NMC appeals for govt help in funding college

Northern Marianas College officials appealed yesterday to lawmakers and the CNMI government to provide adequate funding for the college, saying the continued lack of money will result in a lesser number of programs that will translate to less training and education for people.

Still visibly upset over the $1.5 million that was slashed from NMC’s budget, NMC Board of Regents chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds didn’t mince words during yesterday’s NMC 25th Silver Anniversary Commemoration Day at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan, saying the local government had the money but failed to spend it wisely.

She said she could still not fathom how the CNMI could build a state-of-art prison but “cannot afford to build a state-of-the-art college campus.”

“We want to bring in new investments so that our economy can revitalize and grow. In doing so, let us not be short-sighted and forget the very reason why we are here in the first place,” she said.

The BOR chair said the more education and training a person receives, the more opportunity they have to work in the private sector, adding that a better skilled workforce means less dependence on government because they would have greater opportunity to seek employment other than in government offices.

“Less education means a less skilled workforce and a less skilled workforce means continued dependency on migrant workers and continued heavy reliance on government jobs,” she said.

The BOR chair urged lawmakers and government officials to reconsider the cut in college’s budget allocation.

She said that more funding for NMC means more quality “homegrown” teachers in the Public School System, better investigators and quality law enforcement for Department of Public Safety, and more mechanical engineers for a better Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

She conceded that the government is broke but stressed that the college has been doing its part to be prudent in its spending.

NMC founder and former president Agnes McPhetres also said that government officials should not look at the college as a luxury, as what early leaders had regarded it.

“If the CNMI cannot afford higher education, the CNMI will definitely continue to depend on outside expertise, which drains substantial financial resources from the CNMI. Don’t we deserve to be the masters of our own fate and the ones who shape our own future?” asked McPhetres, adding the Commonwealth deserves and has the potential to build the nation from within.

She said the only limitation on the islands’ future is the limited vision of its leaders and the lack of comprehension on the importance of higher education and the ongoing training of local people.

SUCCESSFUL COMMEMORATION DAY

The college held a successful Commemoration Day for its 25th silver anniversary yesterday morning at the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan.

Marianas High School JROTC led the posting and retiring of colors, while Gus Kaipat led the singing of the U.S. and CNMI national anthems. Bishop Tomas A. Camacho offered the opening prayer.

NMC Foundation president Jerry Tan congratulated the college, saying that, if NMC leaders and staff stand together as one community, the college would transcend any obstacles that come its way and it would flourish and prosper more in the future.

Tan said he is saddened by the news that King-Hinds intends to leave the board and pursue higher learning but wished her well in her endeavors. King-Hinds reportedly wants to pursue graduate studies on Human Resource Management or Educational Leadership.

NMC president Tony V. Deleon Guerrero presented a brief history of the college and its success. He also sought help from the local government for a better and more improved college in the Pacific.

NMC student body president Rose Jones ended the round of speeches on behalf of more than 2,000 students of NMC, saying they are also asking for the government to look at the college as a viable resource center in assisting the community in its economic recovery.

“We students stand steadfast and ready to assist our great Commonwealth,” she said.