Petition letter supporting McPhetres’ retention out

A petition calling for Agnes McPhetres’ retention on the Board of Regents of the Northern Marianas College has been circulating on campus since Friday.

A total of 225 signatures were initially presented to the BOR during its special meeting last Friday.

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’s agenda.

“The resignation of regent McPhetres is official. And if we will accept it, it will need an action…and the board cannot take action,” Cepeda told Saipan Tribune, adding that the “petition will not help” as the board’s decision was already made.

However, he said the document can be presented to the governor as the sole appointing authority to the board.

“The petition should go to the governor because he is the only one who can appoint to the position…not the board,” he added.

Copies of the petition letter, obtained by Saipan Tribune, indicated an attached “Letter of support” from NMC staff, faculty, and students.

“We, 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,” the statement read.

It added that “As 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.”

Cepeda believes that there is a strong possibility that McPhetres will be reappointed to the board.

Honorary faculty regent Frank Sobolewski said that although the board “made the correct decision,” he feels that the ultimate concern is not who’s in and who’s out of the board.

“They may have made the correct decision…but the real question or the ultimate concern here is the credibility and trust within the college especially now that it’s going through its critical time of show cause,” he said.

Sobolewski said that they’re worried on the impact of the “unresolved issues within the college” on the scheduled visit of accreditation team next month.

NMC is required to submit its final report on April 1, and which will be followed by a visit by team members.

“It’s our hope that all these matters are cleaned up to the satisfaction of the people of the CNMI before the team comes next month,” he added.

The faculty senate president said that it’s not yet definite if the petition rejected by the board will go through the governor soon.

“We don’t have any plans on what to do next…we still don’t know what will happen and it’s up to the faculty, staff and parents,” he said.

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.

“There’s no grievance filed as far as the board of regents is concerned,” chairman Cepeda said, adding that absence of any formal grievance filed within the board an action will not be rendered.

Cepeda explained that before a grievance reaches the board’s attention, it must go through the following process: First, if it’s 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.

“Those grievances need to be taken care of by these lower levels. The board cannot act on a matter that’s within those levels because this may be perceived as board’s micromanaging the operation by showing our power,” the chairman explained.

Cepeda admitted that even before the regent’s resignation, NMC president Carmen Fernandez was already instructed to resolve the management issues.

He emphasized that the board and the college are concerned on the issues majority of which are raised by anonymous senders.

“The board cannot act on anything that is anonymous and it’s a major thing right now,” he said.

Cepeda admitted that there is no investigation being conducted on the issues raised by McPhetres in her resignation.