United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) has recalled its former Vice Chancellor Freida Brown following the abrupt exit of Paul Tiyambe Zeleza.
Malawian historian Prof Zeleza has served as the University’s VC from January 2016 in a tenure characterised by a clash with lecturers over salary cuts and a union over plans to lay off non-teaching staff.
The University in a memo Tuesday said Prof Brown will act as interim VC for nine months as the University searches for a substantive replacement.
United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) has recalled its former Vice Chancellor Freida Brown following the abrupt exit of Paul Tiyambe Zeleza.
Malawian historian Prof Zeleza has served as the University’s VC from January 2016 in a tenure characterised by a clash with lecturers over salary cuts and a union over plans to lay off non-teaching staff.
The University in a memo Tuesday said Prof Brown will act as interim VC for nine months as the University searches for a substantive replacement.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Professor Freida Brown to the position of Interim Vice Chancellor for a period of 9 months, from August 16, 2021,” said USIU-A council chair Kris Ole-Senanu in a statement yesterday.
Prof Brown had served as VC at the institution for 21 years before retururning to the US.
In March, Prof Zaleza communicated internally that he will be leaving the the university at the end of his six-year contract.
In October last year, the Employment and Labour Relations court suspended plans by USIU-A to slash lecturers' pay, pending the determination of petition the tutors had filed.
Equally suspended by the court was a decision by the institution to stop remitting the lecturers’ contributions to the pension scheme as contained in a letter sent to them in August.
In May, the university denied violating a court order stopping it from laying off non-teaching staff pending the determination of a case filed by the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospital Workers (Kudheiha).
The insiders accuse Prof Zaleza of “reckless spending to the point the university could not contribute to pension”.
