University of the South Pacific Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson.

University of the South Pacific Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson has accepted the decision by the USP Special Council to terminate the investigation against Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

However, Thompson says as Chair of the USP Council he still believes there is still a clear disconnect between the governance which is the Council and the management of the University.

Thompson says this disconnect has led to a crisis that has been engulfing USP for the past 18 months.

Thompson says the recent Special Council meetings that began on the 19th of June and ended on 4th of September is a consequence of the non-compliance by the management of its responsibility to the governing body.

He went on to say that the Special Council which had been convened only for the purpose of reviewing allegations against the Vice-Chancellor had no power to consider additional council matters.

According to Thompson the latest of these matters that is a breach of the governance process was the attempt by the management to submit a proposal to the June Special Council concerning a substantial reorganization of the University.

Thompson says the Council expects such proposals to have been thoroughly and widely studied by its principal committees and key stakeholders before finally being deliberated on by the full Council itself.

He adds this is one of many instances where the management acted in deliberate disregard of the proper process and attempted to bypass the normal requirement.

The USP Pro-Chancellor says another instance of the clear disconnect is the reregistration of the University with the Fiji Higher Education Commission which has still not been completed.