Students at USP brace for tougher economic and academic conditions
Updated
Over the past two years, the University of the South Pacific has experienced turbulent times, recording a deficit for two years in a row and declining enrolment. Vice Chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra was appointed in July last year to help rescue the 40-year-old university and he began with a restructure that, while it has upset some stakeholders, is now beginning to pay off.
Presenter Ricardo Morris
Speakers: USP Vice Chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra, Arts Student Sadrishan Velaidan, Management Student Peter Chanel, USP Students Association Welfare and Development Officer Akmal Ali
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MORRIS :Laucala is USP's biggest campus. It's a melting pot of the Pacific but for several years before Professor Chandra took over, the institution was on shaky ground. He's had to sort out the money problems and boost the university's appeal in an increasingly crowded higher education sector.
CHANDRA: Looking at all of those problems I did worry a lot about what we needed to do. But it also meant that the university had very little choice but to have very careful look, stringent look at all of its structures and operations. And I decided early on that the university needed to be reshaped and restructured, not only for the short term but also for the long term."
MORRIS Ninety-eight courses were removed in the restructure, departments closed, jobs cut and the remaining staff had their salaries reduced by 40 per cent.
One of those students affected is Sadrishan Velaidan, a theatre arts major, who is frustrated because the music courses he wanted to do are no longer available.
VELAIDAN: I believe that if a student is enrolled in a particular programme that programme cannot be cancelled or removed until those students involved have finished their degree.
MORRIS: Other students have different sorts of worries. This month the Solomon Islands government terminated more than 100 scholarships because students were underperforming. Peter Chanel, a management student, says those that remain know they must deliver.
CHANEL: The pressure of just living in Fiji itself is immense in some ways. Some of us who are married and staying here it's pretty difficult. We have to think about our families and at the same time have to concentrate on school and ensure we pass our courses.
MORRIS: Despite the pressures though, many students, appear upbeat.
STUDENT: Even if the economy is going down, I think it's our own personal effort that we put in at school, because if we work hard then of course we'll find scholarships elsewhere.
MORRIS: The USP Students Association, which has in the past been embroiled in disputes with management, is enthusiastic about the new direction. Akmal Ali is the union's welfare and development officer.
ALI: The past few years have seen the university going down economically. However, that has not let us down in any way and I think the Pacific spirit has contributed to us being positive and working towards the upliftment of this University. And we are very supportive of the new Vice Chancellor's initiative to restructure, perhaps saving this university and at the same time when this university is being saved, it means the 12 member countries are being saved.
MORRIS: Professor Chandra says the university will record a surplus for 2008 and enrolments this year has increased by 4 per cent. The next five years should see a smaller but more focused institution that's anchored in the Pacific.
CHANDRA: Our future is tied inextricably to the futures of our member countries.
MORRIS: Through the hard times, the Pacific spirit, it seems, is alive and well at Laucala.
