By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THE American Mediscience University, a new school specializing in oriental medicine, has already submitted the list of requirements one month ahead of the deadline to the CNMI State Licensing Board.
According to Mark Mendiola, special assistant to the NMC board of regents, the university presented the required documents during last week’s State Licensing Board meeting held at NMC.
He said the over 1,000 pages of document have already been reviewed by the licensing board, which is now awaiting the result of a financial audit it requested from the university.
The seven-member NMC board of regents also serves as the State Licensing Board.
The Constitution authorizes the board of regents “to serve as the official coordination agency of the commonwealth for all post-secondary education within the CNMI, with power to license, limit, and otherwise regulate any postsecondary educational activities offered by any public or private agency.”
It sets forth the policies, regulations, and procedures regarding the licensing of postsecondary educational institutions to operate in the CNMI.
Mendiola said AMU was granted by the licensing board a one-year provisional license in Nov. 2006.
A provisional license means the “initial granting of permission, by the board of regents, for a postsecondary educational institution to operate in the CNMI for a period of one year, during which time outstanding requirements for obtaining a license must be met.”
“It’s a check and balance for the licensing board. If AMU will adhere to all the requirements, the board will decide if they will be given a longer term which is maximum of three years like Emmanuel College. The board wants due diligence,” Mendiola told Variety yesterday.
He said AMU was “pro-active” in submitting the requirements.
The documents it submitted included the detailed description of its academic programs, library resources and student services, resumés of potential employees, details about its finances, and assurance that it will abide with the CNMI licensing board’s requirements and regulations.
“The board has completed its review of the documents and once report about the financial audit came out, to see if the college is capable to do it or not, the board will make the decision if they will be granted a longer term of two more years,” Mendiola said, adding that AMU was given six months — or until May 29 — to meet the requirements.
AMU will be located in Koblerville, at the former Koresco Hotel which AMU acquired in Nov. 2005.
In an earlier interview, AMU president Dr. Sun U. Lee said they will offer three degree programs: oriental medicine, alternative medicine, and beauty arts.
It has 79 rooms to accommodate its potential students, which will mostly come from China and South Korea, Lee said.
Fifty rooms will be used as student dormitory, 15 for class sessions, 14 for administration, research, laboratory, treatment, faculty lounge and restaurant.
AMU will need 50 instructors — 30 from the local community and 20 from South Korea and China.
About 20 administrative staff and support employees will also be needed.