Campus this week 10 march 2017

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

Staff elect representatives to the Staff Council

Members of the Electoral Commission Mr. Wilson Okee (Technician Assistant), Mr. Bonface Inganga (IBA Junio), Mr. James Aluvanze (Front Desk Clerk) administer the Staff Council elections to Ms. Anne Kyule (Office Administrator) on Thursday, March 9 at the University Librarian’s office.

Over 200 employees participated in the just-concluded election From March 8-9 staff members were offered the annual opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote for their departmental representatives in the USIU-Africa Staff Council. The Council is a governing body established through the University Charter, with a

mandate to deliberate, consult and find fact with a view to make recommendations regarding the growth and welfare of university staff members. The Council is run by an executive committee comprising a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian and Member-at-large, and convenes regularly to review and approve Council reports.

This year over two hundred employees voted for 34 of their colleagues to fill some of the 48 vacant seats in the Council, presided over by the Human Resources

department. A by-election to fill the remaining seats will be held on Monday, March 13 at 1pm in the Office of Human Resources.

Once all seats are filled, the new Council shall convene before Friday, March 17 to elect members of the Executive Committee. The current Chairman, Mr. Eannes Ongus (Principal Fundraising Officer) is not eligible for re-election having served the maximum two terms of office, as detailed in the Constitution of the Staff Council.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

USIU-Africa hosts editors at Media Roundtable

Journalism alumna Ms. Asha Mwilu (CNN African Journalist of the Year 2016 and KTN Features Editor) makes a point during the Media Roundtable held at the Intercontinental Nairobi on March 1. Looking on are Station Manager - Hot 96 FM Ms. Cynthia Mwangi (second left), News & Social Media Editor - ‎Royal Media Services Mac Otani (third right), Blogger Mr. Maina Kibue (second left) and USIU-Africa Legal Services Director & Company Secretary Ms. Helen P. Ambasa (left).

On Wednesday, March 1, USIU-Africa hosted members of the fourth estate at a media roundtable at the Intercontinental Nairobi. The gathering met to discuss the issues surrounding media coverage of the higher education sub-sector.

Speaking during the event, the Vice Chancellor Prof.

Paul Zeleza decried the commercialization of higher education, noting the need for universities to comply with recognizable measurable standards and increase their focus on disseminating research results using new media platforms.

Aside from Prof. Zeleza, the event was attended by DVC-Academic & Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono, Director of University Advancement Mr. James Ogolla, Director of Administration Mr. Jared Raburu,

Dr. Haron Mwangi (Chief Executive, Media Council) delivers keynote remarks during the Media Roundtable held on Wednesday, March 1 at the Intercontinental Nairobi.

Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary Ms. Helen Ambasa, Professor of Economics Prof. Francis Wambalaba and Faculty Council Chair Scott Bellows (Assistant Professor of Management).

Entrepreneur, media personality and USIU-Africa student Ms. Terryanne Chebet moderates the discussions during the Media Roundtable organized by the University on Wednesday, March 1 at the Intercontinental Nairobi.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

Culture Week celebrations finally here USIU-Africa’s annual celebration of culture is taking place this coming week beginning Tuesday, March 14.

Every year, students organize a three day bonanza to celebrate the melting pot of cultures that is USIU-Africa.

This year, a majority of the 65 nationalities represented in our student community will participate in the various activities planned between March 14-16 behind the cafeteria (for the Cultural Village) and at the soccer pitch (for the Culture Night) on Thursday March 16.

Culture Week’s 2017 theme of “Travel the World in One Week” will showcase how differences in food, dress, music and language draw various communities together, rather than apart. Other highlights include the “Carnival of Colors” – a part of the Hindu Holi Festival which commemorates the victory of good over evil where participants chase and spray each other with colored water and dry power accompanied by song and dance.

Above: Scenes from Culture Week 2016

Food drive launched in response to famine crisis Members of the USIU-Africa community have come together to organize a food drive in response to the biting famine currently ravaging large parts of the East African region, and affecting an estimated 11 million people.

Beginning Monday, March 13, through the #IamCompassionate campaign, students, staff and faculty have been requested to donate, maize flour, wheat flour, dry cereals (rice, beans, maize, green grams) as well as cooking oil at the Red Cross stand to be situated in front and behind the cafeteria.

