In the Spring of 1994, the board of trustees of the College of Saint Benedict and the board of regents of Saint John's University, in their coordinate relationship, decided to jointly sponsor the CSB/SJU Bahamas Campus and extended an internal loan for the renovation of facilities. Today, The Bahamas Campus has its home in the original site of St. Augustine College next to the Monastery on Fox Hill. The facilities include seven classrooms, a small library, a computer lab and administrative offices. St. Mary's Hall, located just above the classrooms, is a spacious auditorium which serves the high school and the college.

In the Fall of 1995, the Boards in Minnesota, meeting in a joint session, approved a Joint Venture Agreement between the CSB/SJU extension in The Bahamas and the Order of Saint Benedict - Nassau. The CSB/SJU Campus, by virtue of this agreement, gained a Bahamian corporate status and, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, is officially registered as an Institution of Higher Education of the Bahamas-Benedictine University College, The Bahamas.

The curriculum, the curricular policies and the graduation requirements of the BUC campus follow the established curricular programs, principles and policies of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. The graduation requirements and major requirements for the adult students, with very few exceptions, are those applicable on the Minnesota campuses. The students are held to the same requirements as the students in Minnesota.

The Nassau campus currently offers three programs:

The College Prep Program is designed for recent high school graduates and adults who do not meet the requirements for admission to the college program. These courses do not earn college credit. Classes are offered during the day and in the evening. The College Prep curriculum includes two semesters of English, two semesters of Math and two semesters of Natural Science. Admission to the College Prep Program requires a High School Diploma. The applicant must also take proficiency exams in English and Math.

The Core Program serves recent high school graduates interested in obtaining a bachelor's degree. The students enroll in Core courses. These courses satisfy the general education requirements and also introduce students to the array of academic disciplines.

The CSB/SJU BUC is entirely responsible for financing its operation which includes the expenditures for the services provided from Minnesota and repayment of the loan that was extended for the renovations.

Tuition and fees are the current source of revenues. Efforts are underway to raise financial support from the Bahamian Community and Foundations. However, it is expected that annual operations will continue to depend heavily on tuition and fees.

Financial assistance to students is provided in the form of reduced tuition - less than 50 percent of the standard tuition at CSB/SJU and considerably less than most private institutions in the United States. Current tuition at BUC is $360 per course for the College Prep courses and $158 per credit for college courses.

To date, we have over 40 part-time faculty members on the roster. The majority are Bahamian citizens who are engaged full time in their own professional endeavors: lawyers, managers/directors from different Ministries of the Government, accountants, teachers, managers, parish priests, psychologists. Several lecturers have been with the program for well over a decade. All lecturers in the college courses have a master's degree in the discipline in which they teach and approximately 30 percent have earned a doctoral degree.

During the summers, the program has capitalized on the interest and availability of faculty members from Minnesota to expand the course offerings and engage in curriculum and faculty development. Workshops for symposium and in-service sessions in education have been held through the years in Nassau. A number of lecturers from Nassau have also attended symposium workshops at CSB/SJU.

In the future, starting with January Term and expanding the opportunities during the summers, we expect to establish a program of faculty exchange. Moreover, depending on enrollments and the expansion of the curriculum, a program of faculty exchanges during the semesters may be established.