The regional and international structure of the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P.) Samoa Campus enables its staff and students to switch to online learning with ease during disruptions such as lockdowns.

Campus Director To'oto'ooleaava Dr. Fanaafi Aiono-le-Tagaloa, in an email response to questions from the Samoa Observer, said the university’s regional and international structure ensures disruptions to academic programs do not really impact staff and students.

She said U.S.P. students switched to remote learning when the Government declared the 2-week lockdown last week and no one has had any issues in terms of access to their devices .

"This year marks the 54th year of the University of the South Pacific and U.S.P. as you know is owned by 12 member countries, one of which is the Independent State of Samoa," To'oto'ooleaava said. "There are 14 U.S.P. campuses across its 12 member countries. 

“U.S.P. is therefore an international university particular to our Pacific region and it is one of two regional universities in the world.

"I provide these facts to say this – as a regional/international university U.S.P. structure requires the capacity and infrastructure – to ensure connectivity across U.S.P. member countries and 14 campuses. 

“Therefore, these basic necessities of the U.S.P. structure has ensured that in times like this, with the COVID pandemic and the closure of borders and restriction of travel, there is already a platform to ensure a degree of ease when traditional face-to-face teaching and learning is interrupted."

The university’s regional and international structure is best explained by the university’s use of satellites, according to To'oto'ooleaava, who then made reference to how the U.S.P. is harnessing technology.

“If you recall with the recent volcanic eruptions in Tonga and the subsequent tsunami, the underwater fibre in Tonga was severely damaged and initial contact with Tonga was made possible using the U.S.P. satellite link at its Ha’apai Centre," she said. "The other major advantage of the U.S.P. structure is that when one Campus is in lockdown, there are other Campuses that are not and can support the Campuses that are in lockdown. 

"One campus also benefits from the experience of another in these unprecedented times, for example, when Fiji was heavily impacted by COVID in 2021, many lessons were learnt by all the other campuses of U.S.P. including Samoa. 

“This cooperation between campuses exists and is utilised also when there isn’t a pandemic!"

She said the second week of Semester 1 has commenced for their students as they had the "usual wrinkles" associated with week 1 to iron out and continue to troubleshoot for students who contact them with an array of issues. 

"None of the issues raised concerned access to a device, this is heartening, especially as the U.S.P. Samoa Campus has commenced Semester 1 of 2022 totally online. 

“It wasn’t a case of beginning face to face and then swapping to online – it has been online from the start.

"Again the structure of the U.S.P. requires that most if not all of the learning and teaching is primarily online for most of its 14 campuses with other modes available where appropriate and as backup.”