Other activities in the campaign include a “Skip a Meal” day on Thursday, March 23, where community members are encouraged to donate money that would have been used to purchase their lunch meal, to support the cause.

Filmaker speaks to graduate digital media class Filmmaker Mr. Jeff DeKock - ‎Creative Director at Open Hand Studios - spoke to students of the Introduction to Digital Media graduate class on Friday, March 3. His guest lecture was on “The Evolution of Cinema and Photography in the Digital World”. Mr. De Kock holds a Master’s degree in Visual Anthropology from the University of Manchester.

The class is part of the Master of Arts in Communication Studies program, and is taught by Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication Dr. Maria Canudo.

Director of University Advancement Mr. James Ogolla (center right) hands over a gift pack to Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) Mr. Francis W. Wangusi (center left) following a courtesy call on Wednesday, 8 March 2017. He was accompanied by Mr. René Denis, Audiovisual Attaché for Eastern Africa, French Embassy in Nairobi (second left).

Looking on (from left): Acting Director of Consumer and Public Affairs - CAK Mr. Christopher Wambua (left), Multimedia Services Director- CAK Eng. Leo K. Boruett (second right) and Corporate Planning Manager -CAK Ms. Emma Anne Otieno (right).

The discussion between USIU-Africa, the French Embassy in Nairobi and CAK focused on potential partnership opportunities and CAK support for the proposed Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing programs.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

USIU-Africa explores collaboration with Rwandese university On March 2, Prof. Agnes Binagwaho (Professor of the Practice of Global Health Delivery; Former Minister of Health of Rwanda; Senior Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School) and Dr. Pierre Paul (Lecturer, Faculty of Global Health Delivery; Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Partners In Health) paid a courtesy call on Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza and met with officials of the Division of Advancement and the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to explore areas of collaboration.

The areas under discussion include joint research, faculty exchange, joint grant applications, student supervision, student internships, joint curriculum development, among others.

Prof. Binagwaho and Dr. Paul were in Nairobi to attend a meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria - a 21st century partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, designed to accelerate the end of the diseases as epidemics, by raising and investing nearly US$4 billion a year to support programs run by local

Prof. Agnes Binagwaho (center) and Dr. Pierre Paul (right) paid a courtesy call on Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza (second left) before a meeting with University Advancement and School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences officials.

From left: Mr. James Ogolla (Director of Advancement), Prof. Paul Zeleza (Vice Chancellor), Prof. Agnes Binagwaho, Mr. Eannes Ongus (Principal Fundraising Officer) and Dr. Pierre Paul.

experts in countries and communities most in need.

USIU-Africa represented at CUE exhibition Our admission team represented the university at the Commission of University Education (CUE) exhibition at the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) from February 27 - March 3. The weeklong exhibition which was attended by over 40 universities accredited by CUE from all over the country, provided opportunites for participating universities to showcase their recent research outcomes and innovations, as well as their academic programs.

The exhibition further provided a platform for universities to showcase the various programs they offer and the technological advancement depicted by the universities. The event was organized by the Commission in conjunction with the Universities Exhibition Steering Committee.

Michael Bruno Lochemem (IST Sophomore) speaks with a prospective student at the USIU-Africa stand during the Commission for University Education Exhibition at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa on Thursday, March 2, 2017.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

Dr. Brown presents at doctoral association colloquium

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

DRUG AWARENESS WEEK

Dr. Dana Basnight Brown (Associate Professor of Psychology and Research Scientist) was a guest speaker at the Doctoral Association of East Africa (DAEA) colloquium on Friday, February 24, whose theme was "Getting Published." Her presentation at the United Kenya Club, was titled “Identifying appropriate journals for your manuscript: what to look out for” and was preceded by the University of Nairobi Business School’s Prof. Zachary Awino.

Members of the Counseling Services department administer questionnaires to students to gauge awareness of drug abuse issues, as part of a three–day awareness drive aiming to have university community members take charge of their individual destiny by protecting themselves and their colleagues, friends and family from the devastating effects of alcohol and drug abuse.

Summer internship positions announced The Office of Internship has advertised Summer Internship positions in fifteen organizations spanning technology, banking, media, government, advocacy, health, entertainment, and financial services sectors.

