USP Unions Reveal More Allegations
Claims of students being charged with face-to-face tuition fees for units offered online.
Friday 25 October 2024 | 10:46
University of the South Pacific students march in support of the union strike at Laucala campus on October 24, 2024. Yesterday, the staff union strike was suspended as they were foccusing on the student’s upcoming exam. Photo: Ronald Kumar
Allegations have surfaced that the University of the South Pacific (USP) is charging students with face-to-face tuition when the classes are being conducted online.
There have also been claims where fulltime staff members are being replaced by consultants from India.
The Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff Association (AUSPS) general secretary Rosalia Fatiaki highlighted this during day Five the USP strike yesterday.
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Members of the AUSPS and University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) are on strike for the removal of the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President (VCP) Professor Pal Ahluwalia over poor leadership claims, among other grievances.
These are concerns, and parents must petition their government to put USP on notice. We are compromising the quality of education at USP.
“The psychology programme is fully online, the students have just told me. They petitioned USP to have face-to-face interaction.”
Ms Fatiaki claimed the unions had received cases where fulltime staff have been replaced by online staff members from India.
She further claimed that the agriculture programme at the Alafua Campus in Samoa have consultants who are teaching from India.
Student/Staff
Biology PhD student and part-time tutor Bindiya Rashni shared her experience.
“Since July, personally when I started with our PhD or Masters Student group for high degree research students, we had the sudden termination of our supervisor, Tamara Osborne Naikatini.
“We had to write a support letter to ask the USP Council to reinstate her quickly because no one else can overlook our research. She is one of the Pacific Islands’ leading experts to supervise our research.
“About 12 PhD students in this field are not sure whether we will graduate anytime soon as our fate hangs on the fence. There is no leading biologist to sign off our thesis.”
Ms Rashni was supposed complete her studies this semester.
Ms Rashni had to step at Dr Tamara’s request and teach two courses.
“We had almost wasted a semester battling for little things here and there. We had an administrative supervisor, but there was no expertise provided. The expertise is what we lack and expertise is what defines a PhD quality.”
Response
In response to this masthead’s question, USP said; “The two unions concerned can only raise grievances as per the approved strike mandate.
“We note that there have been other issues being raised as part of the strike mandate.
“The University cannot comment on other issues being raised as terms and conditions of staff members are not included in the official strike mandate.”
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