In recent weeks the University of the South Pacific (USP) students have protested in Fiji and other pacific island countries in relation to the suspension of the Vice Chancellor.
As key stakeholders, student voice is critical in university governance and management.
Universities around the world recognise the contribution of students in governance and management. Students have played an active role in governance of the universities in many ways.
They range from active participation in governing committees, course reviews and improvements, active role in providing input in course accreditation and advocacy of student voice in all aspects of learning.
Students have also actively provided feedback on quality of teaching and learning. Students have made an important contribution to improve retention and success by providing mentoring and support.
They have also contributed post-graduation activities as active alumnus, and many have been ambassadors of the University.
The engagement of students in University governance is seen as good practice in quality assurance and ongoing enhancement.
Around the world student voice is used to assess quality of teaching.
Therefore, governments use student experience measures to assess education quality and institutional performance, in some cases linking the results with funding.
In countries such as UK and Australia, student experience results are published in the public domain for students and parents to make informed choice.
It is the student voice that raises standards of university teaching, campus-life and other support services that the University provides within and beyond the campus.
Yet, the government has so far ignored the student voice.
The student voice is critical in a university like USP with multiple campuses and dispersed student populations beyond Fiji. It is critical that the voice of all students, including member countries and those studying remotely, is heard.
The lack of commitment to listen and act on student voice contradicts the Higher Education Act 2008, which outlines that the Fiji Higher Education Commission will ‘foster and safeguard the national interest, the interests of students and parents, and of local higher education providers’.
It also contradicts USP’s values related to ‘ethics and accountability and respects and inclusivity’. It is worth noting that the Quality Standards for Fiji Higher Education available on the FHEC website mentions ‘learner’ or ‘students’ 58 times.
Yet, it appears the key stakeholders who are in decision making positions do not recognise this important role of students in university governance and management.
The goal of effective student learning has become even more important as universities around the world are now under significant pressure to support learning in the current COVID-19 environment.
At this time, it is critical that we make best use of our resources to support our students who are studying remotely.
Many students across the Pacific Islands are studying from remote regions with poor access to internet and resources. Many are from low-socio economic backgrounds and some are the first in their immediate family to access tertiary education.
Therefore, supporting our students and giving them confidence in the current COVID-19 environment should be viewed as more important than suspending the Vice-Chancellor who has been giving assurance to the students.
Since the suspension of the Vice Chancellor, groups of students and staff of member countries have spoken out.
They wish for the Vice Chancellor to return to the office and they call on the Pro Chancellor to resign.
This is evident from student and staff protest and social media campaigns.
It is worth noting that these protests have attracted large numbers of young students and staff while the campuses are not fully operational.
The University Council and the government needs to listen to the voice of students to gain trust. Failure to act on student voices could result in massive protest at a time when students need more assurance and support in learning.
The rise of youths participating in the recent protests in US, Hong Kong and many parts of the world cannot be ignored.
I have alluded on 12/06 that the Minister of Education, Heritage and Arts needs to act on this matter and recognise the student voice.
A failure to do so will impact her credibility not only from student body but from alumni, member and donor/funding countries.
I argue that the student voice must be taken into account for the following reason:
students are key stakeholders of the University who pay tuition fees with the expectation of quality education
students need to trust the University Council and Management with the assurance that they will be supported in learning beyond COVID-19
students expect the Minister to listen to their voice, many of whom are part of electorates who may have voted Fiji First with the hope of improving tertiary education
student groups have demanded the Vice Chancellor to be reinstated and called for the resignation of the Pro Chancellor.
It is also worth noting that, a university’s financial sustainability is largely dependent on student tuition fees. If universities ignore student voice they will simply increase their risk of not attracting, recruiting and retaining students.
Historically USP has enjoyed a high market share of students, but the emergence of Fiji National University and the University of Fiji has provided alternative choices for many students.
The University Council including the Pro-Chancellor and the Minister need to recognise the importance of student voice and the role of students in 21st century higher education.
We need to gain insights on ways to engage with students and implement innovative strategies to work in partnership with students and other stakeholders. It is through these efforts that we will genuinely enhance the learning experience of students.
University students, staff, alumni, member countries, and partners need to play an active role in bringing this stability. Good governance also requires the Council to trust the Vice Chancellor and provide day-to-day decision-making.
The Council and key academic leaders, including the senior management team, heads of schools and campus leaders need to support the Vice-Chancellor to achieve the vision and strategic directions of the University which has been approved by the council.
Mahsood Shah is a professor and Dean at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. The views expressed in this article are his and does not necessarily reflect the views of the university he works for or of this newspaper.
