. Education expert, Harry Yulianto, advocates for a firmer approach. “This has entered the realm of criminal acts of fraud and forgery. Educational institutions must dare to report service providers to the police and investigate from the civil law perspective. Articles in the ITE Law and the Criminal Code can be applied.”
The long-term solution, according to stakeholders, lies in transforming the final assessment system. “Rigid conventional theses trigger burnout and the search for shortcuts. Diversification is needed: it could be in the form of social projects, startup ventures, art works, or portfolios of competencies that are more authentic and difficult to ‘ghostwrite’,” concluded Dewi Kartika, an education practitioner.
The threat to campus credibility is real. If not addressed collectively and courageously, the Indonesian bachelor’s degree may one day no longer be valued in the eyes of its own nation, let alone on the global stage.
Mengancam Kredibilitas Kampus: Dampak Masif Jasa “Joki” terhadap Reputasi Pendidikan Tinggi
WIN Media, Makassar, 17/1/2026 – Maraknya jasa “joki” atau pembuat tugas akhir yang beroperasi secara terang-terangan di media sosial dan forum online tidak hanya merusak integritas akademik individu, tetapi telah meningkat menjadi ancaman serius terhadap kredibilitas dan reputasi institusi pendidikan tinggi secara nasional. Para Rektor dan pakar manajemen perguruan tinggi mulai menyuarakan keprihatinan mendalam, karena gelar sarjana yang dihasilkan dari praktik curang ini berpotensi melahirkan lulusan “aspal” (asli tapi palsu) yang pada akhirnya akan meruntuhkan kepercayaan publik.
Kasus yang terungkap baru-baru ini di sebuah universitas, di mana mahasiswa terindikasi kuat menggunakan jasa yang sama untuk skripsi mereka, menjadi bukti nyata bagaimana masalah ini bersifat sistemik. “Ini sudah bukan lagi kasus sporadis. Ada operational chain yang rapi, dari marketing, penulis, hingga proofreader. Yang kami khawatirkan, ini menjadi budaya diam-diam yang dianggap ‘jalan pintas yang wajar’,” tegas Harry Yulianto, Ketua STIE YPUP Makassar, dalam sebuah forum terbatas.
Dampak kerusakan paling nyata adalah erosi nilai gelar akademik. Dunia industri dan pascasarjana mulai mempertanyakan kualitas lulusan dari kampus-kampus tertentu. “Ketika kami rekrut fresh graduate, ada red flag jika metode penelitian dan penulisan skripsinya tidak konsisten dengan kemampuan analisisnya saat wawancara. Ini memaksa kami memperketat tes kompetensi teknis,” ungkap Maya Siregar, HR Director sebuah perusahaan BUMN.
Reputasi internasional juga terancam. Jejaring kerjasama universitas, pengakuan gelar (degree recognition), dan peringkat dunia sangat bergantung pada asumsi keaslian dan kualitas penelitian mahasiswa. “Bayangkan jika mitra universitas di luar negeri menemukan tesis plagiat atau dibeli dari jasa. Bukan hanya kerja sama itu yang putus, tapi seluruh kampus di Indonesia bisa dicap dengan stigma negatif,” tambah Harry.
Di tingkat internal, praktik ini meracuni budaya akademik. Mahasiswa yang jujur merasa terdiskriminasi dan kehilangan semangat kompetisi sehat. Sementara, dosen pembimbing berada dalam dilema: menghabiskan energi untuk policing ketimbang membimbing.
Meski demikian, respons kampus dinilai masih setengah hati. Sanksi seringkali hanya dijatuhkan pada mahasiswa sebagai ujung tombak, tanpa mengejar aktor intelektual atau platform penyedia jasanya. Pakar pendidikan, Harry Yulianto, mendorong pendekatan yang lebih tegas. “Ini sudah masuk tindak pidana penipuan dan pemalsuan. Institusi pendidikan harus berani melaporkan penyedia jasa ke kepolisian dan mengusut dari sisi perdata. Pasal di UU ITE dan KUHP bisa dikenakan.”
Solusi jangka panjang, menurut para pemangku kepentingan, terletak pada transformasi sistem penilaian akhir. “Skripsi konvensional yang kaku memicu kejenuhan dan pencarian jalan pintas. Perlu diversifikasi: bisa berupa proyek sosial, start-up rintisan, karya seni, atau portofolio kompetensi yang lebih otentik dan sulit ‘dijoki’,” pungkas Dewi Kartika, praktisi pendidikan.
Ancaman terhadap kredibilitas kampus ini nyata. Jika tidak diatasi secara kolektif dan berani, gelar sarjana Indonesia suatu saat nanti mungkin tidak lagi dihargai di mata negeri sendiri, apalagi di kancah global.