A CNMI Issue

This is perhaps the most important article that I’ve ever written because it could affect the future of every person in the CNMI. Before reading it, I want to give a disclaimer that I am acting on my own as a concerned citizen. These views are solely my own, and they do not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Regents, the administration, nor any other person at Northern Marianas College.

The recent action to place Northern Marianas College on Show Cause is really upsetting, not only for the College, but it also impacts the entire community. I’d like to share what the late Paul Harvey used to call “the rest of the story” to provide greater perspective on the matter.
The action occurred after a special accreditation evaluation visit that was prompted by newspaper articles and unsolicited emails. Well, is it possible that some, if not most, of those unsolicited emails came from individuals who called themselves the “NMC Collective?” These were individuals who used whatever means necessary to keep Dr. Fernandez in power (not implying that Dr. Fernandez had any involvement). In a May 16, 2010 Tribune article the NMC Collective described themselves as “a loose association of current and former NMC faculty, staff, and students” and they claimed responsibility for sending hate emails to Regent King and Interim President Cabrera by stating: “We have attacked you as a group and we have attacked you as individual members.”
This small group stooped to using threats and intimidation, primarily through anonymous emails. If you recall, the College was closed down for an afternoon in January with a bomb threat made through an anonymous email in order to stop the Board of Regents from meeting to discuss issues concerning Dr. Fernandez prior to her suspension. DPS and the FBI were called in to investigate this serious matter, and the Board and other individuals should be praised for not allowing the NMC Collective to browbeat them with terrorist tactics. However, it appears that the NMC Collective did achieve their objective to influence a “fact finding” visit.
There is no question that there was internal conflict within the College while Dr. Fernandez was president, and the NMC Collective proves that point. The numerous non-renewals, firings, and forced resignations created not only high-turnover and job instability, but also created internal factions within the College that pitted people either for or against Dr. Fernandez. The “final straw” came with the infamous non-renewal of NMC’s living legend, Sam McPhetres, which shortly thereafter raised the ire of the community and prompted a vote of “no confidence” by a faculty assembly in the president and her leadership ability.
The role of the Board of Regents is to set policy and provide guidance while letting the administration deal with the hands-on issues during normal circumstances. However, we were dealing with anything but normal circumstances. Another role of the Board is to ensure the stability of the College, and NMC at that time was more like a ship in a severe storm with no one at the helm to steer us into smooth waters.
Did the Board step in to intervene during the storm? Yes, and thank God they were willing to step up to the plate during this critical time and make some tough decisions, rather than sit back and let the College sink into the abyss. If anything, instead of criticizing the Board, they should be commended for taking a leadership role during this crisis to help the College achieve stability and get back on track so it could focus fully on its mission.
I was curious about how people really felt about the situation at NMC, and I wanted their input on positive as well as negative issues with the College. So in May 2010, I sent a survey to College students and personnel, and I also interviewed individuals in the community. The 32 individuals who responded were allowed to reveal their identity or remain anonymous in the survey, and I assured everyone that their responses would remain confidential so they could be open and honest.
Most of the comments were informative with some praising the Board, faculty and staff at the College. Many mentioned the importance of maintaining accreditation. Others pointed out problem areas that needed to be corrected to make the institution a better place and some expressed the need to get a new president on board right away, but not one person criticized the Board for their actions with the former president.
Now the College is faced with a very serious situation that could result in the loss of accreditation. If this occurs, the impact on the CNMI could be catastrophic. Millions of dollars from tuition, fees, salaries, grants, and local and federal financial aid flow throughout the CNMI to pay rent, buy food, and provide business and government revenues. Losing accreditation is a very serious matter. Furthermore, it could be the final death blow to our already extremely fragile economy.
In addition, the loss of accreditation would destroy the jobs and lives of hundreds of people who would be forced to leave the CNMI. These are people who go to your churches, are customers of your businesses, have children in your schools, and make a solid contribution to the community. It would also dash the future career goals and dreams of hundreds of students who cannot leave the islands to pursue a degree because of job or family responsibilities.
It’s easy to criticize the actions of others and assign blame to certain individuals or groups that might have placed the College in this situation; however, this is not the time to sit back like a spectator and watch the outcome or throw barbs of criticism. Your full support is critically needed. The College, community and government must be united in the effort to resolve this matter quickly. This is not only a “Northern Marianas College issue,” it is an issue for every single person who lives on Saipan, Tinian or Rota, or who lives off-island and calls the CNMI home.