By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

NORTHERN Marianas College acting president Danny Wyatt says until the State Board of Higher Education meets and approves the application of Emmanuel College, all concerns raised by anyone are considered “moot.”
But Wyatt, in an e-mail to Variety, said NMC nursing students who are thingking about transferring to the new institution must be “careful.”
“I do not think they recognize what the ramifications of quitting NMC and joining an unaccredited institution would be,” he said.
Wyatt said he pointed out to the proposed nursing school representatives, students cannot “just transfer” to NMC.
“They would have to go through the same process other students currently go through in that their transcripts would have to be evaluated prior to acceptance at NMC. It is what is required of all students attending non-U.S. accredited institutions. If the institution were accredited by a U.S.-based accrediting agency it would be a different story, but that is how it works right now,” Wyatt said.
He said he is hoping that students do not choose to attend an alternative school whose program does not offer the same degree offered at NMC.
“And of course, until the State Board of Higher Education meets and allows the institution to operate in the CNMI, it is all moot points anyways,” he said.
NMC Nursing Club president Lee Castro earlier said the NMC nursing program may be shut down if nursing students transfer to Emmanuel College which is planning to open this year.
But Emmanuel College, in a recent statement, said its goal is to complement the NMC nursing program and not to compete with it.
It added that the licensed vocational nursing courses it proposes to provide are based on a curriculum that has been approved by the California Board of Private Post Secondary and Vocational Education, and the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician.