NMC ‘partially’ complies with two remaining recommendations

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges has clarified that it placed the Northern Marianas College on continued show-cause status, not because the institution failed to implement its recommendations, but rather to give NMC more time to complete the requirements for accreditation.

WASC said that NMC has until April this year to fulfill the requirements for team recommendations 1 and 2, which are the only items remaining in the original six areas highlighted as concerns of the accrediting body.

In a 12-page show-cause visit report obtained by Saipan Tribune, it was disclosed that the institution has made great progress in addressing the commission’s concerns.

Team recommendation 1 states that NMC should review existing planning processes in order to establish and implement a shared vision for the future of the college with agreed upon priorities.

“The college has partially implemented this recommendation. Momentum has been established which must be accelerated and completed to move NMC from the development to a proficiency level of the rubric,” the confidential report stated, adding that the structure, processes, and cycle for a sustainable, integrated planning model that includes an evaluation component and is implemented continuously must be completed and monitored by appropriate governance groups.

The commission also emphasized the active participation by the faculty in these processes.

Based on the team’s findings and analysis, NMC completed several planning and program review activities in a short period of time, and in many instances, planning and actions occurred almost simultaneously to meet the college’s self-imposed deadline, which was established to comply with the accreditation recommendation and visit.

For team recommendation 2, it said the college must institutionalize a coordinated, systematic process for evaluating program effectiveness

“[NMC] partially implemented this recommendation. Once the databases are fully developed and systematically used, the analysis of student learning outcomes assessment results will be more meaningful,” the report stated.

It added that with a more data-based analysis component to the program review process, more informed decisions or curriculum, and educational program and services can be achieved.

The team cited that staff training on all facets of program review and student learning outcomes needs to continue to maintain the dialogue and the institutional work accomplished to date.

“The college appears to understand it needs to step back and determine what was accomplished in the first cycle and then it should evaluate the outcomes using agreed upon criteria and begin the next annual cycle. …Since this whole process was begun a year ago, time has been a limiting factor to fully implement the process,” the team stated in the report.

NMC’s fate will be known in June in time for the commission’s next assembly.

The following were the reports submitted by the college to reaffirm its accreditation to the body: a progress report last March 2008; a self-study report in October; and a supplemental report in December.

NMC emphasized that throughout the duration of the show-cause period, the college remains accredited and credits are transferable.