The College of The Bahamas Presidential Search- 2013

The Council of The College of The Bahamas is pleased to announce the search for a new President and invites nominations and expressions of interest in this outstanding opportunity for leadership at a unique institution. The College of The Bahamas (COB) is the national higher education institution in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. After almost forty years of serving The Bahamas, first as a two-year institution, then as a four-year degree-granting College, COB is in transition to become The University of The Bahamas. As it moves to achieve university status, the institution will continue to deliver excellent undergraduate teaching while developing new undergraduate and graduate programmes, increasing research and focusing its work in areas crucial to national development.

PROFILE OF THE PRESIDENT

• The President will be the embodiment of the principles and core values of the University.
• The President will be a creative person with the ability to provide moral and intellectual leadership, on campus and at the national level, on issues of importance to higher education.
• The President must have a highly developed understanding of academic values and culture, as well as an appreciation for scholarly work and academic excellence.
• The President must bring a future-oriented awareness of the role which a university will play, particularly in a knowledge-based economy, both in educating students and the wider community and in creating new knowledge, consistent with the needs of The Bahamas in a global economy.
• The President must also appreciate the unique role played by a national institution in a developing society, including the special structural relationship between the University and the Government, the expectations that the public and the Government have of the University, and the implications of those expectations in terms of the institution’s response.

Candidate Requirements
The Advisory Search Committee recognises that no one candidate for President is likely to meet all of the following qualifications and criteria in equal measure. Nevertheless, the following qualifications and criteria are desirable and will be used when considering candidates for the position.

 

Status/Nationality
The new President will be a Bahamian citizen.

 

Education And Qualifications
The ideal candidate:

• Will preferably possess an earned doctoral degree from an accredited institution of higher learning;
• Will preferably have at least seven (7) years of senior leadership/administrative experience in progressively more responsible positions, with a strong record of achievement, preferably in an institution of higher education;
• All applicants should be familiar with higher education systems in the British Commonwealth (including The Bahamas and the Caribbean) and in North America.

 

Leadership Experience
The ideal candidate will be:

• A person of impeccable integrity;
• A transformational leader, adaptive and able to lead people through change, and develop and implement strategic plans;
• People-centered with outstanding inter-personal communication skills who demonstrates an ability to develop strategic partnerships;
• A person with a genuine interest in students, who will seek their input, listen to and address their concerns, and have a willingness to participate in their events;
• A proven leader and skilled manager with an inclusive leadership style who will empower faculty, staff and students to think and act creatively in addressing the transition to university status;
• A person who inspires trust and confidence, while building consensus within the institution;
• A person who can interact effectively with organisations as the public face and voice of the institution, promoting the institution, acting as the advocate for its mission to drive national development, and attracting needed resources;
• A person who is comfortable working in a non-partisan way with government and opposition parties;
• A persuasive leader who will work with the Office of Advancement, faculty, staff and alumni in the cultivation of donor prospects and the growth of the Endowment Fund.

 

Professional Experience
The ideal candidate will have proven experience:

• In financial management and budgeting, with an astute understanding of university finances and the relationships between academic priorities and budgeting, or their equivalent elsewhere;
• In attracting significant revenue through public-private partnerships, innovation and fundraising;
• In facilitating and inspiring faculty to develop research programmes and attract research grants;
• In fostering transparent and productive labour relations in a robust unionised environment;
• In a complex, multi-site, multi-stakeholder organisation;
• With open and online distance learning;
• In working effectively and collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds and interests.

 

 

APPLICATION AND NOMINATION PROCESS

A prospectus for this search – the Presidential Profile – with information about the institution, the priorities for the new president, an enumeration of qualifications for the position, and instructions for submitting applications or nominations may be found at

http://www.cob.edu.bs/Administration/PresidentSearch2013/.

 

Those considering becoming candidates are directed to visit this website before submitting application materials. A complete application shall include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and a list of at least five professional references (with email addresses and telephone numbers) and must be received by October 31st, 2013.

 

Nominations, inquiries and applications will be treated confidentially and should be submitted by sealed confidential cover, marked Private & Confidential, to:

 

The Advisory Search Committee
c/o The Council Secretary
Room A99, Second Floor
Keva M. Bethel Building
The College of The Bahamas
Oakes Field Campus
P. O. Box N-4912
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas
Telephone: 1-242-302-4335 or 4317

Hand-delivered applications should be delivered to:

The Council Secretary’s Office
Room A99, Second Floor
Keva M. Bethel Building
Oakes Field Campus
Nassau, The Bahamas

 

Note: Electronic applications will not be accepted.

Additional information on The College of The Bahamas may be obtained from The College’s website at www.cob.edu.bs.