By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

NORTHERN Marianas College says it needs $325,000, and not $562,500 as it earlier announced, to fill “important” vacancies.
The reduction in the amount was the result of a re-examination and analysis conducted by the college leadership, according to acting NMC President Danny Wyatt.
He said they have also implemented cuts in several areas such as supplies and materials.
The college, in its previous letter to the Legislature, asked for a supplemental budget to assist in filling key positions identified by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges as vital for NMC’s accreditation.
In October, WASC officials conducted an accreditation visit and were provided with the college’s self-study report.
“The figure ($562,000) was prior to the college completing an analysis of what positions we actually need to fill,” Wyatt said. “When the same committee that is preparing our budget went back and looked at all of our openings and re-examined what we have and what we have to have and what we can live without…we ended up with the figure of $325,000 to $350,000. That’s the amount we need now,” he said.
Wyatt said he’s hopeful that the administration will provide the college with the assistance it needs.
“From $562,000, the amount we need went down to $325,000 and that’s the figure the administration promised to give us.”
Wyatt said “adjustments” have been made by the NMC leadership so it can cope with its $6.1 million budget.
NMC used to get $8 million from the CNMI government.
Wyatt said he recommended that the NMC board of regents not hire a vice president — a position that has been vacant for more than three years.
WASC, in its previous letter to NMC, said the college is not complying with the eligibility requirements on the hiring of qualified administrative leadership.