The deadline for applying for any of the positions is this Friday, March 17. Further details are available on the noticeboards, as well as on request through email (internship@usiu.ac.ke) and phone (0730116777).

Students listen keenly during the video link interview of a candidate for the position of Dean – School of Science and Technology on Tuesday, March 7. The student focus group posed questions as they interrogated the candidate’s vision for the School.

The three candidates faced similar interviews from staff and faculty, members of the University Senate and Management Board, as well as individual interviews with the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza and the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic and Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono.

On Tuesday, March 14, similar interviews will be conducted at the same venues for candidates for the position of Dean – School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Further details are available on email and on the electronic screens.

Photo Credit: Robert Alai

Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zeleza, receives “Crashing” – a painting by alumna Sylvia Mwihaki from Principal Fundraising Officer Mr. Eannes Ongus (left). He purchased “Crashing” during the Art for Change Exhibition and Silent Auction held at the opening of the Freida Brown Student Center on Thursday, November 10, 2016.

A portion of the auction proceeds have been channelled into the Freida Brown Scholarship Fund which was formed with a goal of raising ES 500 Million in five years to support prospective and current students in need of financial assistance in achieving their dreams at USIU-Africa.

Ms. Wakonyo Igeria (Company Secretary/Head of Legal Services at Consolidated Bank of Kenya), Ms. Caren Wakoli (Emerging Leaders Foundation Executive Director) and Mr. Lee Karuri (Director of Dimensions Architects and Interior Designers) address the audience during the Future Leaders African Summit held in the auditorium on Friday, February 17.

The Future Leaders African Summit is an annual gathering of the members of the Future Leaders’ Network - a team of successful professionals, innovative entrepreneurs and impactful global leaders committed to bringing solutions to Africa’s greatest challenges.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

FE AT URE

Workplace Bullying

By Scott Bellows The recently reported episodes of secondary school

through undue pressure, unnecessary disruptions, and

and decreasing budgets all increase bullies’ gain cycle

bullying, torture, and hazing shocked the nation in the

impossible deadlines.

opportunism that can lead to bullying.

past week.

destabilize a subordinate by failing to give credit when

research also shows that introverted workers, very

institutional cultures must exist in order to promulgate

due,

unjustifiably

agreeable individuals, those with low self-esteem,

regularized repeated physical violence by and against

removing responsibilities, repeatedly reminding him or

minorities, and women all sadly receive more bullying

pupils in varying high schools.

her of previous blunders, and actively setting up the

on average.

In its wake, Kenya ponders what sick

assigning

Fifth, a supervisor might

meaningless

tasks,

The same

employee to fail.

Upon reading the above, do you wonder whether your Many might not realize that the depravity of bullying

Eleanna Galanaki and Nancy Papalexandris highlight

workplace experiences constitute bullying?

exists beyond schools and sports fields.

Duncan

the impact of bullying in another study. The effects of

yourself the following seventeen statements and

Chappell and Vittorio Di Martino of the International

workplace bullying affect both individual employees as

answer on a five (5) point scale whereby 1 equals

Labor Office highlight deviant behaviour at workplaces

well as organizations.

“never occurs”, 2 means “yes, occasionally”, 3 stands

as one of the most pertinent emerging issues in

medium-term effects include feelings of depression,

organizations across the globe. Executives and social

paranoia,

scientists alike maintain many terms to describe

self-esteem, irritability at home and at work, higher

deviant counterproductive behaviour in work settings

blood

of

You are ordered to do work clearly below your level of

including delinquency, deviance, retaliation, revenge,

helplessness, and lower job and life satisfaction.

competence. You are systematically required to carry

violence,

Long-term

out

emotional

abuse,

mobbing,

bullying,

misconduct, and organisational aggression.

anger,

pressure,

Negative personal short to

anxiety, mood

negative

despair, swings,

personal

plummeting feelings

effects

include

Ask

for “yes, at least once a month”, 4 equates to “yes, at least once a week”, and 5 means “yes, every day”.

tasks

which

clearly

fall

outside

your

job

post-traumatic stress disorder and inability to function

description. Someone withholding information which

in future work environments.

affects your performance.

