Disorganized, Unreliable, and Frustrating Student Experience at Richfield

Item: Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology
Rating: 1
Author: Katlego S

Richfield has been one of the most frustrating educational experiences. The college constantly faces technical issues, especially during exams and tests, which is the worst possible time for systems to fail. Students are expected to perform under pressure while dealing with broken platforms and endless glitches.

SMOWL is another major problem ,students are unfairly flagged, removed, or even expelled from assessments because of system errors that are completely out of their control. Instead of helping students, the system creates unnecessary stress and panic.

The electricity problems make everything even worse. Lectures, tests, and online activities are constantly interrupted, yet there is little to no proper contingency plan in place. Communication from management is extremely poor. Students spend money on transport to come to campus, only to find out that exams or tests have been cancelled at the last minute. No proper notice, no accountability, and no respect for students’ time or money.

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Replies (1)

Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology's replyOfficial

16 May 2026, 17:01

Dear Katlego,
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We acknowledge the frustration and stress that technical disruptions, assessment interruptions and communication challenges can cause students, particularly during high pressure assessment periods.

The recent Moodle downtime was unfortunately a national system issue which affected campuses across the country. While electricity outages and load reduction challenges remain outside of our direct control, Richfield does invest significantly in contingency measures such as backup generators and support processes to minimise disruption as far as possible. We do recognise, however, that there are occasions where the impact on students remains significant despite these interventions.

We also understand the concerns raised regarding SMOWL. Student feedback in this regard is continuously escalated to our academic and technical teams for review and improvement.

Your feedback is appreciated as it assists us in identifying gaps and strengthening our systems and support for students going forward.
Warm regards,

Richfield: A Learning Experience of a Lifetime.
Your Future. EnRICHed.

Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology's reply16 May 2026, 17:01

Official

We also understand the concerns raised regarding SMOWL. Student feedback in this regard is continuously escalated to our academic and technical teams for review and improvement.

Your feedback is appreciated as it assists us in identifying gaps and strengthening our systems and support for students going forward.
Warm regards,

Richfield: A Learning Experience of a Lifetime.
Your Future. EnRICHed.