Unsoed students demand campus reform and an end to corrupt practices
Around one hundred students from Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) held a demonstration in front of the Unsoed Rectorate building in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Monday afternoon to demand structural reform and the elimination of corrupt practices within the campus.
The protest, titled “Unsoed Problematik: Structural Reform and the Elimination of Corrupt Practices on Campus”, was held in response to the cases faced by several leaders of the state university.
President of the Unsoed Student Executive Board (BEM) Azza Febra Pramudika said students reject corrupt practices in the student admission process through the independent route, including if it involves university leadership.
He stressed that the issue cannot be generalised by assuming that students admitted to the Faculty of Medicine through the independent route used improper means.
“There are still many who actually have the ability, personal capacity, and deserve to enter the Faculty of Medicine,” he said.
On a separate occasion, Unsoed spokesperson Edi Santoso said the student action was a natural expression of disappointment over the problems facing the campus.
“We are all sad, we are all devastated by this incident. So we are actually inviting the deans, lecturers, and also educational staff to join the action with the students,” he said.
According to him, the issue is not only a concern for students, but for the entire Unsoed academic community.
He expressed hope that the action would become a turning point and a moment of reflection for making improvements.
He also responded to the presence of sarcastic and provocative writings around the protest site.
Based on checks by the campus, the CCTV cameras at the location were damaged and are suspected to have been vandalised before the action took place.
“We still consider this normal, natural in an atmosphere like this. Perhaps there are many parties, many interests,” said Edi.
Meanwhile, the Unsoed Rectorate issued an official statement signed by Acting Rector of Unsoed Prof Ali Rokhman, Chair of the Unsoed Senate Prof Mas Yedi Sumaryadi, as well as the leadership and deans.
In the letter dated 24 August 2026, which was read out by Acting Rector Prof Ali Rokhman before the student crowd, the rectorate and faculty leadership agreed on eight points of follow-up action and campus reform.
The points include transparency in the collection and use of Single Tuition Fees (UKT), Institutional Development Contributions (IPI), and other sources of student revenue; reform of the new student admission system; evaluation of the bureaucratic ranks authorised in student admissions and financial management; and budget transparency accessible to the academic community.
Unsoed will also hold an open accountability forum with students no later than 14 days, submit progress reports on improvements every three months, and hold a joint oversight forum with students at least once per semester.
The rectorate will review all points of the student demands for three days starting from 24 August 2026.
Through the agreement, students have the right to obtain transparency and to intervene if implementation on the ground does not match the agreement.
Previously, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on 21 August 2026 named Unsoed Rector Prof Akhmad Sodiq, Vice Rector for Student Affairs Prof Norman Arie Prayogo, Mulyono as Akhmad Sodiq’s nephew, Dian Mulia Wardhana and Adhi Wiharto as intermediaries, and Head of the Unsoed Academic Division Eko Sumanto as suspects in an alleged corruption case involving new student admissions at the state university.