By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

DESPITE a lack of additional revenue, Northern Marianas College will retain its current number of employees and not increase its tuition, according to NMC President Carmen Fernandez.
NMC has about 160 full-time employees.
“The management desk audit recommended a number of organizational charts and I am maintaining the current structure for the moment because it’s working well and we anticipate that this will continue,” Fernandez told Variety.
She said the college is shifting some positions and functions to “optimize manpower resources.”
Fernandez said that in the next board meeting, she will present the final organizational chart to the regents.
“We have about 160 FTEs and with the current structure, hopefully, we will be able to sustain that level,” she said.
NMC had about 850 students last semester. With summer enrolment going on, Fernandez said the college is already exceeding its projection of 250 students.
“We already have 320 and that’s positive news for NMC,” she said, adding that in the fall semester the college expects to have more than 850 students.
“We’re expecting a fall enrollment of 50 on Rota and 100 on Tinian,” she said.
According to Fernandez, tuition will stay at the current level.
“(A tuition increase) is not at all in the discussion and not really an option right now,” she said.
Last year, NMC increased tuition by $30 for resident students and $60 for nonresident students.
The college has three different student fees: resident, nonresident and international.
The old tuition per credit of resident students was $65 and $130 for nonresident students.
The tuition increase was instituted to address the $1.5 million shortfall of the college as a result of the budget cut last year.
NMC has a current budget of a little over $6 million after the new budget cuts implemented by the administration.
Fernandez said her leadership will work closely with the administration and the Legislature to get the support NMC needs.