Sex For Grades

Sex for grades is a common norm at the University of the South Pacific (USP), says former USP deputy vice-chancellor Professor Susan Kelly.

Speaking to Shine a Light via phone interview from France, Professor Kelly said sexual harassment cases happened with such regularity that people didn’t think it was surprising.

Last Saturday, Shine a Light, in its column titled “Allegations of sexual harassment surface at USP”, highlighted some experiences encountered by students at the university.

It pinpointed actions of men in positions of power, particularly lecturers and tutors, who prey and pressure young, naïve and vulnerable female students for sex in exchange for good grades.

Some students give in to these pressures, simply because they fear failing their course or being victimised by the harasser.

Other students completely drop their course. In both circumstances, these young women find it difficult to open up about what they face.

Sexual relationships between staff and students exist in universities around the world.

But in all the six international universities that Professor Kelly worked in, USP had the worst cases of sexual harassments,” she said.

“[Male lecturers] pick well-behaved, shy women, who don’t stand up for themselves,” Professor Kelly said.

Professor Kelly signed a five-year contract with the university. She was appointed in 2010.

Just more than three years into her contract, she was allegedly removed from her position by the former administration of the university.

“It cost me my job fighting for a safer place for young women to work,” she said.

Male harassers are also present in other universities in Fiji, although incidences are not as prevalent as in USP.

Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali said the centre received sexual harassment reports from several tertiary institutions around the country.

In light of the 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence, we continue our series of reports on sexual harassment within USP.

USP Manager Public Relations and Communications, Natasha Begum had previously said the university “will verify your claims if you provide evidence or more information about the allegations you have highlighted”.

Ms Begum said the university took “allegations of such nature seriously and has a zero tolerance on sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace”.

INCIDENT 1

In one particular incident, the lecturer was known to the victim’s family. The victim was a third-year final student.

The victim was a bright and competent academic student, and always scored good grades. But there was a gradual change. Her academic performance started to deteriorate.

Professor Kelly was informed of the incident from a female math tutor. Upon enquiry, Professor Kelly learned that the lecturer had pressured the victim for sex in exchange for good grades.

It turned out that the lecturer had failed the victim in one of her core tests needed to pass the course.

The victim then approached the lecturer to discuss her result. Upon discussion, the victim pointed out to the lecturer that he had marked a few questions incorrectly.

Instead, the lecturer told the victim that he could help her pass if she had sex with him.

The victim needed that one subject to get her degree and she was informed that it wasn’t offered online.

She then returned to the Western Division to live with her mother.

Professor Kelly said she and the victim had applied enormous amounts of pressure on the lecturer.

The lecturer was informed as part of his agreement with the university, he could not deny a student the last course by saying that it wasn’t taught online.

“He [lecturer] did that because she didn’t give in to his sexual desires, and she proved that he wrongly marked her paper,” Professor Kellysaid.

It got to a point that the lecturer would stalk and call the victim.

The victim’s boyfriend had recorded the lecturer’s call, and this was presented as evidence to the university’s discipline committee.