Presidential Search

Presidential Search Banner

Welcome to the home page for the Northern Marianas College Presidential Search Webpage!

In passing BOR Resolution No. 2020-01, the NMC Board of Regents formally launched the beginning of the search for NMC next president. The Board is seeking a visionary, innovative, and inspirational leader who will continue to build upon the successes that the College has achieved in the past 40 years.

As the resolution states, the Board of Regents is committed to a search process that is “inclusive, dignified, fair, transparent, and consistent with applicable Board policies and federal and local laws.”

To stress the inclusive nature of the search process, the Presidential Search Committee includes members who represent various campus constituent groups: students, staff, faculty, and administrators.

The announcement of the presidential vacancy will be disseminated in local and national media. Additional announcements will be placed on more platforms as the search progresses to ensure that a wide pool of highly qualified candidates is obtained.

The work of the Presidential Search Committee will be transparent: regular updates will be provided through this website and through the various news outlets. Note, however, that some information relevant to the search must remain confidential to protect the privacy of the applicants and the integrity of the selection process.

Please continue to check the NMC website for announcements, updates, and other new information about the presidential search. Thank you for your interest!

Presidential Search Banner

Welcome to the home page for the Northern Marianas College Presidential Search Webpage!

In passing BOR Resolution No. 2020-01, the NMC Board of Regents formally launched the beginning of the search for NMC next president. The Board is seeking a visionary, innovative, and inspirational leader who will continue to build upon the successes that the College has achieved in the past 40 years.

As the resolution states, the Board of Regents is committed to a search process that is “inclusive, dignified, fair, transparent, and consistent with applicable Board policies and federal and local laws.”

To stress the inclusive nature of the search process, the Presidential Search Committee includes members who represent various campus constituent groups: students, staff, faculty, and administrators.

The announcement of the presidential vacancy will be disseminated in local and national media. Additional announcements will be placed on more platforms as the search progresses to ensure that a wide pool of highly qualified candidates is obtained.

The work of the Presidential Search Committee will be transparent: regular updates will be provided through this website and through the various news outlets. Note, however, that some information relevant to the search must remain confidential to protect the privacy of the applicants and the integrity of the selection process.

Please continue to check the NMC website for announcements, updates, and other new information about the presidential search. Thank you for your interest!

About NMC

About NMC

Northern Marianas College is a Land Grant Institution that is accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association for Schools and Colleges. Founded in 1981, its focus continues to be ensuring student success and meeting the higher education and vocational training needs of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

With the main campus on Saipan and Centers on Rota and Tinian, the College has developed a comprehensive set of academic programs and services that address the social, cultural and economic development needs of its island communities. Today, students are enrolled in credit programs that lead to an associate or bachelor’s degree in the following areas: BS in Education (with concentration in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Rehabilitation & Human Services, and Special Education); BS in Business Management (optional concentration in Accounting); AA in Business and Liberal Arts (optional emphasis in Education, Health & Physical Education, and Social Work); AAS in Business Administration (with emphasis in Accounting, Business Management, and Computer Applications), Criminal Justice and Hospitality Management; AS in Fire Science Technology, Nursing, and Natural Resource Management.

The college also offers a number of certificates in the areas of Basic Law Enforcement, Business Management, Computer Applications, Fire Science Technology, Hospitality Operations, Nursing Assistant, and Small Business Management.

In addition to its credit programs, the College also offers many noncredit, continuing education courses that are offered in various formats (online, short-term, accelerated, etc.) throughout the year. Since the College’s establishment, more than 20,000 people have enrolled in degree and certificate courses, over 3,000 students have been awarded certificates and/or degrees in programs offered or coordinated by NMC; and more than 12,000 individuals have been served in the community through such programs as the Adult Basic Education, Continuing Education, and the Cooperative, Research, Extensions, and Education Service (CREES).

The institution recently graduated its largest class in May, 2018, with over 303 credentials conferred.

BOR Resolution 2020-01

RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE NORTHERN MARIANAS COLLEGE 

Res. No. 2020-01 Amendment

The Hiring of a President
for the Northern Marianas College


WHEREAS, in filling the position of the president of the Northern Marianas College, the Board of Regents find that it is necessary to ensure that the guidelines that govern the hiring process are inclusive, dignified, fair, transparent, and consistent with applicable Board policies and federal and local laws; and

WHEREAS, in deciding who will be the president of the College, the Board of Regents also believes that it is necessary to obtain broad and extensive consultation with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Regents also finds that while the selection and hiring of a president must occur in the most transparent manner, it is also imperative that the Board take into consideration certain information must remain confidential to protect the privacy of the applicants and the integrity of the selection process;

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that pursuant to the Board of Regents mission to hire the most qualified and effective president for the Northern Marianas College, the following procedures are hereby adopted to guide the selection process:

When selecting a president or when a vacancy of the president occurs, the Board of Regents shall appoint a Search Committee. The Search Committee’s role shall be to advertise the position, accept, screen and interview applicants, and recommend to the Board of Regents all qualified applicants who meet the criteria;

Search Committee Composition:

The Search Committee shall consist of three members of the Board of Regents, excluding the Chairperson of the Board of Regents, whom shall preside over the Committee but will not be able to vote, one Student member, one faculty member, one staff member who does not serve in an administrative role as an employee of NMC, and one administrator. Four (4) voting members shall constitute a quorum. Each member, except the chairperson, shall have a vote within the Committee.

