“We cannot stop operations because we have a moral obligation to fulfill to our students,” de Guzman told the Variety in a phone interview yesterday.
She said the rumors started when somebody advertised on a local Web site that the school was closing down and selling everything.
“We don’t know who posted that advertisement, but we have contradicted it on the same Web site,” de Guzman added.
She said enrollment for the fall semester dropped to 150 students compared to 500 in the last semester.
“The school occupies a whole building and since we have less enrolment this semester, we decided to maximize the space and sell furniture and other things that are not being used, instead of allowing those things to stay idle,” de Guzman said.
The school furnished the rooms and dormitories used by students, she added.
De Guzman said the reduced enrollment numbers is due to the federalization transition — international students are now already required to apply for U.S. student visas.
“This is a real challenge because the students have to go back to their country of origin and apply for a student visa to study here,” de Guzman said.
She said because of this requirement, they did not have any new international students this semester.
De Guzman said the institution also needs to be accredited by the U.S. before it can accept international students.
“We have already applied for school accreditation,” she added.
De Guzman said they will not close the school because they cater mainly to the local market.
Currently, students referred by the Workforce Investment Agency and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation are taking computer courses, in addition to other students who are taking other certification programs.
IBPC opened in Nov. 2001 but it was only in 2004 that it started accepting students from South Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries.
IBPC offers one-year certification programs on hotel and hospitality, bookkeeping, computer courses, office and secretarial courses, teacher certification programs, and additional credits required so students can graduate from high school.
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