NMC board OKs $4.6M budget plan for FY2010

The Board of Regents of the Northern Marianas College has approved a budget submission of $4.6 million for the institution’s operation in next fiscal year.

During a special meeting on Wednesday, members adopted to pass the proposal to Gov. Benigno R. Fitial who will recommend the entire appropriation for government instrumentalities to the Legislature.

Records show that the bulk of the budget request—48 percent—is earmarked for NMC’s academic programs and services.

The members voted to allocate 43 percent of the total budget for instructional faculty, while 5 percent is appropriated for other academic programs and services.

The other single largest component, 16 percent, is allocated for student services, which include library services, admissions and records, counseling, and activities.

BOR chair Charles V. Cepeda said the new budget is vital for the continuous operation of the institution.

“NMC plays a central role in providing higher educational opportunities, the general and specialized training of our local workforce, and the overall economic health of the CNMI,” said Cepeda, adding that the “amount we are seeking allows the college to continue serving the community in these capacities.”

According to NMC president Dr. Carmen Fernandez, a lot of work was put in to hammer out the new budget.

“The preparation of the 2010 budget involved an in-depth and critical review of the college’s financial needs. …[It] represents the bare minimum that NMC needs to maintain the quality of educational services we offer and to meet accreditation requirements,” she said.

NMC confers degrees in elementary education, business, business administration, liberal arts, nursing, natural resources management, criminal justice, and hospitality management. It also offers several certificate programs and shorter-term programs.

In the deliberations, Fernandez said they also heavily weighed accreditation requirements and some of the positions that they are seeking to fund are those that have been recently identified as critical during the program review and assessment process.

Prior to the submission of the 2010 budget to the NMC BOR, it was reviewed and approved through the college’s shared governance process, which involves the collective input of students, faculty, and staff. It was also reviewed by the BOR fiscal committee on Jan. 27.

NMC is among the critical agencies of the government. The budget shortage or the financial instability of the college was among the concerns cited in its accreditation status.

Several positions, including top management posts, were found filled by individuals in acting capacities for many years due to lack of funds.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges in January 2008 placed the institution on show-cause status. The decision whether NMC will be allowed to continue to operate or not will soon be issued by the accrediting commission.

In the past, the institution sought annual appropriation amounting to $5 million to $6 million when its instructional sites on Rota and Tinian were still operational.

Currently, academic programs on both sites were suspended as well as a number of “inactive” certificate programs on Saipan.