NMC Weekly Update - February 24th

NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE




Hafa Adai, Tirow and Greetings from Northern Marianas College!

NMC-CREES Participated in the Family Fun Fair

The NMC-CREES participated in the Family Fun Fair, an activity for the Parent Leadership month. NMC-CREES was invited as one of the exhibitors during this year’s fair. Joanne Ogo, Paul Manglona, and Polly Omechelang displayed and handled the booth for CREES. They distributed CREES programs brochures and at the same time did a random 24-hour food recall to about 40 participants (both youth and adults). More than 70 people visited our NMC-CREES booth. This event took place on February 18, 2006 at the Garapan Fishing Base and it was held from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Thanks to our NMC-CREES staff for their continuing support and participation in local community events.

Presentation on the Economic Value of Saipan’s Coral Reef

On Wednesday, February 22, NMC students and staff co-hosted the third evening presentation session of the newly-forming Western Pacific Academy of Sciences and Environmental Management in Room D1 from 7 to 8:30pm. The group, begun last October with seven science and environmental management presentations over two weeks, hopes to soon have topical presentations as often as monthly. Wednesday evening's focus was on "Coral Reef Economic Values" and presenting was Mr. Pieter van Beukering, an environmental economist from Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

Mr. Van Beukering was contracted by the CNMI Coastal Resources Management Office, in conjunction with the Divisions of Environmental Quality and Fish and Wildlife, to develop a comprehensive economic valuation of our surrounding coral reefs to the Saipan economy. The PowerPoint-supported presentation had been shown earlier in the day to the CNMI Legislature. Introducing the guest speaker was Ms. Kate Borja, the NMC Ecology/Marine Biology Club Vice President, substituting for Club President Ms. Viola Siedler, who was in class. The NMC Club provided snack foods and drinks in its continuing mutually-supporting and cooperative role with the newly developing Academy. The Club is actively fundraising with its weekly Wednesday bake sales and upcoming lunch sales, this in preparation for this summer's science education excursion to Pagan Island. Persons interested in supporting the Club can contact Ms. Colleen Villagomez, Club Treasurer, who is working in our NMC Financial Aid Office. Persons interested in joining or supporting the Academy are encouraged to contact Dr. Kate Moots, John Furey, or Andre Kozij at the NMC Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology Department.

How much are our coral reefs worth you ask? In U.S. dollars, approximately $61,000,000 annually. This overall total includes a range of subsectors including tourism, fishing, water sports recreation, enhanced coastal land values, and coastal protection from storm and tsunami waves. Market and nonmarket values were included. Extensive focus was placed upon the particular value of certain key locations, including Managaha Island, the Grotto, Obyan Beach, and Lau Lau Bay. On a per hectare value basis, the reef surrounding Managaha Island was identified to be the tenth most valuable reef area worldwide. It was noted that while $1,000,000 per year is collected in user fees from visitors to Managaha, little of these funds are actually being used to protect and enhance the island itself. Van Beukering indicated that the CNMI could greatly enhance Managaha and other tourist sites if visitor user fees were charged for recreation, particularly for SCUBA diving. When it's available, a copy of the final report will be deposited with the CNMI Archives and Pacific Area Collections. In addition, the CRM Deputy Director, Mr. Steve Tilley, reported that it will also soon be made available on the CRM website.

Opportunities for NMC Students to Study in Hawaii

The Undergraduate Mentoring Environmental Biology program (UMEB) is giving Pacific Island Undergraduates an opportunity to study in field stations & laboratories in Hawaii. UMEB is an interdisciplinary program in Environmental Science for students from Pacific Islands, funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal is to train and educate undergraduate students who are permanent residents of the Pacific Islands, in aspects of environmental science and conservation so that a knowledge base is provided to the Islands of the Pacific. UMEB’s hope is that these students will assist in the protection of the animals and plants that are unique to each island so that they may be conserved and enjoyed by the people who live there. Through UMEB, undergraduate students from the Pacific Islands are invited to join research groups, both in the field and the laboratory.

The application deadline for Summer 2006 is March 17, 2006. For more information and details, go to the website http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/umeb, or contact Dr. Robert Richmond (808) 539-7331, or by email: richmond@hawaii.edu.

