230 courses this spring semester at NMC

A total of 230 courses are now being offered at the Northern Marianas College, according to its president Sharon Y. Hart.

In her report to the Board of Regents yesterday, she disclosed that for Spring 2012 academic term, there are a total of 1,158 full-time students enrolled at the college who are taking various programs and courses.

As of Feb. 2, she reported that 230 courses are running out of the 255 offered. This translates to about 90 percent that are running while 10 percent of the courses were cancelled.

According to Hart, NMC also recorded a total of 54 students enrolled in four courses during the 2011 intersession. Of the figure, 93 percent were enrolled in only one course while 89 percent of students enrolled passed their courses. She said three students in the intersession have failed, one withdrew, and one was graded incomplete for the course.

Meantime, Hart disclosed that the college has collected $21,800 in total international students fee which was implemented this spring semester. This fee, she explained, was assessed on students enrolled with an “F” and “M” visa or status.

“109 students were assessed the fee and the college processed fee cancellations for 55 students. As of Jan. 26, the college collected $21,800 in total international students fee,” she told the board yesterday.

Saipan Tribune learned that international students pay $190 per credit in their tuition, excluding flat fees imposed by the college on all its enrollees. For resident students, they pay $95 per credit plus the mandated flat fee. With the imposition of new fee for them, foreign students are now being charged additional $200 per semester for the college to meet the demands of the services they need from the institution.

Hart also announced yesterday the hiring of one full-time faculty from Florida and the departure of four full-time faculty members, who are from language and humanities, business department, and from the math department.

Among the college newly hires were the dean of administration, new instructor for social science and fine arts, two counselors for College Access Challenge Grant, a program manager, database administrator, and an instructor for the Adult Basic Education.

NMC, she said, is also looking for a bookstore manager, director of distance learning, and an information technology director before end of the month.