By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE College Council of the College of the Bahamas (COB) has recommended that Dr Rodney Smith be chosen as COB’s new president, according to a statement by Council president Alfred Sears.
The statement surfaced on Facebook yesterday and a reliable source within COB confirmed to The Tribune that it was circulated to the COB faculty last week.
Mr Sears’ statement was formed as a defence of COB’s presidential search process after some questioned Dr Smith’s frontrunner status and Cabinet’s involvement in determining who will be the new president.
The statement said: “Dr Rodney Smith was chosen to be the candidate that Council would present to the Minister of Education, in accordance with section 6 of the College of the Bahamas Act, for the Minister’s approval. On June 12th Council informed the minister of its determination and was then informed by the minister that the matter of the approval of Dr Smith as president of COB would be made the subject of a decision by the Cabinet of the Government of the Bahamas.”
Dr Smith was president of COB until he resigned in 2005 amid a high profile plagiarism controversy.
He is one of four shortlisted to head the institution and was recommended to the Council by an appointed Advisory Search Committee (ASC).
While some, including businessmen and former COB Council president Franklyn Wilson, have made public statements opposing Dr Smith’s possible presidency, Dr Smith enjoys widespread support within the college community.
Mr Sears’ statement read: “Council would first like it to be known that Council’s choice of Dr Rodney Smith as its preferred candidate is in keeping with the assessment conducted by the ASC of the four shortlisted candidates. In its assessment of Dr Rodney Smith, the ASC noted that Dr Smith had 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. Indeed, across all of the assessment tools used by the ASC to evaluate the candidates, Dr Smith consistently scored the highest.”
Mr Sears further said that the appointed committee determined that Dr Smith was “best able to articulate the vision of the Council and the mandate of the Government for leading the College through the process of becoming recognised as a university in 2015.”
Emphasising that the search process was “open, fair, transparent and respectful of stakeholder interests,” the statement said the plagiarism issue that led to Dr Smith’s departure from the college in 2005 was the only “question mark that hung over (his) candidacy for president.”
“Notwithstanding this concern, ASC members and Council members were of the view that Dr. Smith was, undoubtedly, the best candidate for the position of president of COB,” the statement said. “In reaching this position, the ASC and Council considered that Dr Smith deserved a second chance because he had assumed responsibility for his actions that led to his resignation, had voluntarily resigned because of the act of plagiarism attributed to him, had suffered public humiliation, and had - in his various interview encounters with ASC and Council members, shown sufficient contrition over the circumstances that led to his resignation from the college in 2005.
“Moreover, as part of the formulation of its position regarding Dr Smith’s candidacy, Council members considered it a highly relevant factor that, notwithstanding the price and public humiliation experienced by Dr Smith over the affair, Dr Smith had been able to weather the storm and excel within the academic arena in the United States. There was no evidence to suggest that the events that led to Dr Smith’s departure from the college was consistent with a repeating pattern of events in the life of Dr Smith, which might suggest a character defect. This consideration also played a pivotal role in relation to the decision reached by the College Council.”
Mr Sears added recommending Dr Smith to lead COB does not invalidate previous Council decisions regarding his tenure as president.
Comments
afficianado 10 years, 3 months ago
How can they appoint Dr. Smith after he committed plagiarism which is the highest academic offense. Wow! This definitely confirms the college's lack of integrity.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
Rodney Smith 2.0 will be better than Perry 2.0 and UR 2.0 ................ LOL
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Even the young Comrade students at the COB are taught if something inside you is telling you it’s wrong to be cheating on a class assignment or test, then don’t do it. I guess the elite board members over at the COB didn’t get the same ethics memo in their inbox's as their students, or why would they have appealed the People's Privy Council verdict that the sentence intended by the “public-at-large” following the COB’s former president's 2005 resignation amounted to cruel and unusual punishment for "plagiarism." That to now ask them as a board to uphold a “lifetime career death sentence for plagiarism" is too cruel a punishment to impose, regardless of the shame this man brought to his office, to all students and his fellow faculty colleagues at COB. For the sake of Jesus, pray tell me the Christie cabinet's fingerprints will not be found on this one too?