News from NMC Rota

Update on the Rota Public Library

A pre-bidding conference was held on Wednesday, February 22nd, for the purchase of collateral equipment and computers for the new Rota Public Library. Chris Fryling, the Rota Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Coordinator was on hand to direct the conference with Severina Atalig-Ogo, NMC Rota Administrator and Andy Ramos from the Office of the Mayor of Rota. Laura Hohmann, Director of Library Services was also present through telephone conference to help answer questions from vendors. Our entire NMC Rota community members are very anxious to get this project underway so that the library will soon open to service NMC students and the local community. “Meeting WASC recommendation to have a library here on NMC Rota is an urgent project that must come to a reality. With the support from our Rota Delegation and Mayor Joseph S. Inos, we are on our way to opening our long awaited public library,” Administrator Ogo said.

Vendors present during the pre-bidding conference were: Taro Sue Corporation, National Office Supply, White Coconut Computer Services, and Saipan Computer. There may be other vendors that have interest in the bidding and our NMC Rota welcomes their proposals in this bidding process. For more details, please contact Ms. Severina Atalig-Ogo at 532-9477 or email her at SeverinaO@nmcnet.edu.

ASNMC Forum on Local Financial Aid Programs

Our ASNMC students will be holding their monthly forum on Tuesday, February 28, 2006. The forum will start at 12:00 noon in the NMC Student Center. The topic for this forum will be on local Financial Aid Programs. Our ASNMC will be having representatives from the CNMI Scholarship office, Saipan Higher Education Financial Aid (SHEFA), and NMC Financial Aid Office to do a presentation on the benefits and what their financial assistance program offers for students pursuing a postsecondary degree. Again, ASNMC invites everyone to join and to be ready to voice out any questions or concerns about the different financial aid programs.

Please encourage all NMC students to attend this important forum on local Financial Aid Programs. The College faculty, staff and administrators are grateful to our ASNMC leaders for their proactive approach in enhancing communication at NMC and for sponsoring informative forums for our NMC students and the entire college community.

NMC Weekly Update - February 17th

NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE




Hafa Adai, Tirow, and Greetings from Northern Marianas College!

Here are the highlighted issues for this week:

NMC’s Re-Submission of FY2006 Budget

The following letter was sent by NMC President Tony DeLeon Guerrero to Governor Benigno Fitial, Lt. Governor Timothy Villagomez, Senate President Joseph Mendiola, and House Speaker Oscar Babauta. The letter stated the following:

This letter pertains to the new administration’s request that all CNMI government agencies re-submit their FY 2006 budget with a planned 20% to 48% reduction in expenditures. Imposing such a drastic budget reduction on Northern Marianas College will cause major negative repercussions on our educational programs, services, students, employee morale, and accreditation. In considering the ramifications of such a reduction, we ask that the administration and members of the 15th CNMI Legislature also be mindful of NMC’s problems in meeting its required mandate at funding levels authorized under Continuing Resolution over the past two fiscal years. In each of those two fiscal years, we had no choice but to request additional funds toward the end of those periods. In FY 2004, a supplemental budget of $438,000 was approved, and in FY 2005, an additional $518,000 was also authorized to address the personnel costs for our nursing program and for offering summer classes.

The current year, 2006, is a very critical year for our postsecondary institution since we are currently completing an institutional self study in preparation for the comprehensive site visit by WASC in October 2006. Maintaining financial stability and acquiring the needed fiscal resources are critically important for NMC to effectively support student learning and to meet our broad educational purposes. It is also important to note that one of the main reasons for our recent accreditations problems, which led to NMC’s being placed on warning status by WASC, was due to the accrediting commission’s concerns about the institution having sufficient funding to support its instructional programs. Fortunately, with the strong support of our CNMI Legislature, we were able to overcome these problems, and are no longer on warning status.

As collaborative partners who are committed to improving the quality of life for our people and the long-term sustainable development of our islands, we plead that you support the budgetary needs of Northern Marianas College so that it can effectively meet its constitutionally-mandated mission and continue to be a valuable community resource center for the CNMI.

We humbly request, therefore, that you support NMC’s FY 2006 budget request to remain at the Continuing Resolution level of $8,046,839. Un sen dangkulu na si Yu’us ma’ase para todus I ayudun miyo!

