Bahama Journal Editorial July 30, 2014

The following article is posted with the kind permission of The Bahama Journal.

Try as we might to fathom how it now could arise that self-confessed plagiarist Dr. Rodney David Smith could fix his eyes and thoughts on a second-time safe arrival as president of The College of The Bahamas,  we now let it be known that since principle does and should matter, Dr. Rodney David Smith is just so much bad news for the Academy.

As a Medium in The Bahamas dedicated to informing and educating Bahamians, we are utterly disappointed in the recommendation of The Council of The College.

As for the truly tired argument that he is really and truly sorry for his words and his actions [but not either especially or specifically for the spite and bile he directed at some of his colleagues in the service of the self-same College of The Bahamas], we are not impressed.

Smith is clearly a very clever man and for all that we know or care, he may also be a very persuasive speaker. All this aside, the wrongs he did  and the wrongs he perpetrated on cardinal academic principles,  cannot and should not be forgiven to that degree where he can come back as some second-time around ersatz messiah. No respectable College in the world would allow this. His application must be tossed.

We are just not that dependent on this or that one uniquely qualified Bahamian émigré to rest assured that it must be Dr. Rodney David Smith or nothing.

Leaving things just the way they are, might be the far better way for the College and for the Bahamian Nation as in “…Nobody move, Nobody get hurt…”

We  must all realize that there are systemic forces at work that militate against a quick fix or miracle for the College in the immediate years ahead.

Evidently, money [or the lack thereof] will matter; and so will the weight and backwardness of the systems and interests already in place which –all things being equal – should be expected to conduce towards leaving things the way they are.

As they say- Rome was not built in a day.

The same principle applies to the grounding and building up of a truly progressive College/University of The Bahamas.

As in all such pioneering ventures involving the people,  haste is to be made slowly.

There is also no gainsaying the fact that  if we are to build high,  we are also called to dig deep.

We must get real and understand that one of that institution’s  gravest problems has to do with the fact  that The College of The Bahamas –as a government owned and run entity- it is subject to all of the lousiness and backwardness pervading other such entities, inclusive of Bahamas Air and a host of other money-guzzlers.

Any and all who would be interested in the development of government-driven tertiary level instruction in today’s Bahamas should start by asking the really probing questions concerning how this level of education would  interface with whatever is happening elsewhere in the system.

In addition, any new president of COB would need to understand the changing demographic state of play at work in this land and as to how this impinges on student intake and instruction.

In addition, he must – if he is to be successful- understand that development cannot be imported and that –as such- The College of The Bahamas must be birthed out of the minds and hearts of the Bahamian people.

Note well that any president worth a good five  cents  should also know and understand that – as things now stand –we are spending more and more on schooling while reaping year in and year out harvests of uncouth youth,  thousands of near-illiterates and tens of thousands of youth who are woefully behind in mathematics and basic calculation.

For our part, we pledge to continue to work for the soon-coming of that day when -as a people who would be united in service and in love for this land – we would do all and more to enhance and facilitate not only community health,  but also in the efflorescence of this nation’s arts, culture and peculiarly beautiful way of being in today’s often chaotic and ugly situations.

This we could and should do by deepening this nation’s investment in the health, education and well-being of our people and in seeing them as part and parcel of this nation’s cherished portfolio of assets.
Helping in the growth and development of this portfolio is clearly one of COB’s most important goals.

Any and all who would lead must take this to heart.

But facts being the stubborn things they are,  any progress that is made will be due to the contribution not only of a fine president of integrity, but also to  all aboard the COB ship who are making their fair contribution to the more general effort of educating a once ruined people.