COB sources confirmed last night that the selection process was in shambles and that the only two contenders left in the race are Rhonda Chipman-Johnson and Pandora Johnson.
“It seems like we’re back to square one with this situation, because if he didn’t accept the offer and Hodder didn’t, then the college is still without a credible president,” the source said.
Dr McPhee, the Middle Tennessee State University President, was only approached about the position at COB after Ms Hodder decided not to leave McGill University in Montreal, Canada, sources revealed.
But after taking seven days to consider the six-figure offer, Bahamian-born Dr McPhee felt the time was not right to return home. The 55-year-old is considered one of the top university presidents in the United States.
“Many people don’t know about him, but Sidney McPhee is a very prominent scholar in the US and is ranked in the top circles of educated black men in the US.”
Dr McPhee’s decision is yet another blow for COB. The college was rocked to its very foundations a year ago, when Dr Rodney Smith was caught up in a plagiarism scandal and was forced to quit as president.
Since then, COB has struggled to find the right candidate. Up until three weeks ago, Ms Hodder appeared to be the prime contender, despite lacking a PhD.
She was considered an accomplished fund-raiser with excellent connections at government and collegial levels in Canada.
The initial controversy was sparked at the college three months ago at a general meeting after Ms Hodder was introduced as a presidential candidate, joining COB Acting President Drs Rhonda Chipman-Johnson and Vice President of Research, Planning & Development Pandora Johnson. Over 150 COB faculty and staff members walked out of the meeting after College Council Chairman Franklyn Wilson invited Ms Hodder onto the stage to address them.
An uproar ensued after two stakeholder bodies claimed that the candidates were not being given equal assessments, with Ms Hodder being perceived as the Council’s favourite candidate.
COB students initially said they had no doubts about Ms Hodder’s qualifications, but were offended by the council’s “indiscreet” actions.
The situation was further exacerbated after the Union of Tertiary Educators in The Bahamas and COBUS rallied with hundreds of students at Rawson Square during a meeting of the House of Assembly. Resistance to Ms Hodder’s candidacy and qualifications grew after it was reported that she did not hold a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degree, despite her academic background.
Following protests and walkouts by staff and students of the college, Ms Hodder returned to Canada and told the COB council she was no longer interested in heading the institution.
Both qualified Hodder and McPhee’s rejection of the “coveted” post now leaves the nation’s top tertiary institution in a fickle position, in the midst of its preparations to become a university.
By: VIRAJ PERPALL, The Nassau Guardian
