NMC introduces new ‘intersession semester’

The Northern Marianas College will be offering a limited number of courses under a new semester that will be held three weeks in December this year.

An NMC statement said the intersession semester is ideal for those who need just one or two courses to graduate or for those who want to lighten their academic load.

Registration for intersession semester starts on Dec. 1 to 2 while instruction begins on Dec. 5. Based on the college schedule, the last instructional day is slated for Dec. 29 while final examinations are due on Dec. 30 and 31.

New students will be allowed to enroll for this new session while those with outstanding balances and those who are suspended for academic reasons after the fall semester of 2011 are barred from enrolling.

Due to the intensity of course content covered during the three-week session, each course will be scheduled over at least three days Monday through Friday.

Similar to the fall and spring semesters, financial aid will be available to students if they choose to enroll in classes during the intersession period.

“Students who complete the FAFSA and have received a Pell Grant award for the fall 2011 term should be eligible for a Pell grant award for the December 2011 intersession equivalent to approximately 12.5 percent the amount you received during the fall 2011 term. However, any Pell grant used to support your enrollment during the intersession will be deducted from your award for the spring 2012 term. All students who received a College Access Challenge Grant Scholarship for the fall 2011 term will also receive an additional award to support their enrollment during the intersession,” the NMC statement explained.

Because of the short semester session, absences of more than 10 percent of classes may be considered grounds for a failing grade, the college stated. For a three-credit course during the December 2011 intersession, 10 percent of class time amounts to about 1.5 scheduled classes.

NMC said the use of attendance as a component of the student grade is at the discretion of the instructor for the course and should be stated on the student course syllabus.

For the support services available during intersession, Counseling Programs and Services will offer academic tutorial services for English, Math, Science, and other related writing courses at its offices in Bldg. I. The Olympio T. Borja Library and Curriculum Resource Center will also have regular hours for research help and study space. The Open Computer Lab in Building V will remain open during regular business hours for access to computers and printing. NMC said all other services will remain open on a limited basis, including planned closures during holidays.

NMC said the grades that students will earn during the December 2011 intersession will count toward their cumulative GPA. The college, however, will not recognize students for academic achievement (i.e., honors, dean’s list, etc.) during the intersession.