Misleading reporting

August 28, 2007.

Dear Sir,

The Bermuda College has recently reported an increase in its enrollment for Fall 2007. There is a saying that there are lies, damned lies and then there are statistics. This certainly describes the Bermuda College's ongoing misleading reporting of its management operations to the Bermudian tax paying public. In 2001, a management audit conducted on the Bermuda College and presented to Education Minister, Milton Scott, revealed the following: (Source: 2001 External Analysis and Audit of Selected Organisational and Systems Attributes of Bermuda College conducted by Curriculum Management Audit Centers Incorporated)

• Strategic Planning was ineffective in creating a shared vision, providing a sense of community, a climate of trust or modicum of direction for Bermuda College due to a failure of leadership.

• "Collective bargaining activities are not guided by policy or strategic financial planning.

• "Communication processes are largely ineffective.

• "Student needs are not adequately met.

• "Institutional resources and instructional facilities are sub-optimised, under-utilised and reflect ineffectual prudence in system functions, organizational operations, and resource allocations.

• "Programme evaluation procedures and curriculum development procedures are insufficient to maintain quality control.

• "The College suffers from Government political interference at the Board level.

• "The perception of business stakeholders is that the Bermuda College is not a first class institution.

• "The College leadership has been ineffective in improving the academic reputation of the institution even as the need to do so has been recognised since 1994.

• "The strategic vision is hampered by poor leadership, poor governance, poor morale and lack of open communication."

In 2007 the situation at Bermuda College is no better: The Bermuda College enrollment has steadily declined since 2001. In 2001, Bermuda College enrolled was approximately 500 full time students in its associate degree programmes, 250 part-time students in its certificate programmes and approximately 1,200 students in its continuing education courses. The capacity for student enrollment in the College's courses is around 3,477 and in 2001 the College was found by auditors to be only utilising around 48 percent of its course capacity. Faculty work load was only around 50 percent.

In 2007, the College's enrollment is even worse. It has less than 250 full time students, less than 200 part time students in its associate degree and certificate credit courses and less than 400 students in its continuing education courses. Faculty workload is around 30 percent or less. Based on these per capita costs, every student at Bermuda College can be educated overseas in a similar community college setting and provided room, board and school supplies for approximately thirty percent less per student!

Despite the outrageous cost to educate students at the Bermuda College, student needs still are not being met. The National Training Board is sending Bermudians overseas in increasing numbers to access quality education that should be offered through Bermuda College but currently is not. The College has no proper Technical Education facilities; few programme offerings in Technical Education, limited industry relationships and partner ships, adversarial relationships with some key stakeholders and no clear or focused vision for technical education.

Several highly qualified Bermudians have either been denied access to employment opportunities or have left Bermuda College in recent years: (Dr. Clarence Maxwell, Dr. Kim Dismont-Robinson, Dr. Sean O'Connell, Dr. Michael Bradshaw, Dr. Eugenie Simmons, Mr. Roy Wright, Dr. Lois Tucker, Mrs. Jane Smith, Mrs. Toni Bridgewater, Ms. Jeanette Matthew, Dr. Leonard Santucci, Mr. Norbert Simons, Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Saunders, Dr. Christine Phillips to name only a few).

Audit and Public Account Committee reports reveal that College leadership has mismanaged or otherwise abused College funds on an ongoing basis in recent years: ( 2001 External Analysis and Audit of Selected Organisational and Systems Attributes of Bermuda College conducted by Curriculum Management Audit Centers Incorporated; 2002 Fact Finding Report on Bermuda College Employment Practices and Related Matters conducted by Edwin Wilson; 2004 Special Report of the Auditor General on the Stonington Beach Hotel Lease and the 2006 Public Account Committee Report on the Bermuda College President's expenditures and lack of College financial controls).

Fiscal policies are still non-existent as reported by the 2006 public accounts committee report.

Of the $18 million grant that the College receives, approximately $14 million dollars goes toward salaries, despite the fact that faculty work load is now at less than 30 percent. "The College still suffers from political interference at the Board Level as evidenced by thee appointments of three Ministers of Education along with three different Board Chairs under controversial circumstances in 2006.

The College is costing the Bermuda taxpayer approximately $20,000 to $25,000 per student - nearly three times the amount of the cost of community college education in other countries. "The Bermuda College continues to be plagued by communication problems resulting in lack of transparency and honest reporting, rumour mills, media leaks and overall mistrust within the organisation.

A country's prosperity and success is measured not only in its gross domestic product, but also by its social systems such as health care and education. Just as the Government has outsourced the management of Bermuda's hospitals to an overseas management company, surely the Government can do the same for Bermuda's post secondary system of education. It is time to turn the management of Bermuda College over to an experienced overseas institution that has the ability and the capacity to provide quality post secondary education for Bermudians.

Bermudianisation is not about providing and preserving jobs for Bermudians who are college educated and earning salaries of approximately $85,000- to $145,000-plus per year while steadily failing to provide post secondary education to Bermudians. It is about putting the best resources and persons in place to ensure that Bermudians receive the appropriate training and qualifications to compete for quality jobs in our own country. Its time for the Government to do the right thing and call the College what it is — a failure!

Use the $18 million of our tax money that we currently pay to the College to support the lifestyles of these "professionals" and bring a proper post secondary institution to this Island to provide our people with the education we deserve!

Tired of being shafted by "professional educators"

City of Hamilton

Stop this exploitation

August 28, 2007

Dear sir,

In reference to Maria Whittle's letter dated 20 August 2007. Ms Whittle thank you thank you and again thank you.

Your letter was short but very to the point and correct.

A point I tried to make in my previous letter to the editor on the safety of our animals. Now more than ever we need to stand together against the exploitation of these beautiful creatures.

There are way too many inconsistencies to Mrs. Charles' statements to go through and point them all out.

I would like Mrs. Charles to admit publicly how many of her horses have been confiscated by the SPCA for the deplorable conditions they were housed in.

I know of five at one swoop, this is a fact and I helped care for the horses at the Ocean View Farm facility after they were seized.

I beg of you, caring public of Bermuda, please, please, please, let's get together to put a stop to it. Write your letters, contact Mr. Sutherland Madeiros, your MP or whomever will listen so we can get these poor creatures off our streets.

Personally I believe they would almost be better off euthanised rather than busting their guts pulling people around the streets in the oppressive summer heat.

SAMANTHA HAYWARD

Pembroke

Southlands a travesty

September 7, 2007

Dear Sir,

During my 33rd holiday in Bermuda which ended last week (The last five times at The Reefs), I was alerted to a hotel/condo/fractional project called Southlands.

Having visited their website, all I can say is: What a travesty of everyting Bermuda has ever stood for!

While change is inevitable in this world, the ever increasing rapidity with which the government of Bermuda embraces almost instantaneaous acceptance of any potential revenue producing project is most distressing .. Southlands is so out of character with Bermuda, there must be some alterior motive if it is to be accepted.

GREGORY B. NORRIS

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Support for Spirit

August 30, 2007

Dear Sir,

Further to the appeal for Spirit of Bermuda for $2.25 million and a $3 million endowment fund over five years, wouldn't it be wonderful for Government to come up with the necessary funds.

With $11 million for cricket and, what was it, $15 million for football, $5 million is a drop in the bucket in comparison.

How about it Mr. Premier?

ANTONY SIESE

Southampton