The meetings of the Search Committee shall be closed and shall only include the committee members and other individuals as the Committee shall determine.

Administrative and Technical Support:

The Administrative Support Committee to the Search Committee is to be provided by the Human Resources Administrator.

Job Vacancy Announcement Period:

The presidential search process should be open and transparent, inclusive, dignified, careful and methodical. While the process is open to public scrutiny, names and applications of applicants will remain confidential until the final list of candidates is officially announced by the Board. A minimum amount of time for accepting applications would be at least one (1) month from the first day of the job vacancy announcement publication.

Procedures:

  1. Search Committee will meet to review requirements stated in Board Resolution No. 2020-01, including the search timeline and job description, and work with the Support Committee on the method of evaluation. The Search Committee and the Board of Regents shall be guided in the presidential search by the minimum qualifications for applicants for the presidency as set forth by the Board of Regents and announced in the Job Vacancy Announcement (JVA).
  2. Minimum Qualification Requirements for the President Job Vacancy Announcement shall be:
    • A Masters degree from a U.S. accredited university or foreign equivalent. A doctorate degree is preferred;
    • At least Seven (7) years of executive level management in an educational institution of higher education of which five (5) years are continuous, or a combination of at least seven (7) years of executive level management including, secondary and post-secondary education teaching experience;
    • Experience working in a multicultural environment, preferably in the Pacific region and in the Northern Mariana Islands;
    • Substantiated experience in accreditation processes, personnel management, budget development and presentation, strategic planning and institutional assessment, fundraising, mediation, and team building; and
    • Demonstrated knowledge of federal programs and grants application to higher education.
  3. The Search Committee will establish advertising parameters, such as advertising in local and/or mainland US as needed. The Search Committee will prepare interview questions and submit them to the HR for review by EEO, prior to the publication of the announcement. If necessary, the Board of Regents may approve a second public advertising of the job announcement.
  4. Only complete Employment Application Packets will be received by the Administrative Support Committee.
    All applications must be received by the Northern Marianas College Human Resource Office by December 21, 2020, no later than at 4:30PM, ChST for full consideration.
  5. The Administrative Support Committee will review all qualified applicants (in accordance with this Board Resolution, Job Announcement, and method of evaluation) and will communicate with applicants to acknowledge received application, conduct verifications, follow-up for supporting documents, and respond to inquiries as necessary.
  6. Only applicants who have met the minimum qualifications and submitted complete Employment Application Packets within the JVA timeline will be forwarded to the Search Committee for review.
  7. The Administrative Support Committee will be responsible for conducting the background and reference checks and providing this information to the Search Committee. The Support Committee shall provide a timeframe for the completion of background checks.
  8. The Search Committee will conduct the Phase I interviews as follows:
    • If the applicant is on-island, a personal interview will be conducted;
    • If the applicant is off-island, a conference interview will be conducted;
    • The Administrative Support Committee will coordinate all logistics for the interviews; and
    • Off-island interviews may be arranged as directed by the Search Committee.
  9. The Search Committee will forward to the Board of Regents all applicants which meet the requirements of the JVA and also recommend its top three (3) candidates in an unranked manner by XXXX XX, 2020, 3:00PM, ChST.
  10. The Board of Regents, upon receiving all qualified applicants as well as the recommendations of the Search Committee, shall conduct Phase II of the interview process and interview any candidate which it deems appropriate in its sole discretion candidates by using a standard set of questions prepared by the Board of Regents.
  11. At the conclusion of the Phase II interviews, the Board of Regents shall either appoint one of the candidates or reject all such candidates and request from the Search Committee that it continue its search.
  12. The Board of Regents upon receiving additional candidates’ information may interview the candidates and follow the established procedures beginning with the Phase II interview process.

