Allegations have emerged against the University of the South Pacific (USP), claiming the institution is charging students for face-to-face tuition while providing classes online. Additionally, there are concerns that full-time staff members are being replaced by consultants from India.
Rosalia Fatiaki, the general secretary of the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff Association (AUSPS), raised these issues during the fifth day of the USP strike. Members of the AUSPS and the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) are on strike to demand the removal of Vice-Chancellor and President (VCP) Professor Pal Ahluwalia, citing poor leadership and various grievances.
Fatiaki emphasized the need for parents to urge their government to address these concerns, warning that they are affecting the quality of education at USP. She noted that while the psychology program is fully online, students have expressed the desire for face-to-face interactions. Furthermore, the unions have reportedly received instances where full-time staff were substituted with online instructors from India.
Bindiya Rashni, a biology PhD student and part-time tutor, shared her predicament regarding academic supervision. She recounted that since July, their supervisor, Tamara Osborne Naikatini, was abruptly terminated, leading the students to write a letter to the USP Council requesting her reinstatement. Rashni expressed concern for the futures of around 12 PhD students in their field, as there is no qualified biologist available to endorse their research theses. Rashni was expected to finish her studies this semester but now faces uncertainty.
In response to inquiries about these allegations, USP stated that the two unions could only address issues aligned with their approved strike mandate. The university acknowledged that additional issues had been raised but clarified that they could not comment on matters related to staff members’ terms and conditions, as these were not included in the official strike mandate.
Leave a comment