Weekend Report | The Freeport News | PDF Online Guide

Friday, July 3, 2009

Home National Sports Business Lifestyles Religion Arts & Culture Pulse Spice Editorial letters Opinion Foodie Sportscope Real Talks Weekend Report PDF's Classifieds Contact About Us Archive Weather

Letters | Opinion | Editorial | Weekend Report
FOODIE SPORTS SCOPE REAL TALKS Bring on the land crabs Appropriate template important for Caribbean Games success
Hodder: COB on way to university status despite budget cuts By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com: Despite the government's current financial inability to help The College of The Bahamas (COB) in its transition to a university, COB's President Janyne Hodder believes that the school is well on its way to attaining that goal as it has recently secured a "large, large fund" for itself. Recently, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said that the government could not commit to provide the finances it would need to help propel the college into a university. "With respect to (COB) becoming a university, the cost that we understand that the government will have to undertake is not something that we can countenance today, but we will do so at the earliest possible opportunity," said Ingraham. "It's not indefinite in the sense that it's a long time away, except that right now we can't make a commitment in terms of a specific time." He added that the college received a commitment from the private sector for $2 million toward a $4 million business school. "[They asked] if the government would match it. We undertook to match it - $2 million. In respect of the other $1 million, we had previously agreed to give them more than $1 million, but that's all we could afford this year. We have not discussed with them the location, and we don't propose to discuss with them the location," he said in the House of Assembly recently. However, President Hodder said recently that the government's incapability to provide the funds will not impede the college's efforts. "I don't think that's going to hamper the efforts to become a university. We've already secured a large, large fund," Hodder said without revealing how much money was involved. "We're already building the library, building a new pharmacy lab, building the northern campus. There is a need for money over a period of time but it's over a period of time. Over the next 10 to 15 years, we'll need a master plan to look at what the campus will look like." Hodder added that the school is also expected to receive additional donations from the private sector. "We also have been successful in securing private partners, so we're not expecting government to do it all and we look forward to talking to the prime minister and the members of government about the mixed public and private funding that we can expect over the next 10, 15 or 20 years," Hodder said. The president also noted that the college had done everything that it needs to do in order to become a university. She said the school graduated more students with bachelor's degrees and associate's degrees than it did last year, and has implemented essential program changes. All that is necessary now is for the government to adopt the necessary legislation, she explained. "We're recognized as a university, we belong to the international association of universities. I have just come back from Malaysia where I was invited at the vice chancellor's forum of commonwealth universities. So I think internationally we are recognized as a university and we meet those criteria. Really, it's the internal legislation that we are looking for. And that will be, I'm sure, on the government's legislation agenda," she added. In the meantime, she said the college is going to continue to invest in research and to open new programs. "We're just going to move. I think that government expects us to continue what we do well," said Hodder. She said once the college becomes a university, it will have an "enormous impact" on Bahamian society and it is "long overdue." "Some of you may remember I began my career at COB a long time ago, and we we're hoping for a university within 10 years of that beginning. So we're long over due. But we're actually there, so we're not waiting, we're just hoping that the government will adopt this legislation soon," Hodder continued. The 2009/2010 budget allocation for The College of The Bahamas is just over $24 million. Tuesday, June 30, 2009