NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) President Danny Thompson said yesterday that the selection of a non-Bahamian as the University of The Bahamas’ next president would not only be a “serious mistake”, but a “national disgrace”.
Thompson said Dr Ian Strachan, one of three shortlisted candidates, has proven himself through challenging times.
The other candidates included Dr Erik Rolland and Sir Anthony Seldon.
UB will announce its next president at a ceremony this morning.
Notwithstanding the outcome, Thompson said UTEB will work with the president for the betterment of the university and its stakeholders.
“I think if they appoint a non-Bahamian, it’s a serious mistake,” he told Eyewitness News.
“It’s an indictment. It’s a travesty of our tertiary educational institution and it’s very unfortunate.
“And it’s very unfortunate that they would put no confidence in a Bahamian who’s proven versus a foreigner who is only a good resume.
“If it is the Aristocrat, he has been a president before.
“If it is the American, then the American has never been a president.
“But they (UB Board) are the ones with the power to make the choice.
“So, if they choose a non-Bahamian over a Bahamian that’s a national disgrace, but what can we do, they have the power.”
Thompson said he would reserve further comment until the president was announced, though he understood Strachan had not been not selected.
The presidential candidate list was narrowed to three since last October.
Rolland, who has 30 years’ experience, hails from the University of California and most recently served as the dean of the College of Business Administration at California Polytechnic & State University.
Seldon, a prominent educational figure in the United Kingdom, chaired the Festival of Higher Education and founded the Universities G20, a group of leading independent universities.
He served as vice chancellor at the University of Buckingham until recently.
Strachan, a recognized leader in education in The Bahamas, serves as the campus president of UB-North in Grand Bahama and has previously held vice presidential and faculty positions at UB.
The selection process for a new president has been expansive, with a series of interviews, structured listening sessions and broad input.
In June 2020, the university advised that Smith will not renew his contract in August of this year and had begun actively seeking employment elsewhere.
At the time, Thompson called Smith’s actions an “abandonment of duty during a pandemic”.
In October 2021, UB President Rodney Smith said he requested his contract of employment with the university be extended beyond 2022.
In an email sent to faculty and staff, Smith admitted that since 2017, several missteps were made in the governance of UB, though he acted in accordance with what he thought was the right thing to do.
He had previously proposed to the board’s chairman that the university’s outgoing president be allowed to have a faculty position upon leaving office — a standard practice in the United States.
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