College of Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Leisure Management Affirmed as Critical to Industry Growth 

2^nd March 2022 

Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — The newly named College of Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Leisure Management (THe CALM) at University of The Bahamas (UB) has a rich legacy of producing world-class graduates who have helped to drive growth and innovation in the industry nationally and internationally.

At a recent formal ceremony held at UB’s Oakes Field Campus to re-establish the college, leaders of the University as well as hospitality and tourism executives affirmed the institution’s role in making a transformative impact on tourism, hospitality and allied industries.

Created as the Bahamas Hotel Training College (BHTC) in the 1970’s, the operation was renamed the Culinary and Hospitality Management Institute (CHMI) after its amalgamation with the College of The Bahamas in 2000 and later became the Culinary Arts and Tourism Studies unit.

Chair of UB’s Board of Trustees Mrs. Allyson Maynard-Gibson Q.C., whose father, Sir Clement T. Maynard, was Minister of Tourism when the BHTC was established noted that regardless of the name it has always been a foundation to build and maintain high standards of excellence.

“The students that have come through these halls have always been the best,” said Mrs. Maynard-Gibson. “Our culinary teams usually win medals at competitions. The chefs and tourism and hospitality lecturers here have been nominated for and won Cacique Awards, and they are significantly involved in the country’s tourism sector. This College has a 100 percent job placement rate; every student that graduates from this programme gets a good job. Many graduates have started their own businesses.”

Interim Dean of THe CALM Chef Mario Adderley is one of many graduates of BHTC who have become leaders in their field.

“My classmates along with our faculty created a place to inspire talent and fuel passion for the tourism and hospitality industry,” said Dean Adderley. “Our industry partners were intentional in their efforts to collaborate with us and raised the bar around excellence. This made an invaluable difference on many levels, and I look forward to delivering the kind of leadership, with the support of my colleagues, that will boost confidence, support, and enthusiasm for the College of Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Leisure Management. Then, as is now, we have another opportunity to be exceptional in all areas.”

It is that commitment to excellence that UB President Dr. Rodney D. Smith envisions will spark innovation and fresh excitement in tourism and culinary arts.

“At the start of my presidency, we truly began working on fleshing out the vision for a university system, inclusive of campuses, colleges, and centres of excellence. Over the last seven years, we have been executing as much of this vision as possible. This College is now a part of that vision realized, and it will continue to grow and develop on our journey towards becoming a world-class institution,” he said.

On the grounds of the college, the Choices Restaurant has grown to become an epicenter for experiential learning and the application of skills. President Smith said he expects it to become a must-visit site for culinary-tourists and foodies.

Strengthening collaborations and synergies with industry partners and other stakeholders will be key to the college’s trajectory.

President of the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Mr. Robert “Sandy” Sands said partnerships with the BHTA will continue.

“We are the operators in tourism, we are the employers, we are the human resources, accountants, security, and the vast variety of jobs that exist,” said Mr. Sands. “We commit to being a full partner on the various CALM committees to develop these programmes. We pledge to harness the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism’s prowess as private sector tourism representatives to ignite our youth’s interest, to enlighten them to the plethora of opportunities in the tourism industry; to encourage their passion and provide them with education, insight, and experience so that they are best equipped to succeed in our vibrant industry and continue to make tourism the number one industry not only in The Bahamas, but in the region.”

Acting Director General of Tourism, Latia Duncombe, said the college plays an important role in cementing the Bahamian identity through tourism and the culinary arts.

“In addition to perfecting hospitality as who we are as a nation, as a people, we’re now going to undergird that from an academic perspective, from a technical perspective, from a vocational perspective, and position The Bahamas as the country of choice, as a brand of choice where when the traveling community thinks and feels vacation, they think and feel The Bahamas,” said Mrs. Duncombe. “That’s what we want them to see, that’s what we want them to feel; our products are second to none, our authentic experience that showcases our culture, our history, our heritage.”

The college will bring an intensive and relevant academic and applied focus on developing students for careers across the spectrum of tourism and hospitality and to also conduct much needed research to create new knowledge in the industry.

From left (front row) are: Arthurnique Jones, President of the Student Government Association (UB); Ms. Bridget Hogg, Faculty Trustee; Dr. Al Panu, Chancellor of University of South Carolina Beaufort; Dr. Rodney D. Smith, President of UB; Mrs. Latia Duncombe, Acting Director General of Tourism; Mrs Allyson Maynard-Gibson QC, Chair of the UB Board of Trustees; and Mr. Robert Sands, President of the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association. From left (back row) are: Mrs. Jazmine Romer-Rolle, Alumni Trustee; Mr. Marcus Laing, Trustee; Leandra Hepburn, Senator for the College of Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Leisure Management (THe CALM); Dr. Maria Woodside Oriakhi, VP of Academic Affairs and Chef Mario Adderley, Dean of THe CALM.

Office of University Relations
University of The Bahamas
2^nd Floor, Michael H. Eldon Complex
University Drive, Oakes Field Campus
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-4355/4354/4365

Chartered on 10th November 2016, University of The Bahamas (UB) is a beacon for national transformation. Approximately 5,000 students are enrolled in the University of The Bahamas system which includes campuses and centres on New Providence, Grand Bahama, San Salvador and Abaco, as well as UB online education. UB’s diverse academic programmes, research engagements, athletics and leadership development experiences equip our students to become global citizens in a dynamic world. For more information, visit www.ub.edu.bs.