An organization also

You are given tasks with

Nancy

suffers from bullying through decreased quality of work

unreasonable or impossible targets or deadlines. Key

Papalexandris define workplace bullying as recurring

environments, increased staff turnover, and lower

areas of responsibility are removed or replaced with

persistent negative acts directed to one or more

productivity.

trivial or meaningless tasks.

Social

scientists

Eleanna

Galanaki

and

persons that create a negative work environment. In

You are ignored or

excluded.

You are exposed to an unmanageable You are subjected to false allegations.

bullying, the targeted person experiences difficulty in

Helen Cowie, Paul Naylor, Ian Rivers, Peter Smith, and

workload.

defending and protecting themselves. Therefore,

Beatriz Pereira highlight personal issues that can

Rumors and gossip are spread about you. Somebody

bullying does not refer to conflicts between two parties

cause one to bully another including aggressive

tries to sabotage your performance. Hints or signals

of equal strength but rather a more influential

personality

interpersonal

from others that you should quit your job. Threats of

aggressor in an imbalance of power.

conflict, and one’s capacity to morally disengage.

making your life difficult (e.g. overtime, unpopular

However, organizations stand as the key to reducing

tasks). You experience intimidating behaviour, such as

Managers might not understand the severe depths and

the frequency and severity of bullying. Roberta Fida

invasion of personal space, shoving, or overt violence.

prevalence of workplace bullying. Workers in some

and her large research team detail institutional factors

Somebody causes you economic or material damages.

industries report versions of bullying at rates of 70%.

that influence someone’s propensity to produce

Pressure not to claim something which by right you are

Researchers Ståle Einarsen and Anders Skogstad

counterproductive workplace behaviour even when

entitled to (e.g. sick leave, holiday entitlement, travel

detail

their internal personal factors do not constitute a

expenses). Persistent criticism of your work and effort.

machismo and masculinity or efficiency at any and all

propensity for bullying.

Your work is excessively monitored.

costs increases workplace tensions and provides

workplace bullying include unrealistic key performance

greater

that

male-dominated

industries

valuing

tendencies,

history

of

Organizational causes of

behaviour.

indicators, excessive workplace constraints, lack of

Look through your responses. If you scored above or

Construction sites, military barracks, investment

decision latitude in staff and supervisors, and lack of

equal to a 3.0 on more than five questions, you survive

banking, and professional sports teams all stand out as

organizational support all lead to negative emotions

in your job as a victim of workplace bullying. If you

highly

that cause employees to increase aggression and, as a

scored a 4.0 or higher on six or more questions, then

result, bullying.

you experience serious workplace bullying and need to

tolerance

for

susceptible

aggressive

industries.

However,

female-dominated industries do not enjoy immunity from workplace bullying.

exit your current employment. If you scored a 5.0 on

The UK Department of

Education started warning and educating educators

Al-Karim Samnani and Parbudyal Singh highlight

six or more questions, you suffer from severe

about teacher to teacher and principal to teacher

additional organizational causes of workplace bullying

workplace bullying and should consider immediate

bullying in primary and secondary schools as far back

as

intervention assistance and psychological counselling

as 2009.

inconsistency between similar job grade positions, low

accepted

aggressive

team

norms,

status

to overcome the effects.

departmental autonomy, coercive leadership styles, Charlotte Rayner and Helge Hoel delineate workplace

unfair or impossible reward systems, ambiguous or

In summary, organizations must proactively stamp out

bullying in the following five types. First, a threat to an

biased organizational policies, and poor organizational

entity-induced causes for workplace bullying all the

employee’s professional status might include belittling

cultures.

Peter Armstrong’s research shows how

while looking out for individual counterproductive

opinions,

and

bullying often results during budget decision cycles

behaviour with clear anti-bullying policies and incident

accusations about the lack of worker effort. Second,

and from budget constraints. He details how bullies

reporting mechanisms. Individual victims of bullying

public

professional

humiliation,

via

even build up what he terms “fear capital” to control

Third,

the target’s behaviour even when the bullying manager

contact the human resources department, and seek

superiors may isolate an employee by preventing

might not even be present in the office.

professional counseling.

access to opportunities and meetings, physical or

Wheeler and team also discuss how employees who

social isolation, and withholding pertinent necessary

fear personal resource loss from reassignment,

information. Fourth, staff might get overworked

possible poor performance reviews, plausible job loss,

threatening name-calling,

a

worker’s insults,

personal

intimidation,

standing etc.

