Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan and chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said the meeting with NMC will be scheduled quarterly.
“The [meeting’s] timing is right, because budget talks are currently ongoing,” he added.
NMC President Sharon Y. Hart, for her part, told reporters: “I really hope that what we shared with the Legislature so far is the importance of all of us working together for the betterment of the commonwealth, and I believe we all have that same goal.”
She said NMC and the Legislature believe that the only college in the commonwealth can be an “engine of economic growth.”
NMC accreditation liaison officer Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero told lawmakers that at the college, “accreditation is an institution-wide activity.”
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges is responsible for accrediting two-year degree-granting institutions in the U.S. Western region, which includes Pacific institutions.
On June 30, NMC was removed from show cause order and was placed on probation status.
Deleon Guerrero said accreditation sanctions leads to limited services on Rota and Tinian and significant loss of financial aid and federal funding.
Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, asked about the credits of NMC students wishing to transfer to other institutions in the U.S.
Deleon Guerrero said NMC credits can still be transferred because the college is still accredited.
“I hope that what we’ve been able to demonstrate to the Legislature that getting off probation is our number one priority. If we do that, we can move much more aggressively in addressing the needs of the commonwealth,” Hart said.
Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu, Ind.-Rota, asked NMC panel about its concerns regarding political interference.
Earlier, the CNMI Legislature passed House Bill 17-93 which aims for an improved financial oversight of NMC. The measure was signed into law by acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos.
Deleon Guerrero said the measure infringes on NMC autonomy because it places the college under CNMI procurement policies and under the legal authority of the attorney general.
Hart stressed NMC’s commitment to open communication between the college and the government.
She also noted the importance of NMC’s relationship with the business community.
She referred to the government, NMC and the business community as a “3-legged stool.”
“As long as we have a clear vision of where we need to go, then I think absolutely that we can work together as a team. Right now, we need to work on improving that business community leg,” she said.
She told reporters she has new programs for NMC that would be funded by the business community.
Reyes said he will do his part to make sure there are no obstacles, like political interference, threatening NMC’s autonomy.
He added that the goal is to help NMC get out of probation status and into full accreditation status.
When asked if the meeting with lawmakers was productive, Hart said, “Absolutely. This is a great step to a wonderful relationship.”
