|
|
|
|
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald (right) announces during a press conference held on Thursday, August 25th that November 10th, 2016 will mark the date of establishment of the University of The Bahamas. He is flanked by College of The Bahamas President Dr. Rodney Smith.
|
The College of The Bahamas will officially transition into the University of The Bahamas on November 10th, 2016 – designated as the university’s official Charter Day – in fulfillment of a vision for higher education and the national development of The Bahamas expressed more than four decades ago.
The Minister of Education, Science and Technology Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald made the announcement during a press conference held on Thursday, August 25th at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre, located at The College’s Oakes Field Campus.
“Today, it is my distinct pleasure to announce, on behalf of the Government, that November 10th will be our Charter Day and the day that we will officially become the University of The Bahamas,” Minister Fitzgerald said.
“I want you to know that the road to university does not just mean passing a bill or changing a name - it is a paradigm shift in the culture and fabric of our country as it relates to tertiary education and national development as a whole.
“It is a shift in how we experience higher education in The Bahamas, as we will be amongst many other nations who boast of having a national university. We are here today to witness the building of a more modern nation.”
A slate of national events in the month of November will commemorate the official establishment of the University of The Bahamas. Among them are a church service, plaque unveiling, Charter Day ceremony, panel featuring university presidents and installation of the President of the University, Dr. Rodney D. Smith. Dr. Smith is currently serving as the President of the College of The Bahamas.
As a national event of historic significance, the Charter Day Ceremony, scheduled to be held on November 10th, 2016 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium is open to the public. Charter celebrations will also be held in Grand Bahama.
The Act of Parliament under which the University is being established was passed this summer. Under the University of The Bahamas Act, an enabling environment will be created for the institution to become internationally accredited and a nucleus for intellectual discourse and research that undergirds national development goals.
There will also be crucial changes in operational efficiencies; financial management and sustainability; further academic programme development; and constituent engagement in the governance of the institution.
College Council Chairman Dr. Earl Cash (right) speaks about The College’s growth and development over its more than 40-year history and the formal process leading to its transition to university status. From left are College of The Bahamas President Dr. Rodney Smith and the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald.
|
“When Sir Lynden Pindling opened the College of The Bahamas in 1977, he said then that the institution would become a university. That moment became the genesis for the university. Since 2002, we have worked diligently on creating an institution that could be called a university,” College Council Chairman Dr. Earl Cash said.
The university transition process, initiated in 2002, culminated in August 2006 with the Council of The College of The Bahamas establishing an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Governance, Dr. Cash explained. The mandate given to that committee was to propose the legislative framework for the University of The Bahamas. The Chair of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Governance, Dr. Keva Bethel, President Emerita, submitted the final report on the 10th of June, 2007.
In 2012, under the leadership of former Chairman, Mr. Alfred Sears, the University Transition Secretariat was established to assure that the voices of administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni and external stakeholders of The College received full consideration in the conceptualization of the character of the University of The Bahamas and in the identification of steps to be taken towards its realization. This Secretariat, under the leadership of Dr. Olivia Saunders, submitted the Final Draft Report of the University Transition Secretariat to the College Council in the Fall of 2013.
“In the last two years, the College Council, President Smith, faculty, staff, students and alumni all came together to position the College to become the university that we envisioned… With the passing of the University of The Bahamas Bill in the House of Assembly and in the Senate, we saw years of hard work rewarded and we saw the heralding of a new era in tertiary education for The Bahamas,” Dr. Cash added.
According to President of the College of The Bahamas Dr. Rodney Smith, the events commemorating the establishment of the University will attract participation from the international community, inclusive of the global academic community. He called the announcement regarding University’s charter date and commemorative activities momentous.
One of the priorities for the institution will be to increase its research capacity and, as such, Dr. Smith shared that the emphasis will remain on recruiting faculty with terminal degrees.
This semester, for instance, 12 new academics have joined The College. Five of them are Bahamian full-time faculty, three of whom hold terminal degrees in the Chemistry, Environmental and Life Sciences concentration. Overall, 75 percent of the new part-time and full-time faculty hires for Fall 2016 have PhDs.
