By Reynaldo E. Andres
Contributor
BATAC City—The winds of change are now blowing over the Mariano Marcos State
University in this city, one of the top universities in the country.
Since May, a search committee organized
by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) through Chairperson Patricia
B. Licuanan began to scrutinize and evaluate the documents of the five
candidates for the top MMSU post.
The candidates, who will present
themselves in a public forum at the University Teatro Ilocandia on June 15 are
Dr. Joselito L. Lolinco, dean of the MMSU Graduate School (GS); Atty. Ramon A.
Leaño, MMSU’s vice president for administration and business; Dr. Shirley C.
Agrupis, a professor and concurrent project leader of MMSU’s bio-ethanol
project; Dr. Carmelo J. Esteban, former dean of the College of Agriculture,
Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) and the MMSU GS; and Dr. Ricardo S.
Guanzon, a medical officer of the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical
Center.
During the public forum, the candidates
are expected to present their vision and mission programs for the university in
the next four years before a crowd of students, faculty, staff, and private
individuals in the community.
Meanwhile, Dr. Prima Fe R.
Franco, MMSU’s vice president for academic affairs, has assumed her designation
as ad interim president through Special Order No. 32 signed by
Ms. Licuanan during a special meeting by the members of the Board of Regents
(BOR) on May 28. Her designation shall remain in effect until the appointment
of a new university president by the CHED leadership which shall be based on a
recommendation of the members of a search committee.
In BOR resolution no. 1383, the
board ad hoc committee decided to temporarily appoint Dr.
Franco due to the exigency of the service because no president was appointed as
of May 31 which was the last day of Dr. Miriam E. Pascua, the sixth president.
Dr. Pascua served as MMSU president from May 3, 2005 to May 31, 2015.
The BOR’s decision to recommend Dr.
Franco as OIC president was based on the provision of Article VII, Section 30
of Republic Act 8292, otherwise known as the Higher Education Modernization Act
of 1997, wherein the most senior vice president of the university who is not a
candidate to the presidency should be appointed ad interim.
As acting president, Dr. Franco is
directed to discharge her “day-to-day routine duties and responsibilities of
the Office of the President and shall be entitled to allowances and other
benefits allowed by law which are applicable to position, except the basic
salary thereof.”
She is further required to give reports
to the BOR on actions taken in the performance of her duties as OIC and shall
try at all times to maintain the stability and regularity of academic as well
as administrative operations of MMSU.
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