By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

PROFESSOR Ian Strachan, the former executive vice president (EVP) of the University of The Bahamas (UB), launched a sharp critique of the institution’s pursuit of international accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), branding it “the most colonial thing” UB could have done during The Bahamas’ 50th anniversary of independence.

Dr Strachan, once shortlisted to lead UB before the board chose American academic Dr Erik Rolland in 2022, said the decision to chase foreign accreditation reflects the same anxieties that have repeatedly placed non-Bahamians at the head of the institution. His comments marked the first time he has directly hinted publicly at how he feels about that leadership trend.

At the time of the 2022 search, the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) strongly backed him as the most qualified candidate, calling his career “the epitome of what we as academics aspire towards” and criticising the board’s decision to appoint a foreigner as “a slap in the face.”

“What is it about education that there is this anxiety and the self-doubt around it?” Dr Strachan asked this week, contrasting the hesitation to appoint Bahamians as UB presidents with their elevation to top national posts such as Chief Justice, Chief Medical Officer, Commodore, and Police Commissioner.

Dr Strachan also criticised the immediate fallout of the accreditation drive, saying long-serving faculty were suddenly disqualified from teaching courses they had delivered for decades.

“While I acknowledge that some persons may have been allowed to teach courses they were not equipped to teach over the years, the current events epitomise our ‘force ripe’, half-baked approach to SACS accreditation,” he said.

He likened the process to “a doctor saying a person has less than perfect eyesight and that person concluding they should poke out their eyes as opposed to putting on glasses”.

“It shows that many who are in charge don’t understand how discipline-specific expertise works. They are following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it. They are being simplistic, not understanding that intellectual excellence, talent and high-level skills can be acquired and passed on to students by people who developed those skills through multiple pathways.”

The University of The Bahamas, formally established in 2016 out of the former College of The Bahamas, has been engaged in years of preparation for both national and international accreditation. It has submitted applications to The Bahamas’ National Accreditation and Equivalency Council (NAECOB) and to SACSCOC, a leading US-based accrediting agency. Accreditation is intended to ensure academic quality and institutional accountability, while ensuring that UB degrees are recognised internationally.

Dr Strachan, however, dismissed the effort as a vanity project driven by “self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and inferiority complexes” among Bahamian decision-makers.

He argued that after five decades as a sovereign country with its own public university, Bahamians should not be looking abroad for validation. Instead, UB should be focused on building academic programmes and institutional structures that address Bahamian needs.

“Continuous improvement,” he said, “must come from the inside, from the ground up. You cannot microwave it. You cannot cut and paste it. You cannot rent it from abroad”.

Dr Strachan said the pursuit of accreditation is being rushed to satisfy political timetables rather than academic realities, leaving administrators focused on “the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it”.

Reflecting on the symbolism, he said the decision squandered an opportunity for UB to demonstrate true educational independence during the golden jubilee year.

He added that while he raised objections internally during his time in administration, he felt compelled to speak more openly now that he had returned to his role as professor.

“Obviously, sitting in administration was not ideal,” he said. “I expressed my reservations, I expressed my objections, but my position was not the prevailing position, but now that I’m just a professor again, I’m a citizen and a graduate, I feel like now is the time to share my piece.”

Not long after Dr Strachan’s post circulated online, UB issued a detailed statement defending the accreditation process.

The university said that since its establishment in 2016, both the administration and the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) have consistently supported national and international accreditation. Accreditation, it said, ensures UB degrees are recognised globally, creating opportunities for student and faculty exchanges, international athletic and research collaborations, and broader graduate prospects.

“The administration will continue its collaborative work with UTEB and all stakeholders to achieve this critical goal,” UB said. “We honour the dedication and sacrifices of those who laid the foundation upon which we now build, and we look forward to the successful outcomes of these accreditation efforts, as UB continues to move from strength to strength.”

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is a leading US based accrediting agency that evaluates whether universities meet high standards for academic quality and institutional stability. Securing accreditation is a lengthy process that involves detailed self-assessments, peer reviews, and proof that an institution has strong governance, qualified faculty, sound finances, and effective systems to measure student success. For universities, the designation signals that their degrees are recognised internationally, making it easier for students to transfer credits, pursue graduate study abroad, and take advantage of research and exchange opportunities.