“The college appreciates the support from the Senate,” Sharon Hart said yesterday.
The Senate passed Senate Legislative Initiative 17-12 to amend Section (b), Article XV of the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands to authorize the board of regents to revise NMC’s mission statement.
S.L.I. 17-12 now goes to the House of Representatives.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota and author of the proposal, said that unlike most colleges in the United States, NMC’s mission statement was set by the local Constitution.
“This prohibits NMC from revising its mission statement as necessary from time to time,” he said.
According to the initiative, “Effective organizations, especially post-secondary institutions, must evolve responsibly in order to continually improve and grow as a reflection of the communities that they serve.”
To comply with accreditation standards, NMC must have a mission statement that defines the institution’s broad educational purposes, its intended student population, and its commitment to achieving student learning, the initiative stated.
It added that accreditation standards, as well as best practices in higher education, require that NMC’s mission statement be reviewed on a regular basis using the institution’s governance and decision-making processes and should be revised when necessary.
Manglona said NMC’s regents should identify and set the college’s mission statement.
Hart said, “by empowering the board of regents to establish the mission of the college, this initiative will help the college grow and adapt to meet the changing needs of the commonwealth.”
She added, “Furthermore, the initiative reaffirms the autonomy of the college and helps the college meet key accreditation standards.”
Hart said the college is looking forward to continue working with the Senate and all elected leaders in making the college “an engine for economic and social growth in the commonwealth.”
A legislative initiative must be passed by three-fourths of the members of each house present and voting. It may not be vetoed by the governor but it must be ratified by voters.
