<<< Janyne Hodder, President of The College of the Bahamas, is pictured speaking about her retirement from COB effective June 30, 2010 during a press conference at The College of The Bahamas as College Council Chairman T Baswell Donaldson looks on, Wednesday December 9.
Nassau, Bahamas – The College of The Bahamas (COB) is academically positioned to transfer into university status thanks to the efforts of College President Janyne Hodder said Council Chairman T Baswell Donaldson.
“The timing of the coming into being of a university is not in our hands. This is a public university with more than half of the budget is subvention from Government and it is the Government that has to carry forward to Parliament until it establishes the University of The Bahamas.
“President Hodder made sure that all those things which need to be done from the academic point of view are very much done and if the Government wanted to pull the trigger tomorrow we could be a university,” Mr Donaldson said.
He made these remarks as he announced the retirement of Mrs Hodder as president effective June 30, 2010 at The College of The Bahamas, Thursday December 9.
Mr Donaldson spoke of his admiration for President Hodder and described her as a hard working, very intelligent person who has performed a “stellar” job and “has laid the foundation for the College to move forward.”
Although not able to “replace” Mrs Hodder, the search for a new college president will begin in 2010 said the Chairman. “We want the best that we can get to have a great tertiary institution,” he said.
The president explained that she is “ready” to retire and her retirement years will be spent with her husband, two-year-old grandson and her children. “When we originally came back we had an agreement that we would come back for three years. I realize that we need to spend this time together. I have a grandson who I’ve seen less than six times. I get calls from my children, my family,” she said.
Following a initial three year contract Mrs Hodder signed a two-year contract with an option to make the final decision six months ahead of time.
She is hopeful that COB would sign a collective agreement with faculty before Christmas 2009. “We need to work through the issue and working through issues is tough. It is not about the people,” Mrs Hodder added.
She expressed her appreciation to the Prime Minister the Rt Hon Hubert Ingraham; the Hon Carl Bethel, former Minister of Education, and the Government for their support of COB’s efforts to build a university to serve national development.
She revealed her love for the Small Island Sustainability baccalaureate program introduced to COB in 2008.
“It is an example of how you build quality out of what you are, not of what someone else says you should be. You make it a high standard of quality and you own it,” said the President.
Mrs Hodder’s advice to her successor, “Love The Bahamas, have faith in it, believe in it. One of the most difficult things about leadership is that you cannot lead people you do not love and you cannot lead an organization if you do not profoundly believe in its mission.”
@kim sands I totally agree with you.@bahamasyouth you made me register to respond to your comments. I don’t know what COB students you were refering too, but many of them did not know her or who she was. The atmosphere on the campus was completely hostile and that was from top down. They were not happy with her governance. It appeared that the only the faculty union that was upset with administration, however, I understand from a reliable source that the entire campus was upset with administration and their handling of their negotiations. The managers are also pissed too. I am not going to address the racist part of that because you are out in the left field with that. The public was ignorant to what was actually happening on that campus. I have heard from staff, students and faculty that this semester has been the worst semester they have ever seen. Yes some good was done, but when people are being treated unfairly and you are sitting on the ivory tower looking down, there is a problem. All you have to take some time and walk around the campus and sit and speak with the staff, faculty and students. Not the ones in her office, I understand because they were the eleet group and they were treated far better than the others. The government and the public would be suprised at what they find if they take minute to look. This was a blessing.
@Kim Sands
Kim she was a good president… Its plenty troublesome things that have been happening at COB which the public is not aware of. Students are getting Robbed, Assaulted and worst Rape at the campus. Though I must say COB has gotten strict this semester by making sure that students present ID’s to get entrance into the school. Hodder was a good PRESIDENT at COB… she really loved when students came to her OFFICE to sit down and have lunch and talk about issues with the school.
Apparently Hodder received alot of bad treatment among her ADMINISTRATION. The Students love Hodder but the teachers especially the Bahamian ones didnt like her. Its SAD BUT if you ask me RACISM STILL EXISTS IN THE BAHAMAS.
@kim sands I totally agree with you.@bahamasyouth you made me register to respond to your commends. I don’t know what COB students you were refering too, but many of them did not know heror who she was. The atmosphere on the campus was completely hostile and that was from top down. They were not happy with her governance. It appeared that the only the faculty union that was upset with administration, however, I understand from a reliable source that the entire campus was upset with administration and their handling of their negotiations. The managers are also pissed too. I am not going to address the racist part of that because you are out in the left field with that. The public was ignorant to what was actually happening on that campus. I have heard from staff, students and faculty that this semester has been the worst semester they have ever seen. Yes some good was done, but when people are being treated unfairly and you are sitting on the ivory tower looking down, there is a problem. All you have to take some time and walk around the campus and sit and speak with the staff, faculty and students. Not the ones in her office, I understand because they were the eleet group and they were treated far better than the others. The government and the public would be suprised at what they find if they take minute to look. This was a blessing.
I hope they give the position to some deserving Bahamian now and keep the politricks out of it.
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