The University of The Bahamas (UB) is the national public institution of higher education in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas with campuses throughout the archipelago. The main campus is located in the capital city of Nassau, on the island of New Providence.
After more than thirty-five years of serving The Bahamas, first as a two-year institution, then as a four-year degree-granting College, COB expects to become The University of The Bahamas. As it transitions to university status, the institution will continue to deliver undergraduate teaching while developing new undergraduate and graduate programmes, increasing research and innovation activities, and focusing its work in areas crucial to national development. The University of the Bahamas was chartered on November 10, 2016.
The College of The Bahamas has over 6,000 students and 12,000 alumni. It is one of the largest employers in The Bahamas, employing 700 faculty and staff. Seventy-six percent of the over 300 faculty (261 full-time and 96 part-time) are Bahamian.
Established in 1974 by an act of the Parliament of The Bahamas, COB was created through the merger of:
The Bahamas Teachers' College
The San Salvador Teachers' College,
The C. R. Walker Technical College and
The Sixth Form Programme of the Government High School.
The college has three academic campuses and several teaching and academic research centres throughout The Bahamas. The Oakes Field and Grosvenor Close Campus, housing the Division of Nursing and Health Sciences, are both in Nassau. The Northern Campus is near Freeport on Grand Bahama.
The Northern Campus opened in 2011 as part of a planned university community 10 kilometers east of Port Lucaya and 15 kilometers east of Freeport. Operating initially with only the first two buildings, the campus will feature classrooms, faculty offices, library, computer and science labs, bookstore, cafeteria, conference room and administrative offices. Future development includes signature buildings, student and faculty housing, specialized instructional, academic and office spaces, commercial and dining spaces and athletic facilities.
New facilities on New Providence are planned for:
The Small Island Sustainability Centre, housing multidisciplinary sustainability programs focusing on issues unique to small island economies and
The Franklin Wilson Graduate Business Centre, housing The Faculty of Business, including both graduate and undergraduate Schools of Business.
Satellite campuses serve students throughout the archipelago in Abaco, Andros, Exuma and San Salvador.
The college is opening an agricultural location in Andros in 2014.
Institutes and Research Centres
The College's academic and outreach centres include:
The Centre for Continuing Education and Extension Services
The Abaco Center
The Exuma Center
The COB/Cape Eleuthera Institute
Oral History Institute
Confucius Institute
Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (2014)
Research Centers include:
The Gerace Research Centre for the Study of Archaeology, Biology, Geology and Marine Science is located on the shores of Graham's Harbour on the north end of San Salvador Island. The centre (formerly The Bahamian Field Station) is used as a base camp for over 10,000 annual scientific researcher and student expeditions.
The Bahamas Environmental Research Centre (BERC), located in central Andros, opened in 1995 as a collaborative effort with George Mason University in Virginia and the people of Andros. The BERC’s primary objective is to promote an understanding of current ecological issues.
The Marine and Environmental Studies Institute (MESI) is a multi-disciplinary research unit meeting national needs in scientific and technical research and community health. The institute was designed to build the nation's capacity for research, monitor marine and environmental resources and provide policy options for natural resource management. MESI partners with government ministries and international research institutions, provides leadership in program development in small island sustainability and provides year-round access to the unique sub-tropical ecosystems of the coastal, coral reefs, mangrove and sea grass communities in The Bahamas.
As part of a Sustainable Science Initiative (SSI), the Poultry Research Unit carries out research and training on sustainable tropical island agriculture and supports collaboration with counterparts with similar research foci and funding. The first phase was completed in 2004 with funding from the Freedom Foundation. The initiative is located on a 6-acre (24,000 m2) site southwest of the Oakes Field Campus at the Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre in New Providence.
Opened in 2011, the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) Harry C. Moore Library includes the law library, a 24-hour-a-day computer commons, auditorium, classrooms, media production studio, individual and group study spaces, institutional archives and exhibition spaces. The historical archives will serve as the defacto national library of The Bahamas, including the personal papers of Bahamian prime ministers.
The College is governed by the Council of The College of The Bahamas, chaired by Alfred Sears. The day-to-day operations are overseen by the president, who is appointed by the Council.