Anthony

should document instances of each bullying incident,

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER

10 - 16 MARCH 2017

SPORTS UPDATE USIU-Africa to host writer and researcher on Afro-Colombian heritage

Our sports team recorded mixed results in various games they participated in this past weekend. The

This Friday, March 17 USIU-Africa will host Mrs. Maria

Colombia to Kenya), who will deliver a brief overview of

Matilde Rodriguez for a talk on “African heritage of the

her country before later on donating the complete

San Andres Island (Colombian Caribbean Sea)” at the

works of her fellow countryman Gabriel Garcia

Chandaria School of Business Lecture Theater II from

Marquez - a 1982 receipient of the Nobel Prize in

10am. Mrs. Rodriguez will be accompanied by Her

Literature – to the USIU-Africa Library and Information

Excellency Elizabeth Taylor Jay (Ambassadress of

Center.

men’s rugby team whitewashed Thika Millars 41-5 in the on-going Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship League that took place on campus last weekend. Their female counterparts who again teamed up with Kenyatta University to form the Varsity Warriors, squashed Comras 15-5, but lost to Top Fry Nakuru, Mwamba, Shamas and Impala at the KCB rugby grounds on Sunday, March 5.

The men’s team will meet South Coast Pirates in Mombasa while the Varsity Warriors take on Top Fry Nakuru, Mwamba, Shamas Comras and Impala at the Impala Grounds this weekend.

Our cricket team are the new champions of the 6-A-Side cricket tournament after they beat African Nazarene Cooperative

University,

Mount

University,

Kenya

Kenyatta

University, University,

Multimedia University and JKUAT, in the joint Cricket Kenya - Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) league match that took place at the Lenana School in Nairobi this past weekend.

Members of the Jazzika Music Band during a practice session at the Music Room in the auditorium on Friday, March 3. The band comprised entirely of six USIU-Africa students was formed in August 2016.

The band can perform music from all genres, though it does have a preference for afropop and afrosoul music. Their most recent performance was at the Mr. & Miss USIU-Africa 2016 beauty pageant in November 2016.

On Saturday March 4, the ladies hockey team

UPCOMING EVENTS

other hand, had a goalless match against Kenyatta

Monday, March 13

#IamCompassionate Campaign begins

Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) league at Kenyatta University. The men’s hockey team on the

Meanwhile during the KUSA league at Kenyatta Wednesday, March 15

University, the ladies volleyball team beat Kenyatta

Student Affairs Council Elections Voting

University 3-0 but lost to St. Paul’s University and

@ 9am - 8pm

Daystar University 3-0 and 3-1 respectively.

Cafeteria (Upstairs)

Staff Council By-Election @ 1pm

Culture Week 2017

Office of Human Resources

Behind Cafeteria

Tuesday, March 14

Thursday, March 16

Behind Cafeteria

Dome, Soccer Pitch

Student Affairs Council Elections Voting

Friday, March 17

Cafeteria (Upstairs)

University 6-0 and 5-0 respectively, in the ongoing

University.

Student Affairs Council Elections Debate Day

Culture Week 2017

triumphed against Daystar University and Mount Kenya

Culture Week Night 2017 @ 6pm

Embassy of Colombia Talk @ 10am Lecture Theater II

MEDIA MENTIONS March 5: USIU-Africa was mentioned by the Standard Digital in an article titled “Gun drama at rallies raises security fears ahead of polls.” http://www.usiu.ac.ke/on-campus/news/media-mentions/694-standard-digital-gun-drama-at-rallies-raises-security-fears-a head-of-polls

In basketball, the men’s team thrashed Mt. Kenya University 58-19 and narrowly lost to Zetech University 36-38 during an internal league and KUSA league respectively held at the USIU-Africa basketball pitch last weekend. The ladies team also recorded a 43-15 win against St. Paul’s University and a slight loss to Daystar University, 20-22.

The soccer men won against Daystar University in the KUSA league and drew with University of Nairobi (CAV) but lost to National Youth Service (NYS-VTI) in the Universities and Colleges Federation league (UCFL) while their female counterparts won against Daystar University and drew with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in the ongoing KUSA league. The team further lost University of Nairobi and drew with JKUAT University in the UCFL.