‘NMC has undergone a big transformation’

The 36-page report submitted by the visiting team from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges said that the Northern Marianas College has undergone a transformation where a culture of evidence and decision-making is now being encouraged at all levels.

The ACCJC team, composed of Dr. Steven Kinsella, William McGinnis, Susan Murata, and Dr. Worku Negash, visited the college on April 13 and 14 this year. It was learned that the team interviewed between 60 and 75 employees of the college during these visits and received a considerable amount of documents that justified all the progress and development done for NMC to rectify the deficiencies earlier cited by the accreditation commission.

The team was reportedly impressed with the esprit de corps displayed by the faculty, staff, administrators, and students during the course of the visit and lauded the attendance of over a hundred people during a forum on campus.

The team, in its findings, concluded that the evidence presented by NMC was valid and sufficient and thus concluded that the institution met all the eligibility requirements and standards required for accreditation.

The group also lauded the “accurate” report submitted by NMC to the commission, the participation of over 66 faculty and staff in the college accreditation reaffirmation action plan team, and the revision and adoption of over 30 new policies, many devoted to remedy specific issues related to accreditation.

“Decision-making has shifted to a collaborative effort involving all constituency groups on campus. This practice must continue and become an institutionalized process. College leaders at all levels expressed an understanding and need to continue to use data to drive decisions and the processes at the college promote use of data for decision-making,” the report’s findings indicated.

The members also specifically discussed each team recommendations and highlighted the work done by NMC to address each deficiency. The report indicated that the college “met” all recommendations earlier cited in the show-cause order.

Last Friday, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges placed NMC’s accreditation status from show-cause to the less severe sanction of probation. A report is due in October from NMC.

Probation is a level issued when the commission finds that an institution deviates significantly from the eligibility criteria, standards, or policies, or fails to respond to actions and conditions imposed by the commission.