The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

THE Bahamas National Citizen’s Coalition is opposed to any move to reappoint Dr Rodney Smith as president of the College of the Bahamas and said yesterday that him being considered shows the “regressive thinking” of the college’s nominating board.

The BNCC questioned the competence of COB’s advisory board for recommending Dr Smith to return as president in spite of his earlier departure from the college in 2005 for being involved in a plagiarism scandal.

The statement read: “The audacity of having his name resurface at the college again, speaks unwisely about those who made the nomination, and provides us with a clear insight into the working of their regressive thinking. BNCC admonishes the board to free the college of their insulting recommendation.

Honour

“The college board must understand it’s their sacred and fundamental duty to uphold the honour, integrity and vision of the college. Our students and our nation are both deserving of our best choice as we trod toward higher economic grounds.”

Dr Smith’s nomination and possible reappointment have come under fire from some people who think he is unfit for the post.

Franklyn Wilson, the college’s former council chairman and a major benefactor, has said that Dr Smith’s reappointment would be a “significant error for the country.”

In 2005, Dr Smith made a speech at COB’s honours convocation, however, a part of his speech was previously given by an American academic. Dr Smith did not attribute the remarks to that academic.

Dr Smith recently revealed in an address to the college that the incident that led to the scandal “was not an intentional omission on the part of the person that drafted the remarks” and that the owner of the speech, then-president of New York University Dr John Sexton has given him “carte blanche permission to use the document in whatever manner I wished.”

On Monday Dr Smith released a statement which expressed hope that the public would accept him as a “man of integrity”.

Plagiarism

He said that nine years after the plagiarism scandal, he remains deeply regretful of the “mistake”, but added that he is determined to use the experience to teach students and others of the importance of exercising good judgment along with the consequences associated with carelessness in academia.

However, the BNCC’s statement expressed its unwillingness to accept his attempts at atonement.

“Dr Smith, this is not about forgiveness, you can seek forgiveness between you and your heavenly Father in your own private moment of penance,” the statement read. “For God’s sake, Dr Smith, your quick departure will suffuse us with some badly needed fresh tropic air.”

Dr Smith was one of four candidates up for nomination for the presidential post. He beat out Drs Phillip Carey, Gregory Carey and Olivia Saunders for the position.

COB’s College Council has recommended Dr Smith as its choice to fill the position. The matter is now awaiting Cabinet approval.

Last week College Council president Alfred Sears defended the selection process saying Dr Smith was one of four shortlisted candidates and was recommended to the Council by the Advisory Search Committee (ASC).

In its assessment, the ASC noted that Dr Smith has extensive leadership experience, impressive credentials and an in-depth knowledge of the institutional mechanisms needed to ensure peak performance levels in all areas of the operation of an academic institution.