The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

COB students yesterday urged college administrators and the government to seriously consider a number of alternative cost saving initiatives, rather than continuing with newly introduced non-tuition fee increases.

Admitting that COBUS has not seen any of the college’s financial records, the students said they believe COB’s financial troubles stem from a failure to find creative ways to cut operational costs.

A COBUS representative, Donovon Harding, told reporters that part of the problem lies with the College’s electricity consumption.

He said: “I need not tell you how high the cost of electricity is in this country.

“But I will ask, why in a country which experiences a minimum of eight hours of sunlight each day, are we still relying upon foreign oil from other countries?

“Why, since I am sure that this has been raised before by students and faculty, (has there been) no action taken by administration? Why is it that the students at the College of the Bahamas are being forced to pay more to make up for the substantial energy costs?”

Mr Harding also believes that bad wiring in several campus buildings has contributed to the high electricity bill.

He said: “Adding to our electricity cost is our poor electrical wiring. This college’s wiring has been called into question various times by the students and it leaves us with no doubt that it’s costing us.

“Some lights around the campus simply cannot cut off while others flicker from on to off infinitely on their own.

“So we are forced to pay energy costs for using a room even when its not being used.”

Mr Harding not only wants the college to install censors on lights to control when they turn on but also convert several departments to paperless operations.

Recently, it went public that a $50 parking fee, a library fee, a $100 faculties developmental fee and an increase in the technology fee from $100 to $120 would be implemented during the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters.

The increases have caused anger among COB students. The union has also emphatically rejected the proposals, which the administration made in response to the government’s request that it cut costs.