Bermuda College Receives Re-Accreditation

Bermuda College  has received re-accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges [NEASC] Commission on Institutions of Higher Education [CIHE].

In a letter to College President, Dr. Duranda Greene, the Commission stated that at its September meeting, it was resolved that the Bermuda College “be continued in accreditation”; and that “the next comprehensive evaluation be scheduled for Spring 2025”.

Dr. Greene noted the significance of the achievement in that it proved that Bermuda College met the required standards for recognised quality education; specifically that it showed: substantial compliance with established qualitative standards; integrity in statements to the public about its programmes; institutional commitment to improvement; and sufficiency of institutional resources.

“Accreditation assures quality and promotes improvement through rigorous scrutiny,” said Dr. Greene. “And I am delighted that Bermuda College has been given an independent stamp of approval that we possess sufficient human, fiscal and physical resources… and, I might add, the commitment to fulfil our mission of student success.

“The accreditation has put us one step closer to realising our vision of becoming an internationally recognised centre of excellence. The entire Bermuda College community is to be commended for a genuine team effort to set Bermuda’s students on their paths to success. As always, our focus is, and the primary beneficiaries are, our students.”

Board of Governors Chair, Jill Husbands echoed the sentiments of praise for the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff in offering hearty congratulations on behalf of the Board.

In a four-page brief detailing the Commission’s decision, the College was specifically commended for:-

• Its careful implementation and progress of its 10-year Strategic Plan through:–
  • The engagement of the College’s Board and its increased autonomy
  • An increase in its retention rate – from 49% in Fall 2010 to 63% in Fall 2014
  • Its support of students through its “extremely dedicated” faculty
  • internship and other short-term work placements the College provides for its students, locally and internationally
  • Its contribution to the local economy through the development of its Associate of Science [Nursing] degree in response to Bermuda’s need to train more local nurses
  • Its expansion of the Dual Enrolment programme allowing qualifying high school students to graduate from high school with college credits
  • the development of a Disability Services Plan to help ensure equitable access to programmes and services
• The College’s financial progress, evident through the trend of increasing revenue [through discontinuance of tuition discounts, and declining deficits], and
• The Institution’s efforts to diversify its revenue base through fundraising and leveraging its hotel operation.

NEASC is the oldest and most recognised of the regional accrediting associations in the United States accrediting more than 2,000 public and independent schools, colleges and universities in the six states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and international schools in more than 65 nations.

Prestigious American institutions include Dartmouth, Johnson & Wales, the Naval War College, and Harvard University. Bermuda falls in the company of Greece, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lebanon as truly international institutions accredited by NEASC.

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