NMC gets $1.1M grant for Rehabilitative Services degree

Northern Marianas College is getting a $1.1 million grant for the next five years to plan and implement an associate degree program in rehabilitative services, the subjects of which will be patterned after degree programs in this field in other U.S. institutions.

In a press statement yesterday, Dr. Timothy Muzzio, director for the Division of Resource Development, officially informed NMC president Tony De Leon Guerrero of the successful outcome of the college’s grant application.

Muzzio, who is with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, sent a congratulatory message to Guerrero last week.

“We look forward to the contribution of your project to the field of capacity building for traditionally underserved populations and to improving results for individuals with significant disabilities,” Muzzio said.

Part of the grant is the $225,000 per year fund that comes from the Federal Capacity Building for Traditionally Underserved Minority Institutions, a highly competitive program administered by the U.S. Office of Education, OSERS.

Guerrero said eligible applicants and recipients of the funds are generally limited to institutions of higher education.

“The competition among U.S. colleges and universities for the federal funds under this program has always been tight,” he said, adding that NMC is the first postsecondary institution in the Western Pacific region to receive this grant.

NMC’s proposal addresses the “almost” total lack of professionals in the CNMI with academic credentials in any area of rehabilitation services. Although there are an estimated 10,000 individuals with disabilities in the CNMI, approximately only 1,500 are receiving services and they are underserved because there are only six professionals on island with master’s degrees in rehabilitation.

Guerrero said the goal of the 60-month proposal is to establish an AA Rehabilitation Services degree program to prepare, assist, and provide access by minority students to BA and MA degree programs in rehabilitation degree areas. NMC is proposing to accomplish this through articulation and cooperative agreements utilizing technology such as distance education and transfer to U.S. mainland universities and colleges after the AA program is completed on island.

“The new federally funded project will greatly enhance NMC’s ability to prepare Pacific islanders, Asians, and other individuals for professional careers in the public vocational rehabilitation and human services areas,” said Guerrero.

He said as a result of this project, there will be an increase of minority service providers with degrees who understand the culture and language of the minority people, improved services and quality of life for people with disabilities in the CNMI, and improved employment and income opportunities for minority people with disabilities.

“NMC has a history of working with San Diego State University and Southern University in Louisiana, Baton Rouge in exploring training opportunities in the field of rehabilitation. We will continue to work with these two universities but we will also work hard to articulate our new program with other institutions,” said Guerrero.

Guerrero said NMC would work closely with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Community Guidance Center, the Public School System, and other relevant service providers and government agencies in developing the new degree program.

“For the past two years, we [NMC and OVR] submitted our joint application but it did not pass federal review. This year, we decided to try again and, thanks to the assistance of our NMC personnel, OVR personnel, and Dr. Madan Kundu, we got the exciting news that we finally got the grant!” said Guerrero.

The NMC president also acknowledged Daniel H. Nielsen of Research, Evaluation, and Grant Services, a local company, for helping the college in preparing the proposal. Guerrero said Nielsen noted that NMC has a long history of identifying important unmet local needs and obtaining the resources to address those needs.

“He [Nielsen] also stated that this project will help provide services for the disabled in the CNMI, and create new job opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and for students seeking a career in this rehabilitation services degree area.”

Although no definite decision has yet been made, said Guerrero, it is likely that responsibility for the new degree program will rest with the NMC School of Education, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality of education in the CNMI by providing a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education.