Institutional Development: Making a difference for NMC

Northern Marianas College’s Institutional Development Unit which operates under the Office of the President and is comprised of three functional areas — Marketing and Public Relations, Public Radio Station KRNM, and the Grants Office — continues to make a difference for the Commonwealth’s lone higher learning institution.

The unit, established in July 1999, is tasked to do marketing, internal and external communications, public relations, fund raising, alumni relations. It also seeks public and private funding, as well as other institutional advancement strategies that contribute to the overall improvement of NMC’s educational programs and services.

The accomplishments and major activities undertaken by the Institutional Development Unit during Academic Year 1999/2000 include:

The development and implementation of an aggressive marketing strategy to promote NMC.

• Distributed NMC catalogs and other printed materials to promote College programs throughout Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

• Improved communication and public awareness on College programs and services through various public relations activities.

• Modified and updated the NMC web site during AY 19992000 to expand the use of informational technology in communicating the educational programs and services of the College.

• Developed and distributed “Guidelines For Preparing Annual Reports” to help program personnel improve the quality of their departmental reports and to communicate more effectively the value of NMC’s educational programs, services, and activities to both internal and external constituents.

• Created a new series of advertising messages and marketing slogans to promote NMC through television, radio, newspapers, and collateral materials.

• Conducted a logo contest, with a new design approved and adopted by the Board of Regents, to depict the Chamorro and Carolinian cultures, to signify the teaching and learning environment of NMC, and to create a new image for the College.

• Promoted community partnerships and increased NMC’s contribution in the local community.

• The unit continues to cultivate cooperative relationships with tourismrelated organizations to develop new educational tours and excursions for the CNMI by attracting various international student market segments from Japan and South Korea.

The unit continuously strives to improve the image of the College, promote the educational, social, and economic contribution of the institution to the CNMI, and augment the public funding sources the College receives through private donations from individuals and businesses.

For more details on the NMC Institutional Development Unit, please contact Tony Deleon Guerrero at 234-5498, extension 1014 or visit us at http://www.nmcnet.edu.