To settle license to operate Eucon agrees to meet with BOR

By Marian A. Maraya
Staff Reporter

Eucon International School President Dr. Christian Wei expressed willingness yesterday to meet with the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents to discuss the private school’s pending request to secure a license to operate as a post secondary educational institution in the Commonwealth.

Dr. Wei said it is about time the regents respond to Eucon’s bid, saying appropriate action on the international school’s request has been long-delayed for over two months now.

“We want to know what we should do. We’re here waiting for answers,” said Dr. Wei.

NMC, the sole agency tasked by the government to grant permission to organizations that wish to establish college programs in the CNMI, has reportedly failed to set concrete regulations aimed at screening agencies that lack adequate components to operate as a college institution.

“We want to know what regulations we need to follow so we can provide better education to students in the Commonwealth,” he said.

Acting BOR chair Fermin M. Atalig expressed his desire during Friday’s board meeting to settle the escalating tension between Eucon and NMC by initiating a meeting targeted to iron out conflicts between the two agencies.

Listing Eucon’s application as a priority issue, the BOR has included the private school’s request in the discussion in its regular meeting last week.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wei has not given up hope that BOR would grant Eucon the permission it needs to institute a post secondary learning center before House Bill 12-192, an initiative seeking to encourage the establishment of more post secondary institutions in the Commonwealth, is signed into law.

“I hope NMC approves our license before the passage of the house law. It would be better for them and would benefit everyone in the community. The college should consider this for the public…for the next generation,” said Dr. Wei.

Whatever the verdict, Dr. Wei, however, vowed to secure permission to establish another post secondary institution on Saipan.

The Eucon president even cited an advantage CNMI’s lone public post secondary institution would gain from Eucon’s efforts by opening more doors for more foreign students to pursue college education in the CNMI.

Dr. Wei disclosed Eucon’s future plans to implement a marketing scheme that would entice more international students to make Saipan their choice of institution for higher learning.

“With this plan, NMC can also benefit from the students that would opt to come to the CNMI to pursue their studies…this would open windows of opportunity for NMC. It would broaden the pool of student body. NMC’s student body would increase dramatically. We are here to help each other, not to compete,” said Dr. Wei.