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NMC to offer limited number of summer classes
Northern Marianas College will offer a limited number of classes this summer.
Saipan Tribune had noted in the college’s roundtable with lawmakers last week that the college had alluded to a lack of plans for summer classes in a PowerPoint presentation.
Asked to clarify this, NMC dean of Academic Programs and Services Barbara Merfalen said yesterday that the college will offer a limited number of classes that prioritize developmental and program specific courses in nursing, business, and education.
She said a “limited budget should not drive what we have set out as our mission” to educate the people of the CNMI.
The college plans to assist students in availing of courses at other institutions through online instruction if specific courses are not offered at NMC over the summer months.
“Although we are not able to offer the broad array of classes that we have during the fall and spring semesters, there will be a limited number of classes to help students complete their individual degree plans in a timely manner,” Merfalen said.
Right now, the college is preparing a schedule of classes that will be offered during summer. The schedule will be available next month.
Merfalen stated that to run a summer course, the college has set minimum enrollment figures for each class to be able to recoup the expenses that include instructor salaries and overhead like instructional materials, utilities, and other charges.
“We’ll be looking at offering classes that are high in demand and those that are critically needed for the timely completion of individual degree plans,” she said.
The college’s full-time student enrollment for the current semester (spring 2015) is at 1,166. This is approximately a 5-percent increase over last year (spring 2014).
