Bermuda College's first public relations officer yesterday received a letter asking her to vacate the premises and the post immediately.

The Royal Gazette has learned that Jan Doidge, who has been with the college for the past 23 years, intended to resign at the end of this month due to her concern about the direction in which the college was heading.

Mrs. Doidge submitted her letter of resignation to the chairman of the college's board of governors on July 30, giving a month's notice.

But yesterday she received a letter from president George Cook, informing her that her resignation was effective immediately and asking her to leave the Stonington campus.

"I was shocked,'' a distraught Mrs. Doidge said when contacted yesterday.

"The second paragraph of the letter particularly concerns me. There is an implication of a lack of respect for my position.'' She noted that she had spoken with Dr. Cook as recently as last Wednesday and he assured her that she was doing a sterling and impeccable job.

"In fact,'' Mrs. Doidge said, "he told me he would like to give me a personal recommendation.'' Mrs. Doidge added that she had hoped to hand over her workload to her replacement in a professional and orderly manner.

While stressing that she always has and always will be loyal to the college, she said: "It is unfortunate that my commitment to the administration is being questioned.

"In terms of the people who are still here, that is the faculty and staff, I think it has to be of concern to them.

"I think the atmosphere at the college should be one of concern to the entire community.

"Since 1992 we have seen what most people at the college have considered a downhill trend.'' Mrs. Doidge, who was mulling over her future plans, is one of about dozen of the college's 135 full-time faculty members who have left or plan to leave the college this year.

Some have decided to take early retirement, some have been replaced by Bermudians, some will be overseas on sabbaticals, and others have decided to leave for personal reasons.

But Dr. Cook, who has been president of the college since June, 1992, has scotched reports of a major exodus of staff.

And yesterday he said Mrs. Doidge was asked to leave because "we felt it was in the best interest of all concerned''.

"We thought it was no point in having her stay on,'' Dr. Cook said, adding that he was not prepared to discuss the case publicly.

He admitted that he would be willing to give the former lecturer, librarian, and college spokeswoman a letter of recommendation.

When asked what the college planned to do during the interim without a public relations officer, Dr. Cook said: "I'm obviously going to consider the next process because we have our strategic plan that we want to realise to the fullest extent.'' He added that the college was planning a promotions and marketing campaign to increase enrolment, improve its image in the community, and to improve its prospects in obtaining more private funding.