Legislature to NMC: regulation of colleges not unconstitutional

Officials of Eucon International School belied claims last week by the Northern Marianas College that establishment of colleges and universities on island is unconstitutional following the discovery of existing statute supporting the program.

Eucon president Christian Wei said arguments of NMC Board of Regents regarding House Bill 12-192 or the establishment of post secondary institution in the Commonwealth are “invalid and totally wrong”.

Even the legislature he said discovered existing statutes supporting the higher and adult continuing education in the CNMI.

Under the CNMI Constitution, NMC shall be responsible for providing continuing education, post secondary and adult vocational education and professional development of the people of the Commonwealth.

Even the CNMI Code discussed the power of the college to regulate, license or limit post secondary education in the CNMI, and to serve as the official coordination agency.

Mr. Wei said that in the spirit of the house bill, BOR should allow more private funded colleges to start on the island to provide adequate educational services to students.

The house bill will be the best move to improve the post secondary education system in the CNMI and Eucon will continuously support the legislative measure, said Mr. Wei.

Earlier, Eucon officials lambasted the snail-paced processing of papers on its application for the establishment of a university filed at NMC-BOR which has the sole responsibility on post-education matters.

Mr. Wei explained that BOR’s jurisdiction as a regulating body has over-all authority on regulations and applications submitted by private institutions for post-secondary colleges.

He claimed that the regents has not made any attempt to notify them whether their application was approved or disapproved since there is no legitimate regulation and system to follow.

In a legislative move to enhance diversification in the quantity and quality of post-secondary educational institutions, House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial introduced House Bill No. 12-192.

The legislator moved to dismiss the statutory barrier under the 3 CMC which regulates the NMC as official coordination agency for post-secondary education with power to license, limit and otherwise regulate any post-secondary educational activities offered by a public or private agency.

By establishing more post-secondary institutions will result in additional revenue from foreign students who will be enticed to study in the Commonwealth, Mr. Fitial explained.

Reports, according to the Eucon president, says Australia has been generating $2 billion in 1998 by accepting foreign students to come to their country to study while Shanghai, China has cited their increasing revenues from international students who are enrolled in 13 established private and international schools there.

For 13 to 16 private schools in the CNMI, Dr. Wei explained that students who pay tuition fee ranging from $3,000 to $4,000, the Commonwealth tends to generate at least $3 million a year.