Lack of continuity at NMC

I am writing an open letter to the Board of Regents, one that contains a message I could not convey while I was a member of the board lest I be accused of “micromanaging” and interfering in the president’s management of the institution. Now that I am no longer a regent on NMC’s board, I am free to act as a private citizen concerned about the betterment of NMC and as a watchdog that is willing to make publicly known the problems at our lone postsecondary institution and how they negatively impact the quality of higher education and professional training throughout the Commonwealth. And so it is that I can now write and talk openly on essential issues about what the Board of Regents should be focusing their attention on, particularly at a time close to the end of Dr. Carmen Fernandez’s current employment contract that ends in May 2009.

Now that the college has finally completed what was left to be done relative to the remaining issues relating to its show cause accreditation status, I would personally like to thank NMC’s hardworking people and their families for supporting them as they spent nights and weekends at the college in order to address the commission’s concerns and recommendations. Thank you for your dedication to our students and to our institution.

The Board of Regents will soon review the “Show Cause Report” prior to its being sent to the accrediting commission. Hopefully NMC will be taken off show cause in June 2009. But getting off show cause should not be the ultimate goal of an institution of higher education aspiring for excellence.

An essential component of education excellence is the general overall climate that characterizes an institution. How does NMC fare in this regard? Based on what is reported to me, there appears to be a dark cloud hanging over faculty and staff due to a particular phrase in the contract of every employee at NMC. The phrase gives the CEO immense latitude for abuse of power, a power which the current president has been wielding regularly since the beginning of her term of office.

Please, NMC regents, take a hard look at the wording of the employee contract and eliminate the clause that opens the door for any CEO to abuse their power.

Continuity of faculty and staff at any institution is essential for continuity of policy and good practices and, more importantly, continuity of accreditation. Let me just cite some examples that demonstrate the lack of continuity at NMC: Since Dr. Fernandez became president (in less than a two-year period) four board members (a majority of the total number) have resigned prior to the end of their term of office. During the same period, the college has gone through two deans of Instruction, three deans of Student Services, two directors of Library Services, two directors of Admission and Records, and is on its second director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. One can only wonder about the number of faculty and support staff not renewed during the short tenure of president Fernandez at NMC. Shouldn’t the board be looking into this to determine the cause for this lack of continuity in staffing and the high rate of turnover in these key positions?

What is now happening at NMC is similar to the situation when Dr. Fernandez was a Guam senator. Attrition rates amongst her staff were definitely higher than normal. For validation of this contention, check out KUAM News reports of 2003 on July 9, Sept. 5, Sept. 16, Nov. 2, and Nov. 26.

Does the Board of Regents want to retain a person to head our only public institution of higher education who does not promote continuity in implementation of policies and procedures and institutionalization of good practices? Based upon the numerous concerns that have been brought to my attention, it appears that instead, we have an institutional leader who promotes a climate of fear.

It is up to you, NMC Board of Regents! The fate of NMC is in your hands!