Sen. Maria T. Pangelinan, D-Saipan, said NMC recently did not renew the contract of political science instructor Sam McPhetres and has lost more than a dozen other highly qualified personnel.
These include former NMC bookstore manager David Apatang Jr., bookstore manager Bernie Sablan, Dean of Academic Programs and Services Danny Wyatt, nursing instructor Pat Taylor, Dean of Student Services Daisy Villagomez-Bier, science instructor Dr. Elena Alexandrova, Director of Institutional Effectiveness Robert Churney, adjunct Japanese instructor Sachiko Adachi, Chairman of the Language Arts and Humanities Department Mark Haag, Chairman of Sciences, Health and Athletics Department Glenn Keaton, head of nursing Cyndi Tice, Alumni Association President Jesse Torres, among other individuals.
“As of April 2009, four department chairpersons have filed grievances relating to hiring practices at the college. The public statements from [NMC President Carmen] Fernandez and departing employees are generally politically correct but why so many left have and what is really going on,” Pangelinan told the Senate yesterday.
“It is so frustrating to stand by and watch as NMC continues to be plagued by high attrition rates and controversy regarding management practices. As each of these employees has departed, the situation was explained away on an individual basis. However, taken as a whole, there is a disturbing pattern that cannot be so easily explained away, particularly in light of the high attrition rate of Dr. Fernandez’s Guam Senate staff,” she added.
Fernandez is a former Guam senator.
