The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE head of the University of the Bahamas’ (UB) board of trustees refused to say why a non-Bahamian has been appointed acting president of the university following the resignation of the outgoing president.

When The Tribune contacted Allyson Maynard-Gibson yesterday, she said: “The only thing the board has to say is exactly what is in the release. There is nothing more to say other than that.”

On Monday, Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis questioned the university’s decision to bypass a Bahamian for the top role again as elected officials wrapped up the 2023/2024 budget debate.

 Dr Erik Rolland’s tenure as UB’s president will end on June 30 for “personal, family reasons”.

 Ms Hodder, a permanent resident of The Bahamas for the past 40 years, will serve as acting president for the remainder of Dr Rolland’s contract, which expires in July 2025. Ms Hodder was the president of the College of the Bahamas from July 2006 to June 2010.

 Mr Lewis said on Monday: “We in our policy, we do not have a Bahamian as the president. I know we talked about the board operating, we talked about Bahamianisation. We have a qualified Bahamian in this country who applies, who’s rejected. Why isn’t it our policy where someone like Dr Ian Strachan can be the president of UB? When there is a Bahamian like Dr Sydney McPhee, the president of Middle Tennessee State University in the US, but a qualified Bahamian is not heading our highest tertiary education institution in The Bahamas? Why is that? Don’t we have a say?”

 Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin deferred to UB’s board, which she said is autonomous.

 She said the university is seeking accreditation. She said the government intends for a Bahamian to run the university eventually.

 “Certainly, the policy of The Bahamas government is that a Bahamian will lead the University of The Bahamas,” she said. “They’re currently in the accreditation phase and we trust that they move through that quickly.”