The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

IT was a special day for students and faculty at the University of The Bahamas’ (UB) Northern Bahamas Campus, which held a charter celebration and plaque unveiling ceremony yesterday at the institution in East Grand Bahama.

University president Dr Rodney Smith and other officials from Nassau flew to Freeport for the momentous occasion.

Dr Smith said that the charter of the UB system at the Grand Bahama campus is yet another milestone.

“The charter of the university was not just a change in name,” he said. “We are witnessing the paradigm shift in our campus culture and a change in way we are handling the business of education.

“In Grand Bahama, we are working not only to transform the campus and programme offerings, but to transform a city and an island through education, and to redefine the role of … the campus in the northern Bahamas,” he said.

The campus in Grand Bahama has long operated as a satellite campus, and Dr Smith indicated that it must have greater autonomy in order to grow, develop and meet the demands of the surrounding and wider community.

The goal, he said, is to make the northern campus a centre of excellence dedicated to manufacturing, engineering and entrepreneurial studies, with the country’s largest business incubator.

A publicly and privately funded business incubator will incorporate two programmes: for students majoring in entrepreneurial studies and for community members wishing to learn how to write a business plan and sustain successful businesses.

The UB president also stated that acquiring globally recognised accreditations is another important component for the institution - a process that has already begun.

Dr Smith stressed that UB’s mission is to advance and expand access to higher education, promote academic freedom, drive national development and build character through teaching and learning, research scholarship, and service.

“This mission demands that UB seeks to provide access to higher education for all Bahamians across the length and breadth of the Bahamas,” he said.

Sarah St George, vice chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd (GBPA), congratulated the university administrative council and board of trustees for achieving such an important milestone.

She noted that her father, the late Edward St George, former GBPA chairman, and Sir Jack Hayward, a 50 per cent partner, both passionately dreamed of a vibrant college/university campus and donated 50 acres of land to the institution 15 years ago.

Two years ago, the Port Authority and government realised the urgent need for housing facilities or dorms at the college, and pledged to commit funds for one.

The GBPA pledged to contribute $3m towards the project. In an effort to reduce the cost of construction and instead of duplicating the existing building at a cost of $11m, they looked at an innovative building technique that would significantly reduce the cost to $5m.

Finland-based Almaco is building the 88 pre-fabricated dorm rooms, which are expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by the Fall semester.

Ms St George was also pleased about plans to have the UB schools of maritime and engineering at the northern campus. She noted that UB’s agreement with State University of New York (SUNY) requires students complete the first year at the Oakes Field campus in Nassau, then two years at SUNY and their final year at the Northern Bahamas Campus, when they go directly out to sea training.

“The maritime school is one of our great prides in Grand Bahama,” she said.

She noted that the existing cruise port and a new one to come at a proposed cost of $150m to $200m is indicative of a growing, thriving cruise destination. Additionally, she said the $250m extension of Hutchison and MSC’s Freeport Container Port will make it the most modernised container port in the region, and the Grand Bahama Shipyard has become a leading ship repair facility in this hemisphere in a mere 15 years from start up.

“Freeport has emerged from a pine barren to become an industrial and maritime capital of the Bahamas,” said Ms St George.

In his keynote address, Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville noted that it was under the first Christie-led administration that the government announced its intention to transition the College of The Bahamas into a university.

In 2016, the Christie administration passed the University of the Bahamas Act through Parliament, making the transition official.

“Today is both a monumental and historic one, as that vision has now become a reality; for today, we commemorate the transition from College of The Bahamas to the University of the Bahamas here at the northern campus. As a result, we can expect enhanced technological and structural upgrades to the tools and facilities here on the northern campus,” he said.

He thanked the GBPA for its assistance in the advancement of tertiary level education on the island.

Dr Darville emphasised that the government has kept its promise to double the investment in education. He noted that the government intends to fully utilise the remaining 170 acres of land, and to continue the development of the Northern Bahamas Campus.

With the expansion of the campus, Dr Darville said it is anticipated that entrepreneurs will have opportunities to establish new businesses on the campus, and in the surrounding areas.

“We will also work to see a new housing subdivision established in the immediate area as well; which will foster the creation of an entirely new community on the island of Grand Bahama, centred around this campus,” he said.