PhDs at COB?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am reliably informed that at the 2015 Bahamas Business Outlook Forum, the first two questions asked of Dr Rodney Smith, President of The College of The Bahamas by two persons in the audience were: Where are the PhDs at COB?

The question has grave implications for COB as it progresses towards university status. My question following on is who are the PhDs at COB because I am of the view that if we know who the PhDs are at COB we might not have to ask where they are! Internationally recognised criteria for university status includes a minimum percentage of PhDs on the university faculty.

The academic doctorate degree is the highest achievement by an educator in the field of tertiary education. It is awarded subsequent to committed diligence in the pursuit of excellence in a field of studies. It is hard earned by the individual and is to be celebrated and acknowledged at every instance. Indeed, the lofty title designation of “Doctor” replaces the common titles of address such as Mr, Mrs, etc.

The Doctorate designation title is an earned and deserved title and must not be ignored, removed or omitted particularly within the halls of academia.

On January 22, 2015, I attended the annual COB sponsored Anatol Rodgers Memorial Lecture Series. The programme properly acknowledged the guest lecture as Dr Anne Curzan, yet the three COB faculty members who participated and were named in the programme, namely the Chair of the School of English Studies, (Dr Helean McPhee); and the two Co-Chairs of the Lecture Committee (Dr Randall Pinder and Dr Toni Francis) were not given their “Dr” title designation in what I must assume was a COB prepared programme.

That omission was obvious and unacceptable.

My inquiries led to an apparent “School of Mischief “ at COB that proposes that faculty members should not be given any distinguishing title... everyone should appear to be the same.

Dr COB President and COB Council members, please assure the public that this apparent travesty is incorrect. By not acknowledging the status of those who have earned the distinction the perception of the quality of the College’s faculty is reduced in the eyes of the public.

The misguided individuals in positions of influence, and their questionable motives in this apparent dumbing down tactic should not be allowed to prevail.

COB, as the highest institution of learning in our country should be announcing and distinguishing its PhD faculty population. After all, there is so much mediocrity that is promoted as excellence in this country that it is a rarity when we can actually celebrate true excellence!

FELICITY L JOHNSON

Nassau,

February 6, 2015.

Comments

TheMadHatter says...

It is important to ensure that nobody sees any good end result. The D average is not an accident, but a skillfully monitored and guided program of ensuring a sufficient supply of maids and janitors for the foreign owned hotels.

**TheMadHatter**

Posted 28 February 2015, 9:23 a.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

My belief is that our population is kept dumb in order to ensure votes. Our politicians need us to believe them when they soon say "a 100% debt to GDP is good because it means that we are spending a lot on you." or "in 2013 the number of employed went up by 600 people and in 2014 by another 800 people. That is a sign of a growing and good economy." They don't want us to know that over 5,000 people graduated in each of those years and most of them couldn't find a job and that unemployment went up as a result. The dumber we are the better.

Posted 3 March 2015, 1:36 p.m. Suggest removal

ObserverOfChaos says...

keep'm stupid, keep'm confused, keep'm in place....

Posted 28 February 2015, 11:57 a.m. Suggest removal

ProfessorTinker says...

There are many other abbreviations that can give the doctor title in academia, for example the President of COB does not have a PHd he is an Ed, which is a specialization of education.
Ed
DBA
SJD
JD
PsyD
DD
MusD
DDS
PharmD
Many others.

Posted 28 February 2015, 9:59 p.m. Suggest removal

IslandTransPlant says...

It's a shame that the so call educators are holding there citizens back and putting them in a box, if someone truly wants a decent education they have to go abroad, shame on the government who most of them has a D Average education as well that's why they can not find a solution for the crime wave that's sweeping the nation, because they are no smarter than the dummies that's committing the crimes all Police and Defense Force Officers should have at least two years of college and that goes for all government workers like Customs Immigration and that means the PM and Cabinet Members to remember people sh%t runs down hill no wonder why the country is in this state, because there are no role models to look up too.

Posted 1 March 2015, 1:56 a.m. Suggest removal

duppyVAT says...

PHD = poor hungry and broke (that is what we will all soon be with this PLP government)

How can a plagiarizing, obsolete old fart like the PLP appointed Smith do for COB??? And when you add Alfred Sears and Snake to that ....... thats PhDs in tricks

Posted 5 March 2015, 3:39 p.m. Suggest removal

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