USIU Announces New Vice Chancellor

The United States International University-Africa (USIU) has announced the appointment of Professor Margee Ensign as the new Vice-Chancellor to replace Freida Brown who acted on an interim basis.

The announcement was made on Monday, July 18 through a communique by the renowned university seen by Viral Tea, an appointment which takes effect from September 1, 2022.

The university’s council in August 2021 recalled Prof Brown from retirement to serve on a nine-month contract following the exit of Paul Tiyambe Zeleza after a five-year stint. Her contract was extended to September.

Newly-appointed USIU Vice Chancellor, Professor Margee Ensign. /COURTESY

Prof. Ensign currently serves as the President of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, where she had been President from 2010 to 2017.

She was requested to return to AUN in 2021, having assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor (or President) of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2021.

"Prof. Ensign has an outstanding track record with a stellar academic career including 12 years as a successful Vice-Chancellor in Nigeria and in the US, where she was a formidable ambassador and successful fund-raiser. Her experience leading two very different organizations as Vice Chancellor will enable her to address the challenges and opportunities for USIU-Africa.

"She brings an undoubted commitment, passion and vision around deepening international and intercultural education in Africa: it has been at the heart of her teaching, research, publications, and administrative life, and has led her to experience working in numerous international environments including Rwanda, Uganda, and Nigeria," the statement read in part.

Prior to her AUN Vice-Chancellorship, Professor Ensign was the Associate Provost for International Initiatives as well as the Dean and Professor, School of International Studies, University of The Pacific between 1999-2010.

She worked in Rwanda and Uganda from 2003 to 2009 and held administrative and faculty positions at both Columbia and Tulane Universities. She holds a PhD from the University of Maryland in International Politics and Economics.

A well-respected scholar on development in Africa, and - growing out of her experience in Rwanda - on genocide, Prof. Ensign is the author and editor of six books, including Rwanda: History and Hope, and Confronting Genocide: Dehumanization, Denial, and Strategies for Prevention.

"She has presented at numerous international fora, including the World Economic Forum, the American Council on Education, and US Congress, and most recently was a panel member at the Commonwealth Women's Forum in Rwanda which focused on gender equity and education. She has received many awards including Distinguished Leadership Award for Excellence in Education; African Leading," added the statement.

Prof. Ensign will work in close alignment with the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and other members of the Management Board, to oversee a broad spectrum of activities including the five academic schools, student affairs, admissions, registration, library, faculty development, information technology, operations, and the implementation of the 2021-2026 strategic plan.

The university further noted that Prof. Ensign particularly enjoys interacting with students and with all members of the university and is looking forward to engaging with the USIU-Africa community when she arrives in September.

She will be expected to continue with the progress made by Prof. Brown who prior to her interim appointment had served as vice-chancellor at the institution for 21 years before retiring in early 2016 and returning to the US. The university relied on UK-based Oxford HR to spearhead the international process of recruiting a replacement for Prof Zeleza.

The tenure of Prof Zeleza was characterised by not just a rocky administration consisting of complaints over hikes in terms of fees to university students but also a clash with lecturers over salary cuts and a union following plans to lay off non-teaching staff.

Former Vice Chancellor Professor Freida Brown who served as Interim Vice Chancellor effective Monday, August 16, 2021. /FACEBOOK

In October 2020, the Employment and Labour Relations court suspended the bid by USIU-A to slash lecturers’ pay, pending the determination of the petition the tutors had filed.

In May 2021, 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.