Welcome to NMC Update

Welcome to Northern Marianas College & Spring Semester 2006
To kick off the semester we are implementing a new weblog from The President's Office. We will be posting NMC Weekly Updates to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest news and events.

Here are the highlighted issues for this week:

Appreciation for BOR Gala Dinner Fundraiser
To all our NMC employees, Foundation members, Board of Regents, and their family members who contributed in one way or another to Saturday night’s first annual Board of Regents’ Gala Dinner and to those who attended the event, I extend to you my most sincere appreciation.

The event was extraordinarily successful on two fronts: the proceeds raised met our goal so that the Board can extend a scholarship award to an outstanding student from each of the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Equally important is that all who attended had an enjoyable evening of fine dining, superb music, and relaxed social interaction in a grand setting. So many of those attending complimented the college on how well the event was organized and how they enjoyed being present. I was especially pleased to note how many college employees, their friends and relatives were in attendance. It was also gratifying to know that the University of Guam was well represented by their President, members of the UOG Board of Regents, and administrators. The University of Hawaii was also represented. As well, NMC Emerita Agnes McPhetres and former NMC Board members were present.

This event also served as a kickoff dinner for celebrating NMC’s silver anniversary this year, the college having been chartered 25 years ago—in 1981. Since then well over 20,000 people have enrolled at NMC in regular academic degree and certificate classes. From 1982 through 2005, more than 3,100 persons have been awarded diplomas, certificates and/or degrees in programs offered or coordinated by the College. There is no doubt that we are all playing a vital and important role in supporting NMC’s continuing quest to serve as a valuable CNMI community resource and to offer unending opportunities for success.

So, to each of you who helped make the Gala Dinner one of the most successful and enjoyable NMC events ever, and to those of you who donated and attended, un sen dangkulu na si Yu’os Ma’ase!

Thanks and regards,

Tony DeLeon Guerrero
President

Board of Regents and NMC Foundation Message of Appreciation

The Board of Regents and NMC Foundation would like to express their gratitude and thank NMC employees and their family members for a successful Gala Dinner event. The Gala Dinner fundraiser was successful in raising the necessary capital to start the 1st Board of Regents Scholarship Program. Regent members look forward to awarding scholarships to four (4) top graduating high school students in the CNMI. The Regents and Foundation members were grateful and pleased with the support from the community and NMC family. Un dangkulu na si yu’us ma’ase!

The Board of Regents and NMC Foundation members look forward to having a great 25th Silver Anniversary celebration throughout 2006. For more information on the Board of Regents and NMC Foundation activities, please contact Mr. Mark Mendiola at extension 1013 or email him at markm@nmcnet.edu

CNMI Archives Receives Donation from the CNMI Humanities Council

The CNMI Archives received a set of 27 hard bound volumes entitled “Compendium of the German Literature on the Mariana Islands” compiled by Dirk H.R. Spennemann; and twelve boxes of historical documents (dating from 1945 – 1995) collected from the libraries of the ten post-World War II U.S. Presidents by Howard Willens and Deanne Siemer.

Mr. Herman T. Guerrero, Chairman of the CNMI Humanities Council, Ms. Paz Younis, Executive Director and Mr. Scott Russell, Assistant Executive Director presented the donations to NMC Board of Regents Chairperson, Ms. Kim King-Hinds, NMC President, Mr. Antonio DeLeon Guerrero, Regent Elaine Orilla, Ms. Laura Kaspari Hohmann, Director of Library Programs & Services, and the CNMI Archives staff. According to the CNMI Archivist, Mr. Herbert Del Rosario, the CNMI Humanities Council has contributed political and historical materials from the CNMI Government to the CNMI Archives in the past. We are very grateful and proud of these contributions which will be of great value to the CNMI Archives Collection and most especially for our NMC students and faculty. For more information on the CNMI Humanities Council donation, please contact Mr. Herbert Del Rosario at telephone extension 1110 or email him at herbertr@nmcnet.edu.

NMC Library Goes Hi-Tech
Although college students have always gone to the library for a quiet place to study or to check out books, they are now just as likely to borrow a laptop and hop online. In order to serve students better, the Olympio T. Borja Memorial Library at NMC has become increasingly technology focused.

New Online Catalog
The latest technology offering is the new Horizon online catalog system. This allows students to search the catalog from any computer on island that has an Internet connection (http://library.nmcnet.edu/). In fact, they can manage their account by renewing books online, creating lists, and placing holds on books that are currently checked out.

Research Databases
In addition to the nearly 200 magazines and journals that NMC subscribes to, students have access to over 8,000 magazines and journals via 26 different online databases. For instance, nursing students can access health information and medical articles through Medline and Health Source. Likewise, English composition students can access Academic Search Premier and Newspaper Source to do research for their papers.

Wireless Library
In the fall of 2003, the college library was the one of the first places in the CNMI to install a wireless network. There are nine laptops available for NMC students. In addition, an increasing number of students use their own laptops to connect to the wireless network. Once online, students perform research, login to course websites, check email, and chat with classmates about upcoming assignments and student activities.

Community Membership
Although the Borja Memorial Library’s primary function is to serve NMC students, staff, and faculty, the public is welcome to come in and do research. For book borrowing privileges, a community membership can be purchased for an annual fee of $10 per individual or $20 per family.

For more information on the NMC Library Services, please contact Ms. Laura Kaspari Hohmann, Director of Library Services, at extension 1123 or email her at laurah@nmcnet.edu

NMC Rota Receives Donation of Resources Materials
NMC Rota is happy to inform the College community that Mr. Ricardo Battle, a friend of Rota Campus from New York City, USA, donated 20 boxes of various types of literatures, pamphlets and magazines. We are tremendously thankful and appreciative to Mr. Battle’s generosity in his contributions for the much needed resource materials to be used by our students at the Northern Marianas College as well as the community members on Rota.


NMC Rota Campus Administrator, Ms. Severina Ogo and her staff members display some of the resources materials donated by Mr. Richardo Battle.