Key administrative personnel include:
President, Dr. Rodney D. Smith
Provost/Vice President Academic Affairs, Dr. Linda A. Davis
Vice President of the Northern Bahamas Campus, Dr. Dr. Coralee Kelly
Vice President for Operations, Mr. Ronnie Stevenson
Vice President of Finance, Mr. Ryan Antonio
Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Eslyn Jones
Vice President Institutional Advancement & Alumni Affairs, Ms. Davinia Blair
Vice President or Administrative Services, Dr. Marcella Elliott-Ferguson (Interim)
Vice President of Human Resources, Dr. Mychal Coleman
College Librarian, Dr. Berthamae Walker
Associate Vice President of Continuing Education and Extension Services, Dr. Christina Nwosa
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi
During her tenure at The College of The Bahamas President Boze
Opened a new Northern Bahamas Campus on Grand Bahama
New Harry C. Moore Library transformed the Oakes Field Campus
Remodeled Residence Halls and the Student Union Building were remodeled
University Transition Secretariat worked inclusively to develop a new strategic plan.
International partnerships were developed including, for example
a Confucius Institute in partnership with NUIST the Nanjing University Industry Science and Technology
an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 consortium grant with Free University of Belgium
an MOU with University of London to jointly deliver an LLM program in maritime law
Boze's fundraising efforts more than tripled The College's endowment and brought in twenty-four endowed scholarships.
She secured over two hundred critical acres of crown land from the government including land seven parcels important for future development of Residence Halls and new classroom buildings.
To thoughtfully place future facilities, a campus master facility plan was created to guide the campus through 2030 and beyond.
To support student retention, multiple academic success celebrations were created and significantly expanded
To improve morale, staff recognition, longevity and other traditions were developed or restored
Partnered with the Lyford Cay Foundation to sponsor a creative outreach program for at-risk 4th-12th grade students on campus
Partnered with the Island School to co-brand the Cape Eleuthera Institute as The College of The Bahamas Cape Eleuthera Institute
Broke ground on the new Franklin Wilson Graduate Business Building
Boze was an early signer of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment for both Kent State University and The College of The Bahamas
The College of The Bahamas typically appoints presidents on three year terms and has had eight presidents in fifteen years.
Dr. Rodney D. Smith (2014-)
Dr. Earla Carey-Baines (2014)
Dr. Betsy Boze (2011–2013)
Dr. Earla Carey-Baines (2010)
Ms. Janyne Hodder (2006–2010)
Dr. Rhonda Chipman Johnson (2005-2006)
Dr. Rodney Smith (2004–2005)
Dr. Rhonda Chipman Johnson (2004)
Dr. Leon Higgs (1998–2004)
Dr. Keva Bethel (1996–1998)
Dr. Keva Bethel (1982-1995)
Dr. Jacob Bynoe (1979-1981)
Dr. Kazim Bacchus (1976-1978)
Dr. John Knowles (1974-1976)
The college offers certificates and diplomas as well as associate, baccalaureate and masters degrees for 66 majors and serves over 5,000 students. In 2011, 66 percent of the graduates earned baccalaureate degrees, reflecting the change in student demand and the emergence of institution from college to university. Over 80% of entering students enroll in baccalaureate and masters programs. Pharmacy, law and other advanced professional degree programs are offered in partnership with Caribbean and U.S. universities.
The college offers degrees through eight academic units, including an institute and seven schools. Six of the schools are organized into faculties (equivalent to colleges in U.S. universities) headed by an academic dean.
The Academic Faculties (equivalent to Colleges) and their related schools are:
Faculty of Business
School of Business
Faculty of Liberal and Fine Arts
School of Communication and Creative Arts
School of English Studies
Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences
School of Chemistry, Environmental and Life Sciences
School of Nursing and Allied Health
School of Mathematics, Physics and Technology
Faculty of Social and Educational Studies
School of Education
School of Social Sciences
International Languages and Cultures Institute
Culinary and Hospitality Management Institute
The Caribs, as the College's athletes are known, compete nationally and internationally.
The teams include:
men's and women's basketball
men's and women's soccer
men's and women's volleyball
men's and women's track & field
[2] - The College of The Bahamas Alumni Magazine
[3] - The College of The Bahamas Law Library Bulletin
[4] - The College of The Bahamas Weekly Bulletin
[5] - Culinary & Hospitality Management Institute's Newsletter
[6] - E-Informer
[7] - International Journal of Bahamian Studies
[8] - Lucayos
[9] - Monthly Supplement appearing in The Nassau Guardian, Tribune and Freeport News
[10] - The Spectrum
