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NMC eyes scrapping of housing allowance • Move will allow the college to cut down expenditures
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Posted on May 09 2000
The Northern Marianas College Board of Regents has agreed to revisit college policies specifically pertaining to the $10,000 housing salary accorded to off-island recruited teachers in efforts to streamline costs of running CNMI’s lone college.
BOR Member Vince Seman said during a BOR meeting yesterday that while the housing benefit is a critical factor in hiring off-island teachers, NMC should continue to explore cost-cutting measures amid issues of funding deficiencies.
Mr. Seman said other housing arrangements such as tapping apartment vacancies all over the island are worth looking into.
He cited Riviera Hotel beside the college in Fina Sisu as one viable solution aside from providing the $10,000 salary wholly.
“Maybe we can tap apartments for off-island teachers,” Mr. Seman said, pointing out the high rate of apartment vacancies on island since the onset of Asian economic crisis.
“If they don’t like the arrangement, then we will give them options,” he added.
BOR is currently on alert for other possibilities which may convert the housing perk into a form of allowance.
Regent Member Manny Sablan echoed Mr. Seman’s views stating the need for NMC to be conscious of more cost-cutting measures.
“The Public School System did away with housing salary and instead increased the allowance,” said Mr. Sablan.
He also cited the impracticality for NMC to shoulder all housing responsibilities for off-island teachers for more than two years since the teacher’s arrival.
“It is acceptable for a new off-island faculty to be provided the housing benefits for the first two years. But further than that. . . Saipan is unlike other remote islands in Micronesia where comfortable housing is hard to come by.
BOR has asked the NMC administration to further look into this pressing concern. It also continues to be open to suggestions hoping to unload some of the burden the housing salary is costing the college every year. (MM)
