The College of The Bahamas (COB) is the national public institution of higher education in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas with campuses throughout the archipelago. The main campus is located in the capital city of Nassau, on the island of New Providence. COB is on track to become the national "University of The Bahamas" (UOB). As the national university of The Bahamas, its mission is to support and drive national development through education, research and innovation, and service, by offering high quality, signature programs grounded in the unique features of the Bahamian environment, economy and history. The College of The Bahamas has over 6,000 students and 12,000 alumni. It is one of the largest employers in The Bahamas, employing 700 faculty and staff. Seventy-six percent of the over 300 faculty (261 full-time and 96 part-time) are Bahamian. Established in 1974 by an act of the Parliament of The Bahamas, COB was created through the merger of: The college has three academic campuses and academic research centres throughout The Bahamas. The Oakes Field and Grosvenor Close Campus, housing the Division of Nursing and Health Sciences, are both in Nassau.