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Sablan pledges to cooperate in NMC overhaul
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Posted on Mar 04 1999
The chair of the Board of Regents has vowed to work closely with the legislature and government agencies to address the financial trouble facing the Northern Marianas College as he embarks on a reorganization plan that will eliminate ungraded positions to trim personnel costs.
Chief Regent Manuel Sablan said the board will have to undertake a comprehensive review of the college’s finances after the House committee on Health, Education and Welfare has disclosed its findings of serious cash flow problems.
“I am very concerned because it appears that as a board, we have a fiduciary responsibility to look at these things and I cannot close my eyes to some of the findings the committee has uncovered,” he told in an interview.
The state college has come under close scrutiny following shortfall in its funding for the past few years that has prompted NMC officials to plead for additional budget from the government.
The House panel, chaired by Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, has been conducting oversight hearings on NMC since January due to charges of mismanagement and inconsistency in implementing college policies — allegations repeatedly denied by the college.
Sablan said he welcomed the investigation and reiterated his decision to cooperate with the HEW committee to resolve the problems besetting NMC.
“I find it a lot educational for me,” he explained, “but one of my concerns is that there are people, particularly staff, behind those numbers. I want to make sure they are protected.”
Sablan on Monday announced plans to sack some contractual employees in a bid to cut down expenditures, but stopped short of saying the restructuring would involve high-ranking officials, including NMC President Agnes M. McPhetres and vice presidents as well as directors.
He said he hopes to work “very closely” with the legislature, the Office of the Public Auditor and the Tenorio administration, particularly the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Finance.
“We have a job to do and that is to deliver the best education to our kids. I am interested in people who can produce and can have the best kids coming out of college,” Sablan added.
