from the new Government.

And the Bermuda College's vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, Donald Peters, told The Royal Gazette it was the first time the College had received funding to bring in new faculty.

"Before we have to go around looking for ways to raise the money for this,'' Dr. Peters said.

"But I have not hesitated to knock on the door of the old or new Government.

And they have responded.'' Government has tripled the amount of the grant for the College's operating expenses.

Due to reclassification of expenditure, some $11 million will go toward the College during the 1999/2000 fiscal year.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox noted that of a specific $425,000 set aside for the College, $89,000 will go to support lecturers in new and/or improved programmes for social sciences, graphic arts/media studies and business studies.

"$120,000 supports a programme to assess the levels of incoming students to identify potential support needs. And $70,000 is to be applied to the College's role as the administrator of internet domains in Bermuda,'' Mr. Cox added.

And Dr. Peters said: "We are certainly thrilled about the emphasis this new Government has put on public education. This enhances our ability to better serve the community.

"Certainly we will be looking for more increases in enrolment which over the last two years has increased by 38 percent. And we hope that we will continue to increase.'' Dr. Peters, in his first interview on the job in January 1997, said he wanted to see the College double its full-time student enrolment to 1,000 by the year 2000.

To date the College has an enrolment of 700 full-time students and 4,000 evening students.

Dr. Peters also said he expected the College to pose stiff competition to overseas community colleges.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HOA