NORTHERN Marianas College expects to get over $4 million in grants beginning this year.
NMC President Joaquin Sablan Jr., in his State of the College Address on Friday, said NMC had submitted three grant applications that could bring “several million dollars more to NMC over the next five years.”
These grants include:
• Nearly $2 million for the Educational Opportunity Center program;
• a $2 million Title III project;
• and a sea grant for the establishment of a regional consortium.
The sea grant would allow NMC, together with other post-secondary institutions in the region, to develop and share regional expertise and facilities in support of research, education, training and advisory services in the areas of marine resources management and conservation.
The EOC grant will provide counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults, particularly on their financial aid options.
The Title III grant is designed to create new learning environments for students so they could improve their performance and increase student retention and graduation rates.
According to Sablan, NMC recognizes that it needs to focus on student retention following findings that less than half of its students return to school.
Statistics showed that only 28 percent of the new students enrolled in fall 1999 returned in fall 2000.
The retention rate from fall 2000 to 2001 increased to 35 percent, but it was still below the national average of slightly over 50 percent.
A retention task force formed by NMC continues to address the problem, Sablan said.
The task force has identified a position for a retention director who would direct efforts aimed at achieving performance standards for retention.
Sablan delivered his address during NMC’s 21st Charter Day on Saturday.
“Diversity has always been one of our hallmarks,” he said.
NMC’s population is comprised of 30 different ethnicities and nationalities.
One of the marks of NMC’s maturity, he said, “is the institutionalization of our practices, processes and procedures.”
The charter day celebration was attended by Gov. Juan N. Babauta, lawmakers, other government officials and visiting educators.
