Kia’aina says tour of NMC was a ‘sobering experience’

Assistant Secretary for the Office of Insular Affairs Esther P. Kia’aina toured the Northern Marianas College yesterday and talked with college officials and students in what she would later call a “sobering” experience.

She toured the college with college president Dr. Sharon Hart and Bobbi Merfalen, dean of Academic Programs and Services, along with other college officials.

The overall experience, after her tour and discussion, proved to be an eye-opener for her.

“Sobering,” she said, when asked to describe her experience.

“I see the teachers and faculty doing their best to provide a high-quality higher education for these students here. It seems to me that the students want to be here and to be part of a workforce for the future of the Northern Marianas. It is concerning to me that they are struggling to have standard facilities to provide for the proper education of the students here,” she said.

One of the areas she visited was the nursing facility as well as college’s cafeteria, where she asked students what they thought of their college.

She would later describe the cafeteria as “crowded quarters” and pointed to the nursing facility’s need for updated equipment.

“They need updated equipment to better teach. It’s not just facilities, it’s equipment, and just the basic necessities any higher education student, any college student deserves,” she said.

A nursing student told Saipan Tribune that instructors and students essentially make do with “visualization.”

“Some equipment are not there but we do try our best to visualize our learning, and our instructors try their best to make that work for us. Like, our medicine cabinet they label instead of ‘boxes’ it’s ‘drawers,’” she said.

She said because there is no medicine cabinet, it’s a different look for them when students do go to the hospital, but that they are still able do what they are told to do.

She also cited the need for more mannequins.

“Some are missing where we need to do injections, and some of the arms are not made for that. It’s a bit difficult. But our instructors do their best,” the student said.

Partnerships
Because of limited funds, Kia’aina said it is important that all parties from the Executive Branch to local agencies work together to help the college.

“The message that I want to send is that if you look at economic development as a priority and workforce development as a necessary component of that priority, then investment must be made in higher education and that is not only in the funding available to run the college but also the necessary infrastructure,” she said.

Before the tour Kia’aina sat down with the college to discuss current and completed OIA-funded capital improvement projects as well as priority projects on the table.

As reported earlier, OIA funds were key, through an $800,000 facilities grant, to the renovation of the college’s building K, which was completed in August.

“What I got today was a clear demonstration that they are doing the best that they can with the limited resources that they are given, but that in itself is not enough to achieve the objectives of providing for a quality higher education in the Northern Marianas Islands,” she said.

This education, she believes, is a big part of what the college offers as a “conduit” for the local workforce.

“Workforce development needs the necessary resources to train people,” she said.

She said the college couldn’t succeed in this without the partnership of all. That would include all the hardworking people of the college, its students, and not just Insular Affairs but other federal agencies as well.

“Critically important is the support of the Northern Marianas government,” she added.

Kia’aina said she looks forward to working with all the parties involved to help the college.

“The students in the Northern Marianas deserve no less than any other students in the country,” she said.