The Board of Regents of the Negros Oriental State University will hold a special session with the Commission on Higher Education in Manila on the closure of its College of Maritime Education.

Dumaguete Sangguniang Panlungsod member Nilo Sayson, a member of the BoR, said that CHEd Commissioner Patricia Licuanan will preside over the special session although its date has not been set, he added.

The BoR initially requested for a reconsideration of the CHEd closure order, after it found out that the CME has all the structures, facilities and equipment required by law for a maritime school to operate, except for the masteral qualifications for members of the faculty.

Sayson said the faculty members can be given time to obtain their masteral degrees, since completion of academic requirements is not enough without a thesis.

He said NORSU could shoulder the expenses for the masteral requirements of the CME faculty if they sign a contract stipulating payback and other conditions.

CME students had earlier protested the reported closure of the college next semester. There are about 1,400 first to fourth year Maritime students.

Audillo Fundador, governor of the student government, said they were not given enough reasons for the closure, and most of them have spent huge amounts and are about to go into internship, while others are supposed to graduate in March 2013.*JG

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