What's Right With NMC

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” – General George S. Patton

The revelation from our elected leaders that we haven’t hit bottom yet, doesn’t instill much confidence and hope for the future. With all the challenges going on at the College and the community in general, I’d like to share some of the many things that are right at NMC. This doesn’t come from me, but from 32 students, faculty, staff, parents, and other members of the community who were surveyed and interviewed by me in early May 2010.
If you recall, the Board of Regents had just terminated the previous president, which prompted a visiting team from the ACCJC to spend a couple of days interviewing individuals at the College. We were still waiting for the visiting team’s report and I was curious about the thoughts and feeling of people, so I conducted my own interview and asked the following five open-ended questions:
1. What do you feel are the most important things that Northern Marianas College (NMC) should be sure to preserve (the things that are good and working) and why?
2. What do you feel are the top things NMC should change and why?
3. What are the most important opportunities NMC should prioritize and focus on in the future?
4. What do you feel are the biggest challenges that NMC must deal with right away?
5. How can NMC best contribute to all those it serves generally, or to you personally?
The transcribed comments filled 11 pages. It’s too easy to focus on the negative, but in the midst of our challenges, the College is still doing many things that fulfill its mission to improve the quality of life for the individual and the Commonwealth as a whole. In this article, I want to focus on the first question that basically asks what is right with NMC.
Many mentioned the quality of the employees. “The most important thing that we need to keep at NMC is the quality of our faculty and staff.”
“There are a lot of talented people who need to be kept at the College.”
“Hiring faculty that are enthusiastic and passionate about what they teach. Even though NMC has had some major problems in its management, instructors who have the above mentioned characteristics have been able to maintain a fun and professional learning environment.”
Other assets of NMC brought up by individuals were specific programs, such as the English Language Institute (ELI), nursing, business, and education. Some mentioned counseling and the student learning resource center for assistance, and another emphasized: “College Success courses because some students need to be guided to succeed in passing their classes and College Success courses offer that opportunity.”
I sent an email to the entire campus and expected someone to criticize the Board’s decision with the former president, but there was none. One individual commented: “The complement and mix of the current Board of Regents is very good. They have a rare opportunity to pick a management professional to do the job that needs to be done at the College.”
A few reiterated the importance of WASC accreditation, and an individual stated: “One thing WASC has never faulted us for is our academic programs.”
Another felt that: “NMC is competitive with other colleges at a par with NMC.”
Several talked about the “links for high school students to take college classes and prepare them for college” through Upward Bound, 2+2, and Northern Marianas Academy.
Some emphasized the value of preserving the Chamorro and Carolinian culture. “Keep the Chamorro and Carolinian language program because our island (CNMI) is so diverse that the native language will be lost forever if not preserved. It’s working because the Chamorro/Carolinian students who don’t practice at home are now communicating with their elders who don’t speak English.”
There’s no doubt that the College is a vital asset to the community and offers a valuable service to provide education in the areas of post secondary and continuing education, as well as offering professional development for the people of the Commonwealth. There is so much more that NMC has to offer to the community now and in the future, and as one respondent summed it up: “You can learn things at NMC that you can’t learn anywhere else on island.”