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Torres wants NMC to host Pacific education summit
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Posted on Jun 20 2011
Northern Marianas College must host an educational conference for the Pacific next year or in the near future to put the institution on the map and be recognized internationally.
Regent William Torres proposed this to the Board of Regents on Friday, saying this will be a great opportunity for NMC to recruit international enrollees as well.
“I hope the board will consider this idea to have a regional higher education symposium here next year or in the future because it would be good for NMC. At the same time, we can also invite folks from throughout Asia and the Pacific to participate, which will become a promotional event for the college. We need to put NMC on the map and we should try not to depend on local recruitment,” said Torres during Friday’s special board meeting.
Torres also recommended that NMC start establishing regional affiliations in terms of accreditation; he said this was highly recommended by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
These, and other college issues—including a suggestion to hold regular public outreach programs for the board—were taken up during the meeting held Friday noon but the board held off making any decisions on these items.
Saipan Tribune learned that Torres on June 9 emailed regents a list of ideas that he said would help the college “regain its glory.” He also criticized regents for showing “too much reaction” instead of taking a “pro-active” stance in dealing with college issues and situations.
In the same meeting, Torres questioned the yet-to-be completed performance evaluation of the interim president. “We did approve the evaluation instrument but the actual evaluation is not taking place? Based on our policy, the written evaluation should be done May or June of each year,” he told colleagues.
Board chair Juan Lizama, for his part, said the board must rectify the regents’ practice of holding long executive sessions without telling public attendees of when the public meeting will resume.
“That has been the criticism of this board,” said Lizama, admitting that he also doesn’t like people speaking during the public comment section and expecting immediate action from the regents.
