Stanley wants validity of WASC letter checked

Rep. Stanley Torres Jr. wants the House of Representatives’ Education Committee to look into the authenticity of a letter purportedly from WASC president Dr. Barbara Beno, which he described as “damaging” to the Northern Marianas College’s accreditation standing.

The lawmaker believes the letter, allegedly sent by Beno to Board of Regents chair Charles V. Cepeda last Feb. 26, was fabricated to discredit the NMC board.

In the letter, Beno lectured the board and warned against the Legislature’s intervention in the operations and management of the college.

“The chairman’s comment regarding the validity of a damaging letter supposedly sent by WASC’s Dr. Beno needs a closer look. His story about electronic technicalities is at the very least suspicious,” Torres told the education panel in a letter dated March 31.

Cepeda had earlier said that the unsigned copy of Dr. Beno’s letter was a result of “electronic trouble” and clarified that her signature was affixed to the second letter re-sent to his office.

“I am very disturbed that a professional employee from a credible organization would supposedly send an unsigned letter in Microsoft Word format if it’s meant to be distributed to the regents and the chair of the House Education Committee. Professionals working for a credible organization [like WASC] would normally sign the letter, scan it and send it in PDF format so that their private metadata can’t be seen,” Torres said.

He also added that “no one has seen a signed version except for possibly Cepeda, who evidently is not willing to share it.”

It will be recalled that House Education chair Rep. Ralph Torres was furnished a copy of Dr. Beno’s unsigned letter.

In the three-page letter, a copy of which was obtained by Saipan Tribune, the WASC official said the correspondence was a response to Cepeda’s earlier message asking for guidance on the college’s accreditation requirements.

The Legislature’s participation and “meddling” in the college’s operation was among the topics addressed in the letter.

The WASC president said regents should not be introducing or attempting to introduce legislative pressure into the operations of NMC.

“If governing board members discuss the evaluation of the president outside of the formal evaluation procedures, if they participate in such harmful activity as distributing anonymous complaints or asking the president to be responsive to such anonymous complaints, they are failing to provide adequate delegation of responsibility and authority to the president and they are failing to provide fair evaluation and guidance to the president,” the letter adds.

Beno also allegedly expressed concern that, despite ample training, the governing board of NMC or some of its members cannot seem to learn how to function effectively.

Rep. Stanley Torres said that Beno certainly “has no business accusing the board members or telling the Legislature what to do.”

“Did she in fact sign the letter?” he asked.

Saipan Tribune’s inquiries to the office of Dr. Beno remain unanswered at press time.

Torres said his formal request, along with the letter to the education panel chairman, was provided to Beno’s office.

“A formal request to confirm her authorship has gone unanswered for weeks,” the lawmaker said.

He revealed that during a meeting with Rep. Ralph Torres, he was informed by the chairman that a formal inquiry from the committee will also be sent to the WASC official.

Rep. Ralph Torres did not return repeated calls by Saipan Tribune.