The Bermuda College deserves credit for using "360-degree" evaluations of its administration and staff.

These sorts of evaluations can be painful for the people involved, and at times they can be used maliciously.

But for the College, which has struggled to heal internal divisions for several years, this is the first step toward a new openness where all problems can be out out in the open and resolved. That is better than cabals forming and bureaucratic warfare.

If College president Michael Orenduff is successful, the College can get back to its real job — teaching.

Still, no one should think that the problems will be solved overnight. It takes time and effort to change an institution and hard decisions will still have to be made.

According to the survey, Dr. Orenduff currently enjoys high personal ratings from his staff. As he is forced to make tough decisions, it is perhaps inevitable that his own ratings will decline somewhat. It is important that he continue with his policy of openness and candour even when the going gets tough.

Some of the staff and administrators have obviously already felt the sting of criticism. Human nature dictates that they will not agree with everything that has been said about them. The hard thing is to recognise that some of it, at least, has a germ of truth and needs to be resolved.

If that can be done, the College can go from strength to strength.