Dr. Smith also reiterated that the Charter Day Ceremony is a national event and the general public is invited to participate in the historic occasion by attending and wearing royal blue, the new brand colour of the coming University of The Bahamas.
The national events commemorating the establishment of the University are as follows:
Charter Events – New Providence
Sun. 6th– Thanksgiving Service, Christ Church Cathedral
Reception, Government House
Mon. 7th– UB Blue Day
National participation
Wed. 9th– Panel of Past and Present University Presidents
The College of The Bahamas, Performing Arts Centre
Thurs. 10th– Plaque Unveiling
New Formal Entrance, The College of The Bahamas, Oakes Field Campus
Charter Day Ceremony
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium
President’s Reception
The College of The Bahamas, Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre
Fri. 11th– President’s Installation
The College of The Bahamas, Performing Arts Centre
Sat. 12th– Unveiling of the University of The Bahamas Mascot & Basketball Game
Kendall G. L. Isaacs Gymnasium
Mon. 14th– Street Renaming Ceremony
Charter Events – Grand Bahama
Sun. 6th– Thanksgiving Service and Reception
Christ The King Church
Mon. 7th– UB Blue Day
National participation
Thurs. 17th– Sign and Plaque Unveiling
The College of The Bahamas, Northern Bahamas
Campus East Grand Bahama
College of The Bahamas President Dr. Rodney Smith speaks about the academic strength of the institution with regard to its faculty who have earned terminal degrees.
|
Remarks by Dr. Earl Cash, Chairman The College Of The Bahamas Council at a Press Conference to announce The Transition to The University of
The Bahamas ‘The Road To University’ at The Harry C. Moore Library
College Of The Bahamas Thursday, 25th August, 2016 at 1:00 P.M.
Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald, Minister of Education, Science and Technology;
Dr. Rodney Smith, President of The College of The Bahamas;
Faculty & Staff of The College of The Bahamas;
University Transition Committee Members;
Members of the Press,
Good afternoon.
I have had the privilege to the country as a member of the College of
The Bahamas Council for more than 10 years. It is truly with excitement
that I sit here today, as the Chairman of the Council, for what will be
an historic announcement.
When Sir Lynden Pindling opened the College of The Bahamas in 1974, he
said then that the institution would become a university. That moment
became the genesis for the university. Since 2002, we have worked
diligently on creating an institution that could be called a
University. The university transition process, initiated in 2002,
culminated in August 2006 with the Council of The College of The Bahamas
establishing an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Governance. The mandate
given to that committee was to propose the legislative framework for The
University of The Bahamas. The Chair of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee
on Governance, Dr. Keva Bethel, President Emerita, submitted the final
report of that committee on the 10th of June, 2007.
In 2012, under the leadership our former Chairman, Mr. Alfred Sears, the
University Transition Secretariat was established with the mandate to
“convene forums, engender conversations and discussions, organize
activities, and otherwise bring together and engage internal and
external stakeholders of The College of The Bahamas for the purpose of
envisioning the character of The University of The Bahamas and designing
the roadmap for effecting the transition of The College to The
University.” This Secretariat, under the leadership of Dr. Olivia
Saunders, submitted the Final Draft Report Of The University Transition
Secretariat to the Council in the Fall of 2013.
In the last two years, the College Council, President Smith, Faculty,
Staff, Students and Alumni all came together to position the College to
become the university that we envisioned. A technical team (consisting
of Dr. Rodney Smith, Mr. Michael Stevenson, Dr. Earla Carey-Baines, Dr.
Danny Davis, Dr. Ian. Strachan and myself) was appointed by the Council
to work along with members of the Law Reform Commission (Ms. Tina
Demeritte-Roye and Ms. LaToya Greene) of the Office of the Attorney
General and Mr. Clarence Cleare of the Ministry of Education, Science
and Technology to draft the University of The Bahamas Bill.
With the passing of the University of The Bahamas Bill in the House of
Assembly and in the Senate, we saw years of hard work rewarded and we
saw the heralding of a new era in tertiary education for The Bahamas.
It is my hope, that as we continue to build a world-class institution,
that the country will work with us and know that our celebrations are
also theirs – we have done this work in the interest of nation building
and for the production of a better Bahamas.
Thank you.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
