NMC says accreditation hinges on budget

Northern Marianas College says it is convinced it will have its accreditation restored by January unless lawmakers cut funding to the college.

NMC president Carmen Fernandez, in a meeting with the Legislature yesterday, urged attending members of the Senate and House of Representatives to at least sustain the college’s budget at its fiscal year 2008 level.

“We’re pretty confident [we will have our accreditation reaffirmed]. The work that the accrediting commission required of NMC would have taken years and years to do. We did it inside of a year’s time,” she said.

She added, “What would really harm us is a budget cut. ‘Fiscal fragility’—the fact that the college relies too much on legislative appropriation for funding—is a major concern for the commissioners. They are concerned that the CNMI can’t really afford to provide higher education [to its people]. A full budget for NMC is the clearest indication of the Legislature’s support for the college.”

NMC got a total budget of $6.2 million in the 2008 fiscal year. This includes $5.2 million from the general fund, and $1 million from nonresident workers fees, which is earmarked for NMC’s vocational programs.

The House-approved version of the FY2009 budget kept NMC’s funding intact. However, the Senate zeroed out the account for the apprenticeship programs. The committee report, which accompanied the Senate’s budget version, did not explain why the program was cut, except to save money.

Fernandez said that, if approved, the Senate’s budget version would effectively scrap NMC’s nursing, education, and business management programs—the core of NMC’s efforts to help build a local workforce.

Earlier this year, the Western Association of Schools and College’s Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges ordered NMC to provide reasons—or “show cause”—why the college’s accreditation should not be terminated. The show cause order followed NMC’s many years of non-compliance with accreditation standards.

Yesterday, Fernandez reported to the Legislature that NMC had submitted all documents needed to show how the college had complied with the WASC-ACCJC’s recommendations. She said the college is now preparing for a visit by the commission’s officials, set for Nov. 3-5, 2008. Following the visit, the college will prepare a supplemental report to strengthen or update the report submitted on Oct. 15.

On. Jan. 7, 2009, the commissioners will have a meeting, where they will decide based on the recommendation of the visiting team, whether to reaffirm or terminate NMC’s accreditation.