NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The University of The Bahamas has unveiled its new president as Dr Erik Rolland, the self-proclaimed serial change agent with 30 years of experience and record achievements in institutional advancement and growth.
He hails from a small town in Norway where his family has reportedly lived for 1,000 years, and prides himself on becoming a global citizen making an impact by improving educational systems – and by extension people’s livelihoods – around the world from Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America.
He will be leaving his post as the Dean of the College of Business Administration, interim Dean of the College of the Extended University, Chief International Officer and the Provost’s Associate for Strategic Transformation at California Polytechnic and State University – to become the UB’s second president.
UB’s Chair of the Board of Trustees Allyson Maynard-Gibson said Rolland was the “most capable, qualified and suitable to lead the university through an era of bold transformation”.
She further outlined Rolland’s qualifications make him the best candidate to steer “mission critical objectives, namely: the knowledge, insights and experience to achieve international accreditation, the vision and competence to implement sustainable financial and operational models for fundraising, and the capability to integrate 21st century technology modalities throughout the institution.”
Maynard-Gibson continued: “Dr. Rolland has successfully forged collaborations with key economic development partners, particularly those which have fueled venture capital pursuits as a feeder for entrepreneurship and sharing knowledge of best practices.
“Leveraging his expertise, and networks will create further opportunities for the exposure and engagement of our students with industry leaders around the world. UB will strengthen centres for entrepreneurship and business incubators, and by quickening the innovative spirit, expand capacity, ultimately increasing social and economic stability.”
The board’s confidence is well supported by Rolland’s credentials; however, the bitterness bordering heartbreak invoked in some by his selection has little to do with who he is, but who he is not.
He is not Bahamian, even more glaringly so because there was a Bahamian shortlisted.
Dr Ian Strachan, a second generation COB/UB professor and a third generation Bahamian educator, serves as the campus president of UB-North in Grand Bahama and has previously held vice presidential and faculty positions at UB.
Strachan’s scholarly and artistic contributions have been published in a dozen or so books and anthologies. He is a poet, playwright, filmmaker and documentarian whose body of work has directly contributed to the national arts.
He studied at COB under the leadership of Dr Keva Bethel, as principal, and has taught at the institution through its transition to university. And as he so aptly pointed out, the leadership of the institution has not been held by an internal candidate since Bethel’s tenure.
“I know the University of The Bahamas inside out,” said Strachan during an open session during the presidential search last year.
“I don’t have to learn the culture or learn this institution, I have been working here since 1995. I’m the right choice because I’m battle tested, I enjoy problem solving and I’m not afraid of heavy lifting. I try to bring authentic, passionate, resource-oriented leadership.”
Strachan continued: “I am a straight shooter, I bring creativity and imagination to the job. I’m transparent, I’m inclusive and I’m a team-builder, someone who will be able to inspire confidence of donors, faculty, and alumni.
“I have a big vision but I don’t sell illusions,” he added.
“It’s important to believe in your own and not fall into the colonial mindset that our solutions, our ideas, and our talent aren’t as good or as valid as those that come from the outside.”
However, UB’s board – both previous and current – did not share this view.
According to stakeholders, Rolland was selected by both boards following extensive deliberation and consultation in which he far superseded his fellow candidates.
One stakeholder explained that while the board acknowledged the symbolism of securing a Bahamian for the post as the country and institution near their 50th anniversaries.
“The university is in a mess, we have not had audited financial statements since 2012, no audited financial statements,” the stakeholder said.
“We’ve also had an academic audit done that shows university has a lot of heavy lifting to do to become accredited the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
“When you submit yourself to accreditation there is no question whatsoever it also helps you to raise funds. One of the main reasons we have not been able to raise the kind of money we need is that nobody wants to give you money and you can’t show how you’ve managed it or what you’ve done.”
The stakeholder continued: “When you look at state, no audit since 2012, systemic issues, students still complaining about failures in registration, not using tech in a way we should in the 21st century. To get someone in who can hit the ground running and get it up quickly. I understand [Strachan] disappointment especially going into the 50th annniversary but the board acted in the best interest of the university.”
What value did the board place on Strachan’s intimate knowledge of the institution and its culture, his experience steering the northern campus through Hurricane Dorian as a survivor, educator, and administrator; and his overarching contributions to national development. And if not in this presidential round, how are we framing search parameters to ensure Bahamian experience can compete?
During his open session, Rolland was asked why he sought out a presidency in The Bahamas despite never ascending to the position at any of his other institutions.
“I look to have an opportunity to make a real change, a real change for a university, a real change for a nation, that’s extremely healing to me and that’s why I’m here. I think this is a very unique thing, this is a nation building exercise and you won’t find many of them around the world that are in this wonderful position you are in.
“Where you are building a national university of excellence and you are helping build the nation,” Rolland added.
In response to a poorly worded question concerning neocolonialism, his appointment and the country’s colonial history, Rolland acknowledged he has no ties to the country and sought to demonstrate cultural awareness.
“I think what we have to do is we need to bake the cultural elements and the cultural background of The Bahamas into the pride that we are building in our institution, that is the way to go, that’s something to be proud of,” he said.
“The history is something to be proud of. Even though there are many things, most people when they think of Bahamas, they probably think pirates and slaves or something like that. There’s much more to it than that right, as a university we are the place where we should archive those stories. We should tell those stories and we should build pride from those stories in terms of who we are and who we are as a country.”
Rolland continued: “The nice thing about being a small nation and an island nation is we are free to form a kind of society that we see works best for us as a group of people who live here.
“So you have a lot of degrees of freedom, you may not think so in how you design your government, in how you design your society in general but I think as a university we should definitely be one of the main components of this country that celebrates and markets the culture of The Bahamas and the things that are special to the people of The Bahamas.”
If only more people in positions of leadership believed in this freedom.
Eyewitness News understands that Strachan has been offered the vice president position alongside a fully funded mentorship program.
While UB’s presidential search is over, the transformational change expected at the institution does not rest solely on that position. Rolland must now work intensely to secure the buy-in of not only Strachan but all UB’s constituents or efforts will not constitute nation building, but colonizing.
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