was published. Graduation exercises became more formal with the change of status to a senior college. The 1955 graduating class was the first to wear full academic regalia, including colours to represent the various fields of study. All subsequent classes followed suit, and today it is part of the tradition and policy of the college. The need for wider recognition and closer control over the curriculum led to the next major change under the leadership of Dr. A. O. Coetzee in 1976. An affiliation agreement was entered into with the Adventist higher education system's flagship institution Andrews University (located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA), to offer the BTh (Bachelor of Theology) and BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) degrees. From this initial agreement, the affiliation was extended to the BA degree, which could also include a four-year elementary teaching qualification. Agriculture offered as a two-year Associate of Science degree met a specific demand for a few years but was later phased out. The eighties saw the introduction of a wider number of business and secretarial diploma courses. The escalating cost of post-graduate study overseas precipitated plans to offer such degrees at Helderberg College. In 1981, under the leadership of Dr. D. Birkenstock, the Andrews University affiliation was extended when the MA in Religion degree was first offered on campus. The programme was spread over four years, with a quarter being taught each year. Starting with Drs. Strand and Heppenstall, many lecturers from overseas made a real contribution to the ministerial force in Southern Africa. The post-graduate degree gave impetus to the rapid expansion of the library, and in 1983 the E. G. White Research Centre and Heritage Room were officially opened by Mrs. Hedwig Jemison. Until 1974, the chief administrator of the College was known as the 'Principal'. From 1975, this position was designated as 'Rector', and at the end of 2000, it was changed to 'President'. In 1997, under the leadership of David F. Allen, an additional affiliation agreement was entered into with Southern Adventist University (located in Collegedale, Tennessee, USA). This affiliation provided alternative accreditation and academic recognition for the BBA degree, majoring in either accounting or management. Changes in the South African education landscape after the first democratic elections in 1994 impacted directly on the College. In terms of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act (No. 58 of 1995) and the Higher Education Act (No. 101 of