NMC’s show-cause extended

The much-awaited decision of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges on the fate of the Northern Marianas College came as a surprise yesterday for its officials and students—the college was placed on continued show-cause status until it meets the remaining standards being asked by the accrediting body.

A comprehensive report focusing on the remaining two recommendations by the visiting team needs to be submitted on April 1, 2009, where a final decision is expected for release in the commission’s June assembly. The submission of the report will be followed by a visit by commission representatives.

“Certainly the decision wasn’t expected. But we’re very positive and we’re taking this challenge. We intend to complete all the necessary works, we will press on to continue the work to get our full accreditation…that’s our goal and passion,” said NMC president Dr. Carmen Fernandez yesterday.

Fernandez emphasized that during this extended show-cause period, the college remains fully accredited and credits are transferable.

She said NMC adequately addressed the four issues that were in the original show-cause notification, including student learning outcomes, implementation of employee evaluation process, funding for renovating and replacing aging buildings with ones that meet current and future needs of the college, and eligibility requirements, which NMC fulfilled by hiring key personnel and administrative staff.

Saipan Tribune learned that team recommendations 1 and 2, dealing with program review and assessment, were the “areas” cited for “immediate completion.”

“We’re notified that we need to do further work on these two recommendations. So I immediately sent an e-mail to Dr. [Barbara] Beno asking the commission’s specific guidance on what are the remaining expectations of us,” she said. “We want to make sure that we know exactly what is expected of us so we can complete the work.”

Fernandez is confident that, with the work being done on the college’s program review and assessment survey, they would be able to address the commission’s remaining concerns.

Yesterday, the college released the results of a survey done by the office of institutional effectiveness and it is up for submission to the college management.

Speaking before students and faculty members yesterday, Board of Regents chair Charles V. Cepeda asked for everyone’s cooperation to complete the needed assignment.

“We’re 95 percent complete in our accreditation requirements…we just need to look and find the very little amount of additional work and we’re counting all your support and cooperation. We’ve done a lot of work and we’re not going to close down…so we’re asking everyone to become part of the leadership at NMC,” he told the crowd during yesterday’s assembly.

Cepeda said he personally sees the commission’s decision as an accomplishment for the college, which has been struggling to fight for its accreditation for several years.

“It’s not what we expected…but I’ve seen this as an accomplishment of what we’ve been trying to do for the past nine years,” he told Saipan Tribune, adding that the board fully supports Fernandez’s leadership in meeting the accreditation requirements.

Student Council president Ivan Mereb said student body organizations on campus will spread the word about the accreditation status.

“Yes, we’re still on show-cause but it doesn’t mean our institution is subject for termination,” he said.

He pointed out that the increased enrollment this semester is testament to the continued support and trust of students in NMC.

For freshman nursing student Chanelle Mendiola, the college will remain an institution that she will forever be grateful to for fulfilling the dreams of many local students.

“I feel confident NMC will be fully accredited soon,” she said, adding that students are witness to the many work done during the show-cause period.

Zayna Camacho, a business management student, believes that NMC will be in much greater shape and status after June 2009.

Even if NMC gets full accreditation in June, instructional sites on Rota and Tinian will remain closed for academic programs, according to the college president.

“We will not be able to reopen the academic programs on two islands …until we are able to fully meet all the accreditation standards. It is very clear that reopening of these sites will require a tremendous amount of funding and, with the current financial state, we cannot sustain it,” said Fernandez.

“It seemed to be clear that we don’t have substantial or enough funding to be able to reopen our instructional sites in the very near future. But we’re hoping to continue the process of evaluating the distance learning education for Rota and Tinian,” she added.

At the main campus, the college is preparing for “further” cuts in its budget, putting academic services on the priority list, she said.

Due to declining government revenue, essential departments like NMC are not spared from the 5.5 percent cut.

Press secretary Charles Reyes Jr. said yesterday that the administration wants NMC to receive proper accreditation as soon as possible.

“The administration regrets that the show-cause status was extended but we are still hopeful that NMC will comply with all the requirements to meet full accreditation status,” he said.

NMC was first placed on show-case status in January 2008. Show-case status is a severe sanction placed by the accrediting commission on a college, requiring the college to justify why its accreditation should not be terminated. The commission usually gives a college a year to comply with all requirements.