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House OKs new licensing body for colleges
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Posted on Nov 24 2008
The House of Representatives has approved legislation creating a new licensing board for postsecondary educational institutions in the Commonwealth.
The bill, now awaiting Senate approval, will implement the constitutional amendment that voters ratified in last year’s election to strip the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents, which also acts as the State Board of Regents, of its power to license private colleges and universities.
Under the ratified initiative, the authority of the NMC Board of Regents will be confined to managing the publicly funded college. The authority to license private postsecondary schools will be given to a new entity to be called the Higher Education Commission.
The new commission was proposed after Saipan University defrauded nearly 100 Chinese students using a provisional license intended for the Tinian University approved by the State Board of Higher Education.
Proponents for the initiative said the NMC board should focus on running the college. They noted that the application review process entailed by the Board of Regents’ licensing mandate is lengthy and takes up to approximately 50 hours per application.
Postsecondary educational institutions currently licensed by the State Board of Regents include the International Business Professional College and Eucon International College.
