The Christie administration is moving full steam with a promise made to Bahamians during its first term in office – to transform the College of The Bahamas (COB) into a university.
In laying out its legislative agenda for the next five years during its Opening of Parliament, the government said that it will bring legislation to establish the University of The Bahamas.
It has been the pledge of successive governments to push ahead with the college’s transition to a university.
Before the Christie administration was ousted in 2007, it says COB was well on its way to achieving this goal.
However, newly appointed Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald blames the Ingraham administration for not following through with the process.
But with its renewed pledge, as read from the throne yesterday it is something COB officials eagerly anticipate.
Already the college has made strides towards beefing up its academic programmes.
Interim Executive Vice-President, Dr. Earla Carey Baines said recently that the college is currently undergoing a rigorous academic review to ensure that its programmes continue to meet the needs of today’s students and prepare them for the challenges they will face.
She added that the college is looking to recruit the most qualified faculty and staff.
“We’ve undergone a massive faculty appointment process and we will have new faculty joining us in the fall,” Dr. Carey Baines said.
“We hope they will enhance what we have to offer, in terms of both our teaching and research capacities because as you know we’ve always been an excellent teaching institution and we are now shifting our focus so that we can engage in more research opportunities because we realise that is one of the hallmarks of a university and that is one of the needs of our nation.”
In addition, Dr. Carey Baines said the college is implementing new programmes, like its small island sustainability and maritime studies programmes.
The college also intends to provide more dorm rooms for Family Island and international students.
