NMC hosts four-day convention for Pacific colleges

The Micronesian Islands College Board and Pacific Islands Governance Leadership Institute, which includes the Northern Marianas College, gathered for the groups’ inaugural meeting on Saipan last Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan.

Officials and delegates from the Northern Marianas College welcomed delegates from the College of Micronesia-FSM, College of the Marshall Islands, Guam Community College, and Palau Community College, as well as participants representing Palau, Guam, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Yap and the Marshall Islands to the four-day convention.

In last Wednesday’s inaugural meeting, spokesmen from the different colleges expressed excitement at being on island and participate in the core mission of the group, which is to collaboratively address and overcome the shared challenges faced by educational institutions in the Pacific.

The four-day meeting is hosted by NMC, the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council, and the Association of Community College Trustees.

GCC’s Carlo Leon Guerrero was one of the many who shared gratitude for the event. “… [I] thank everyone for this opportunity to get together and bring a meeting of the mind to discuss how we want to move forward with community colleges and education in our region, along with the support of ACCT, as well as everyone in this room,” he said.

At the meeting, Salome Andrike from the College of the Marshall Islands was elected chairman, Suzanne Gallen from the College of Micronesia-FSM was elected vice chair, and Leon Guerrero of Guam Community College was elected secretary.