Page 12 - IB September 2024

Education Education

USP COUNCIL SUMMONED AS DISSENT

CREEPS INTO STUDENT BODY

As the ongoing conflict between the staff unions and
management at the University of the South Pacific heads
towards strike action, dissent has broken out between the
USP Students’ Association and students supporting sacked
academic and former USP staff union head, Dr Tamara
Osborne-Naikatini. There are claims that the Students’
Association is being influenced by management.
Aisha Azeemah reports matters are expected to come to a
head at a special meeting of the USP Council called by the Fiji
Government to deescalate the situation.

The students rise Students protest the dismissal of Dr Tamara Osborne-Naikatini. Photo: Supplied
On August 14, one day after the two USP unions—the
Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff and The statement sparked a social media movement that was
Administration and Support Staff Union—voted to go on strike joined by students beyond the initial postgraduate group that
demanding Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia’s removal, spoke with the association.
USP management issued a press statement claiming the This bigger group shared the media release with a “Fail”
support of the USP Students’ Association (USPSA). stamped over it and a hashtag saying, “Justice for Dr
USPSA President, Christopher Siliva, was quoted in the Tamara”.
statement as saying, “The USP Students’ Association has been This growing group of students claims no acceptable
in regular communication with the management, including the arrangements have been put in place to mitigate the effects
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia”. of Osborne-Naikatini’s removal, considering their claim that
Almost immediately, students from the School of her knowledge as a regional expert was near irreplaceable.
Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Questions sent to the Students’ Association by Islands
Sciences (SAGEONS) who were affected by the dismissal of Business last month seeking information on its arrangements
Discipline Coordinator for Biology, Osborne-Naikatini, began with USP management remain unanswered.
to question management’s claims of unanimous student body Students who are part of this social media movement claim
support. they believe the Students’ Association’s media statement
This group of early career researchers claimed their points to the University management having a hand in USPSA
research had been stymied by Osborne-Naikatini’s dismissal, decisions.
asserting that the action would affect a generation of future “I think we can all say that we are a victim of systematic
researchers and academics in fields that the region has a dire bullying as the University management has targeted us with
lack of experts. this PR stunt to silence our call for justice,” one student
On August 16, the group met with the Students’ Association said, while speaking to Islands Business on the condition of
to share their concerns. Three days later, on August 19, the anonymity.
USPSA released a media statement to announce they had “If anything, they have used false information and hidden
since met with University management again and had raised behind policies to protect their personal attacks. The system
the student group’s issues. is broken and does not help the freedom of speech that we
“Considering the concerns received by the USP Students’ were seeking to uphold,” the student said.
Association from some of its members, USPSA executives, “Institutions that are for learning should take extra care to
including its Laucala Branch executives met with the Senior help students reach their highest potential. Management has,
Management Team members, including with the Vice- instead, handicapped our research efforts. Clearly those in
Chancellor and President, the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor management are not competent to do this work as they keep
Research and Innovation, Dean of Graduate School and the acting as gatekeepers when questioned about their actions,
Head of School concerned to discuss the arrangements that especially when it impacts the hard work of upcoming Pacific
have been put forward for the affected students,” the press researchers.”
release stated. Two groups of students have since written to the USP
“Following its meetings with the management and Council, which is the University’s governing body, with their
concerned members, USP Students’ Association is satisfied issues in lieu of approaching the Students’ Association.
that the management has put in place arrangements to ensure Letters from a group of final year Geospatial Science
that the services to these students continue without any students and a group of second-, and third-year Earth
interruption.” Science students, dated August 23 and 30 respectively, were

12 Islands Business, September 2024