Bermuda College bosses yesterday launched a mole hunt after shock claims that student numbers had seriously slumped. Meanwhile, under-fire college academic vice-president Donald Peters is understood to have launched a witch-hunt to track down the source of a memo leaked to The Royal Gazette in which he accused a senior colleague of racism and white supremacy.

In a faxed press release, a spokeswoman for the college said of the admission figures: "It is really frightening that only the Gazette has that information that nobody at the college in authority has.

"The college wants to know who is leaking this damaging and misleading information.

"We will immediately launch an internal investigation to get to the bottom of this matter.'' The college probe came after insiders said that only 214 students had entered first year, and only 117 had signed on for second year.

Dr. Peters went on the rampage following exclusive reports in the Gazette about the memo accusing chief financial officer Barbara Green of racist motives in her proposals for a revamp of the college administrative structure.

The Gazette was asked on Thursday by college spin-doctors to hand over a copy of the leaked memo -- the newspaper declined to supply it.

Dr. Peters did not return calls from the Gazette yesterday.

In the College fax, the college spokeswoman insisted that the cut-off date for registration was late September -- when official figures would be tallied.

But she admitted: "Although I cannot comment on the figure you have quoted, I would not be surprised if there was a decline in our enrolment.'' She added: "The decline was predicted, but we have plans for increasing enrolment by next year. I would like to point out that in the last two years we have increased enrollment by 38 percent and 20 percent respectively.'' The spokeswoman said declining college numbers in the traditional late teen to early 20s age group was a recognised trend in North America.

But she added that the over-25 age group had been increasingly turning to colleges.

She added: "Bermuda College has recognised this trend and is preparing itself for those changes and for attracting and serving the needs of the more mature students.'' But she said new programmes aimed at encouraging school-leavers to plump for an education at Stonington Campus had been set up.

These include the Best Steps programme, a challenge programme for "high risk'' students to prepare themselves for post-secondary education, community partnerships with schools to boost interest in science and establishing four-year degree courses.

Other schemes to attract younger students include a variety of programmes to allow academic credit to be given to Bermuda College courses at overseas universities and plans for halls of residence for students.

Controversial college vice-president Donald Peters said shortly after he was appointed in March, 1997, that he wanted to see 1000 full-time students over the next three years.

And he added: "The only thing I have to convince our staff and faculty is that this is a great college amd we need them. They're important to this institution and this Island.'' The college announced in January last year that first-year admissions in 1997 totalled 585 -- a 22 percent increase and the highest level in four years.

But some insiders criticised a lowering of the entry standards to boost numbers -- although Dr. Peters insisted that the course content would not be diluted.

And earlier this year, the college staff split into pro- and anti-Peters camps in a dispute over who would get his job when his contract ended.

Some college staff claimed Dr. Peters would retain the post beyond his original contract -- which would mean Bermuda-born US-based Lorita Alford would lose out -- because he had the backing of top Government figures. Dr.

Alford failed to get VP's job in favour of Dr. Peters after interviews in 1996.

Anonymous flyers circulated -- with some claiming that there was a plot to oust Dr. Peters by a white, largely overseas, cabal at the college.

Another flyer, however, demanded that Dr. Alford should be given the job in line with Government's commitment to Bermudianisation.

The College board hammered out a compromise deal, with Dr. Alford being given the job from September, 2000. But Dr. Peters' contract was extended to December, 2000, to provide an overlap.

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