A petition calling for Agnes McPhetres\u2019 retention on the Board of Regents of the Northern Marianas College has been circulating on campus since Friday.<\/p>\n
A total of 225 signatures were initially presented to the BOR during its special meeting last Friday. <\/p>\n
However, BOR chair Charles V. Cepeda refused to accept the document citing the board cannot take any action on the matter and that it was not even included in the meeting\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe resignation of regent McPhetres is official. And if we will accept it, it will need an action\u2026and the board cannot take action,\u201d Cepeda told Saipan Tribune, adding that the \u201cpetition will not help\u201d as the board\u2019s decision was already made.<\/p>\n
However, he said the document can be presented to the governor as the sole appointing authority to the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe petition should go to the governor because he is the only one who can appoint to the position\u2026not the board,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Copies of the petition letter, obtained by Saipan Tribune, indicated an attached \u201cLetter of support\u201d from NMC staff, faculty, and students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe, the undersigned faculty, staff, students and supporters of NMC wish to express our vote of confidence and support for regent Agnes McPhetres and do hereby declare that we feel it is in the best interest of the college and community that she remain on the Board of Regents,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
It added that \u201cAs the NMC founder and past president, regent McPhetres has the experience and qualifications that are vital to assist the college as a member of the regents at this critical time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cepeda believes that there is a strong possibility that McPhetres will be reappointed to the board.<\/p>\n
Honorary faculty regent Frank Sobolewski said that although the board \u201cmade the correct decision,\u201d he feels that the ultimate concern is not who\u2019s in and who\u2019s out of the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey may have made the correct decision\u2026but the real question or the ultimate concern here is the credibility and trust within the college especially now that it\u2019s going through its critical time of show cause,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sobolewski said that they\u2019re worried on the impact of the \u201cunresolved issues within the college\u201d on the scheduled visit of accreditation team next month.<\/p>\n
NMC is required to submit its final report on April 1, and which will be followed by a visit by team members.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our hope that all these matters are cleaned up to the satisfaction of the people of the CNMI before the team comes next month,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The faculty senate president said that it\u2019s not yet definite if the petition rejected by the board will go through the governor soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have any plans on what to do next\u2026we still don\u2019t know what will happen and it\u2019s up to the faculty, staff and parents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
[B]No grievance, no action[\/B]<\/p>\n
Saipan Tribune learned that no grievance has been filed with the board pertaining to the issues and allegations against the NMC president and the board itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no grievance filed as far as the board of regents is concerned,\u201d chairman Cepeda said, adding that absence of any formal grievance filed within the board an action will not be rendered.<\/p>\n
Cepeda explained that before a grievance reaches the board\u2019s attention, it must go through the following process: First, if it\u2019s between student and teachers it must be resolved within their level, then to the department chair, dean of the college, president of the college, and finally to the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose grievances need to be taken care of by these lower levels. The board cannot act on a matter that\u2019s within those levels because this may be perceived as board\u2019s micromanaging the operation by showing our power,\u201d the chairman explained.<\/p>\n
Cepeda admitted that even before the regent\u2019s resignation, NMC president Carmen Fernandez was already instructed to resolve the management issues.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the board and the college are concerned on the issues majority of which are raised by anonymous senders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board cannot act on anything that is anonymous and it\u2019s a major thing right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cepeda admitted that there is no investigation being conducted on the issues raised by McPhetres in her resignation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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