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
This generation thinks that "cut and paste" is really research ......... welcome to the techie age ............ I suppose Doc Smith is on the cutting edge
MaLambee 10 years, 3 months ago
This is unforgivable. Who made the decision to hire a cheater to be in charge of a school.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
The Doc is an academic ......... he said he did not plagiarize ........ even Martin Luther King Jr. borrowed information ............... do you think all of Perry's and Obama's speeches are originals????????????? They have brilliant speech writers who borrow from other politicians??????? SMDH
Emac 10 years, 3 months ago
Why is everyone so surprised? Its the PLP way-Revive the dead, bring back the damaged goods and place them in lofty positions. No one can deny that the Bahamas is one of the most whoring nation in the world. We ain gat no shame or dignity and we would sell our front to anyone for the right price. Don't blame the government, the people are the ones who keep putting them back in power!
Frosty 10 years, 3 months ago
Mr. Smiths plagiarism was not citing a source he used...in a speech during his speech.
rosalynne 10 years, 3 months ago
"Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don't understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior." ~Rick Warren
COB is to be commended for understanding the difference between trust and forgiveness. Most great leaders - including presidents, kings, prophets, and saints - have made mistakes. The mistakes, the risks, the successes are what make great leaders. The fundamental question is whether COB can trust Dr. Smith with its future and the resounding answer is YES!
CANDACESCOTT 10 years, 3 months ago
I hope the extend the same courtesy to their students when they follow the leader!
Emac 10 years, 3 months ago
Exactly! This just opens a can of worms. Now the argument will be if he can do it and get away with it so can I. This matter has nothing to do with forgiveness and trust. It has everything to do with policies and procedures taken when someone does not follow the college rules. A COLLEGE PRESIDENT should be held to the highest accountability.
ADubbs 10 years, 3 months ago
Plagiarizing is most certainly NOT a mistake. It is a willful act. This man should be both ashamed and unwilling to put COB in such a terrible position. They are seeking university status. Who will be able to take the institution seriously with a known, proven CHEAT - a thief of another's work. What sort of example is this to set for the students of COB? How will the College take action when students are found to plagiarize or cheat?
Mistakes do not make great leaders. They make messes.
A cheat and a thief cannot be trusted. Rodney Smith does not deserve trust.
listentothetruth 10 years, 3 months ago
@afficianado/@MaLambee JUST AN FYI - Dr. Smith was WRONGLY accused of plagiarism.
p.s. If a person is put in jail for murder and 3 years later are freed because of incorrect accusations, is that person still considered a murderer?
The answer is no..
Emac 10 years, 3 months ago
Where is the proof? Why was this announcement NOT made prior to him being reinstated as president?
listentothetruth 10 years, 3 months ago
THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. The Media should have already made it known that he was falsely accused of plagiarism so this matter would not even be at question. The work that Dr. Smith was accused of plagiarizing was that of one if his friends. That person had given Dr. Smith permission to use the work people are saying was plagiarized. I don't see how this is considered "cheating" or setting a bad example for students.
Emac 10 years, 3 months ago
Well the onus is really on him to clear his name.
akbar 10 years, 3 months ago
Alfred Sears is the Council President ,Frankie Wilson is a major contributor. Duhhhh! This the Bahamas folks, even though we never was know for growing bananas, we have all the semblances of a Banana Republic. We should change our name to the Commonwealth of Bananas.SMH
mostsickandtired 10 years, 3 months ago
It's the Bahamian mentality, the same way we can only elect 2 persons over and over again to be Prime minister, we only choose those who have failed us before to lead us again!
Bahamianpride 10 years, 3 months ago
Get rid of this money pitt, send your kids to florida for school or somewhere else in the U.S. The government can make a deal with many major colleges in the U.S to provide a in state or reduced cost to Bahamian students. Example Brigham Young University offers a great deal with $5200 tuition, come up with housing and books and u get a great education. The money they spend on this government money pit along with private donations can be used for scholarships for good students from low income areas.
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