In summary, the steps to the presidential search process generally are as follows:

  1. Declaration of the vacancy of the president's position
  2. Development of a succession plan to ensure that the College is able to continue to operate successfully;
  3. Development/update of job description: minimum education and experience; minimum professional qualifications; description of duties; methods of evaluation; compensation and benefits; required documents.
  4. Development of a detailed ad for publication: description of the institution; institutional philosophy; job description; instructions for the application process; closing date and anticipated decision date; methods of notification.
  5. Identify methods of advertising such as NMC website, local print media, and other outlets to circulate the job announcement;
  6. Establish the presidential search timeframes for:
    1. Collection, acknowledgement, and safeguarding of application materials;
    2. Assessment of qualified candidates;
    3. Notification to unqualified candidates;
    4. Review of qualified candidates' applications;
    5. Scheduling of personal or telephone interviews (for both Phase I and Phase II interviews);
    6. Review and discussion of each viable candidate's attributes;
    7. Verbal offer by the Board of Regents to the selected candidate;
    8. Negotiation of contract and start date;
    9. Formal written offer to selected candidate (including contract);
    10. Notification to candidates not selected.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THAT THE BOARD OF REGENTS DULY ADOPTS RESOLUTION NUMBER 2020-01 AMENDED ON THIS 12th DAY of November, 2020.

Search Committee

Chairperson:

  • Charles V. Cepeda, Regent

Members:

  • Elaine Hocog Orilla, Regent
  • Irene T. Torres, Regent
  • Jesse M. Tudela, Regent
  • Maia Pangelinan, Associated Students of NMC (President)
  • Dr. Laura Taylor, Faculty Senate (President)
  • Geraldine Rodgers, Staff Senate (President)
  • Maria Aguon, Administrator Representative

News and Announcements

Presidential Search Committee (PSC) Updates:

 

May 7, 2021

On May 7, 2021, the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents unanimously voted to offer the position of NMC President to Dr. Galvin Sablan Deleon Guerrero. The next step in the presidential search process will be the negotiation of the terms of the contract and the identification of an official start date.

An accomplished, long time-CNMI educator and community leader, Dr. Deleon Guerrero is no stranger to Northern Marianas College. Among many roles he has had at the College, Dr. Deleon Guerrero served as a member of NMC’s Board of Regents from 2001 through 2006 and also worked at the College as the institution’s Director of Institutional Effectiveness from 2009 to 2011.

Read Dr. Deleon Guerrero’s biography at www.marianas.edu as well as the statement from the Board of Regents Chairman Charles Cepeda.

April 28-30, 2021

The NMC Board of Regents conducted phase 2 of the interviews with the top 5 candidates. A Special Board meeting is scheduled for May 7, 2021, to have a formal meeting for the next step of the presidential search process. A formal vote on the selection of the new president will be taken up.

March 31, 2021

The NMC Board of Regents had a Special Board meeting and voted to interview the top 5 candidates for the position of President.

March 30, 2021

The Board of Regents has scheduled a Special Board of Regents Meeting on March 30, 2021 at 11am in person and online (remotely) using the Zoom platform.

March 25, 2021

In its work session today, the NMC Board of Regents formulated the questions that will be asked during the second phase of the interview process of the NMC presidential search. The second phase of interviews will be conducted by the members of the NMC Board of Regents. The first phase was conducted by members of the Presidential Search Committee.

The Board will be meeting on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, to formally discuss the next steps of the presidential search process. The discussion will include announcing the number of the top finalists that will be interviewed, setting the interview schedule, and other matters related to the search.

February 25, 2021

The Board of Regents Chairman presented the top three (3) candidates in an unranked manner to the Board of Regents.

February 18, 2021

Members of the PSC met and after deliberations, the PSC members formally transmitted the top three candidates to the Chairman of the Board of Regents.

January 27 - February 11, 2021

Phase one of Interviews were conducted by members of the PSC.

December 21, 2020 - January 8, 2021

The job announcement closed. Applications were reviewed and the eligibility list was shared with the PSC. There were a total of 20 applicants that applied. A total of 10 applicants met the minimum qualifications and were selected to interview at phase one for the position.

November 21-December 21, 2020

The announcement was announced in local, regional, and national publications and platforms.

November 21, 2020

The vacancy announcement was approved for publication.

November 18, 2020

First meeting of the PSC was held.

October 26, 2020

The NMC Board of Regents Chairman appointed the members of the Presidential Search Committee (PSC), who include the following:

Elaine H. Orilla, Board of Regent
Irene T. Torres, Board of Regent
Jesus Tudela, Board of Regent
Geraldine Rodgers, Staff Senate President
Dr. Laura Taylor, Faculty Senate President
Maia D. Pangelinan, ASNMC President
Maria H. Aguon, Administrators

Charles V. Cepeda, BOR Chair, served as the Chairman for the PSC as a non-voting member.

September 29, 2020 & Amended on November 12, 2020

Northern Marianas College Board of Regents adopted BOR Resolution 2020-01 (Amendment)relating to the search for the new NMC President.

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