The Bermuda College picked its new president last week - but unless you are one of the chosen few you will have to wait until Wednesday to find out who got the top job.

Bermuda College chairman Raymond Tannock said the decision had been made on Thursday and a press conference will be held on Wednesday revealing the new President.

Sen. Tannock said the delay was out of respect for Education Minister Terry Lister who would be informed of the decision when he returned to the Island.

Three people were vying for the post - they are believed to be Bermuda College vice president Larita Alford and two overseas candidates.

One Bermuda College academic told The Royal Gazette that the prolonged secrecy surrounding the announcement was typical of the whole process.

He said: “I don't think there's much sensible about this at all although they are supposedly intelligent people.”

He said he hoped when the announcement was made, College heads would come clean on the reason for the intrigue.

“You can't find out who's on the (selection) committee, even internally.

“We are going to get someone who's going to be our president and we have heard nothing about them.

“It's a different way of doing things but not a very modern way.”

He said a more open process would have seen the candidates appear before the faculty. He said when HSBC took over the Bank of Bermuda, the incomers had made themselves known.

The search process began in May last year with outgoing president Michael Orenduff saying he hoped the process would have been completed by the end of 2003 to allow some overlap in the handover before he leaves this July.

He was the first ever non-Bermuda president of the College in its 29-year history.

One academic said they had not bothered applying this time around because the process had been flawed.

“I don't believe in dignifying the process.”

He said the job had been advertised in a North American higher educational chronicle before it had been advertised in Bermuda and it was never advertised internally.

“There was no apology for the faux pas.”

The job criteria was designed to eliminate those at the College from applying, claimed the insider, even though the strict criteria weren't necessary.

“They wanted ten years' experience in a similar post.”

He said Pandora Wright, who headed the selection committee, had even refused to say who was on it.

Last night Sen. Tannock refused to answer questions about the handling of the selection of the new president until the press conference on Wednesday.