WASC stresses 2-year rule

Two representatives of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges met with officials of the Northern Marianas College and the government officials to emphasize the need for the college to comply with the two-year rule.

That rule requires accreditors to provide no more than two years for an institution to correct deficiencies and come into full compliance with accreditation standards.

In Monday’s meeting with Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges president Dr. Barbara Beno and commission member Floyd Takeuchi, discussion centered on the college’s need for financial support from the Legislature if the CNMI plans on keeping its only institution of higher learning.

Beno and Takeuchi shared that all colleges must comply with the two-year rule and that NMC is no exception to that rule.

Besides the two-year deadline, the rule also requires accreditors to terminate accreditation if the two-year time limit is not met—unless the commission identifies “good cause” for extension.

NMC president Dr. Carmen Fernandez said that since 1990, WASC has been telling the NMC leadership do program assessment and review.

However, a historical glance at NMC’s progression through the years would show that the college had never really attended to its program assessment and learning programs since 1990 despite the reiteration of the Western Association of Schools & Colleges to address the issues in its program review.

Fernandez had assured WASC and the Legislature that the college is working on rectifying that issue.

According to Beno, although improvements have been made in the college, “the college would have to comply with the two-year rule regardless.”

“They want to ensure that by putting in this stronger sanction, that we do follow through and that in fact there is a response from the government and the Legislature to come to the aid of the college,” said Fernandez in an interview.

If the college does not comply come the two-year mark, a move for the removal of the college’s accreditation will be put into effect.

The WASC representatives are also visiting other areas of the Pacific and checking different schools to let them know that the two-year rule is a definite deadline they must comply with, otherwise they will have to shut down operations.

The two WASC representatives were on the island for only one day.