Ei-iE

Working as a Biology lecturer at the University of the South Pacific (USP) has always been a labour of love for me. Spread over thousands of kilometers of oceanic expanse and hundreds of lush tropical islands, spanning twelve countries in the (generally) South Pacific region, the university’s domain is truly unique amongst Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the globe. It is of course with immense pride that I give examples of the wondrous biodiversity that exists on their home islands, to the equally diverse students in my classroom. Having researched and taught biology at USP for more than twelve years, despite the challenges of teaching at the university, I never really contemplated working elsewhere. And yet that is what I have been forced to consider, as my contract of employment was summarily dismissed in 2024.

In 2017 I joined the academic union, the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and was soon recruited to join the Executive Committee as the then President liked the optics of an Executive Committee that was gender balanced and ethnically diverse. The university has had some truly self-serving individuals at the helm of its management in recent years, and none has been more so than the current leadership. In 2024, I was elected as the President after serving as Vice President since 2022. The retirement of our outgoing President at the end of 2023, resulted in my acting in this capacity until I was officially elected in April. The union’s Executive Committee had been at odds with the university management for several years prior to my presidency, and the gauntlet was always going to be a heavy one.

In early 2024, the deterioration in the relationship between the union and senior management at the university resulted in a formal strike notice for both academic and support staff unions. The strike notice sent shockwaves through the university’s governing council. Just prior to the strike ballot, AUSPS leaders including myself, were approached by a freelance reporter for Island Business magazine, who wanted to understand the unions’ grievances with the university management. The resulting interviews were reported in an article published in March 2024. Amongst the points of contention between the university and the union leadership that were covered by the article, was the polemic reappointment of the university’s Vice Chancellor. I had been involved in the committee that was convened the year before to review his past prowess and decide on his future with the university. The reporter had discovered the committee’s report, seen my name and asked me for my opinion on the committee’s recommendation for reappointment. I told him I was the only Pacific Islander and had voted against reappointment as mandated by the staff who had voted me into the committee.

This statement was disclosed in the article run by Islands Business in its March 2024 issue. It was to be the smoking gun used to remove me in response to the unions for speaking out about the issues that USP was going through because of poor governance and leadership. In the following month the university management began negotiations with both unions over the strike mandate issues. It was the first time for all the combined union team to conduct negotiations and yet our inexperience did not dilute our fortitude.

During the ongoing negotiations, the head of human resources called me to a meeting in April, handing me an allegation of gross misconduct. I was charged with breach of confidentiality for speaking to the reporter, particularly about the reappointment committee. After delivering a response as per USP policy, two days after receiving the allegation, I was then told that the VC would make the final decision. The negotiations were eventually settled with an award of backpay to staff across the university. By this point, I was probably persona non grata numero uno with the head of our institution. He had been forced to agree to the backpay despite telling people that we would not be paid a cent more.

The university’s gross misconduct policy is nothing short of a travesty of natural justice. There is no recourse for staff accused of gross misconduct once a decision has been made by the Vice Chancellor. In this situation, it was especially nefarious as the allegation involved the arbiter and despite the clear conflict of interest, the decision was handed down to terminate my employment. The union leaders strongly condemned the Vice Chancellor and called out to the USP council to do something about the state of affairs at USP. The members of the union voted to go on strike again, and a historic second strike mandate in the same year was eventuated.

After months of lobbying and letter writing, there is some glimmer of hope. A new Pro Vice Chancellor has been elected by the USP Council, and a Visitor is now appointed to adjudicate over staff disputes above the level of the Vice Chancellor. There is the very real scent of a future rid of tyrannical and one-dimensional leadership at USP, and it wafts tantalizingly on the winds of change that blow onto these shores. As I reflect over all that has transpired over the last 12 months, trying to clinically and chronologically relay the details on this page, I cannot help but feel somewhat buoyant despite the months of salary-free struggles. This story started with my disclosure about what I love about working at USP, and nothing has changed in that regard.

Management of the institution aside, the university has had and will continue to have so much to offer the region in terms of higher education and research. I would still very much like to be a part of research and teaching that drives change in conservation and environmental policy and practice in the South Pacific.