‘Not enough progress at NMC’

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges has informed the Northern Marianas College that the panel has not found “adequate progress” in a number of areas relating to the college’s operations.

In a recent letter to the college, the ACCJC noted that, although issues relating to the college’s School of Education appear ameliorated, a number of the college’s areas still need work in order to meet accreditation standards.

The areas included administrative leadership, vision planning and prioritizing; improved delivery of instructional programs to Tinian and Rota; training for the governing board; systematic program review; institution-wide engagement in assessment of student learning and program review; implementation of employee evaluation processes; and renovation or replacement of aging facilities.

The School of Education also needs to address its isolation from the rest of the college and improve its relationship with the local public schools, ACCJC said.

The Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities has resolved to continue the accreditation of the four-year program in elementary education, but the ACSCU relies on the underlying institutional accreditation from the ACCJC.

The Saipan Tribune tried to obtain comments from NMC president Carmen Fernandez yesterday but she did not answer her cell phone.

NMC’s Board of Regents has declared a state of exigency at the college during its last board meeting and has decided to meet consecutively every month in an effort to focus on overcoming its downgraded status.

The declaration of the state of exigency would require the college to do everything in its power to address concerns raised by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges, the umbrella group for both the ACSCU and ACCJC.

In a report prepared for the ACCJC, the WASC said that the college should include an appendix or section describing any further changes or progress with respect to the School of Education, especially in relation to the issues that were reviewed in the most recent visit to the School of Education.

The CNMI’s only institution for higher learning was placed on show-cause status in January 2008. The college has up to October 2008 to come up with reasons why it should retain its accreditation. In January 2009, the accrediting commission will render their decision whether the college should continue to operate or close it down.