SSS Staff Participated in Budget Management Workshop

Clarice Deleon Guerrero, Administrative Assistant to the Student Support Services Program attended a three day Budget Management Workshop in Honolulu, Hawaii from January 29th-31st. Clarice joined with over one hundred other TRIO personnel from the region and the U.S. Mainland in the workshop that was conducted by Western Kentucky University. While the objectives of the workshop involved budget management and program regulations, participants also gained knowledge of other various important aspects of running a Student Support Services Program. Workshop participants also took part in other mini workshops such as Allowable and Non Allowable costs, Developing Mission Statements, Record keeping, Program Evaluation, Reporting Project Performance, Preparing for Site Visits & Audits, and Developing and Establishing Strategies and Techniques for Collection Storage/Retrieval of Participant Data. This being the first workshop Ms. Deleon Guerrero attended in the fifty states, she found the information educational and quite helpful in her day-to-day work. Moreover, Clarice indicated that the information she gained from her meetings and conversations with other workshop participants was generally beneficial to her. Sharing of information from the various regions and states assured Clarice that our SSS program at NMC is on the right tract. She is very appreciative for the learning opportunity and looks forward to implementing the new knowledge and skills she learned from the Budget Management Workshop.

Recruitment of High School Students

ASNMC, in conjunction with our Counseling Department and the Office of Student Activities, is coordinating the recruitment of High School students this year. A meeting was held on Wednesday February 15th in the Counseling Office. The following agenda items were discussed:

1. Dates for visits by public and private schools were arranged. Sue and Kathy from
   Counseling will make the necessary school contacts by tomorrow.
2. Decision made on food to be provided. Student Activities to cover this task.
3. Decision made to have a “treasure hunt” as a fun means of providing campus tours.
   Treasure hunt tours to be coordinated by Student Activities
4. ASNMC to arrange for the selection and notification of speakers.
5. Urgency of planning discussed.
6. Follow-up meeting set for 10:30A.M. on Tuesday February 21st in the Counseling Office.

Tentative school visits include:
March 3rd Kagman 8:30am – 12:00noon (confirmed)
March 10th Southern 8:30am – 12:00noon (confirmed)
March 17th MHS 8:30am – 12:00noon ( inprogress)
March 24th private schools 8:30 – 12:00noon (confirmed)

NMC’s New School of Education Director

Michael Reber is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1991 and his Master of Arts in English with an Emphasis in TESOL in 1994. He later studied via distance and on-site learning under the Tsunesaburo Makiguchi scholar, Dr. Dayle M. Bethel, at The International University (TIU) Asia-Pacific Centers in Kyoto and Honolulu in 1996. While at TIU he attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero Summer Classroom and earned a professional development teacher certificate in 2001. Soon after Harvard he graduated from TIU with a Doctorate in Education and Institutional Transformation in 2003.

After completing his MA at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Reber was employed for three years as an Assistant English Teacher (AET) on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program and assigned to St. Louis’s friendship city, Matto City in Ishikawa Prefecture. As an AET he visited junior high schools, assisted with sister city exchanges, and led several teacher training workshops that included the publication of an English teaching handbook. In 1997 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor of English at Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) and served at the Institute until 2003. While at KIT he assisted in the development of an on-line English language learning portfolio system with Professor Kaname Kobayashi of Fujitsu Corporation. Their research was presented to colleagues at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) in 1999. His other research at KIT included the development of a conceptual framework for Community Learning Centers (CLCs) and this has been presented internationally, such as at the Center for Theoretical Studies in Prague, Czech Republic. This research was published in his book (2003), An Alternative Framework for Community Learning Centers. Because of his interest in CLCs, Dr. Reber returned to St. Louis in 2003 to work with Dr. Susan Hornshaw at St. Louis Community College on the transformation of the College’s writing and mathematics tutoring center. In addition to his work at St. Louis Community College, Dr. Reber taught adjunct at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Missouri at St. Louis. He later returned to Japan in 2005 to do consulting work for an English language academy in Hiroshima Prefecture before coming to Northern Marianas College.

As the newly appointed Director of the School of Education, Dr. Reber aspires to lead the School in developing its program to better reflect current research in education from institutions such as Harvard Graduate School of Education. For example, the School, as well as the College as a whole, needs to adopt a new conceptual framework in which curricula is developed, such as the Harvard Project Zero Teaching for Understanding Framework. Furthermore, he hopes that he can assist the Board of Education and Public School System (PSS) with adopting and implementing the ideas, methods, and applications in which the SOE is rooted. Some of the good work that is already in progress at the SOE includes curriculum mapping, on-line learning with Tinian and Rota, and professional development with PSS.

NMC’s New Social Science Instructor

Robert Churney is originally from southern California and has spent 22 years as an educator in the Pacific. He has an M.A. in International Studies with an Asia-Pacific emphasis from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He first came to the Pacific as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji where he worked as a vocational teacher for the Ministry of Social Welfare. He then worked as an institutional researcher and social science instructor at the American Samoa Community College. Next he taught social sciences at the Palau Community College before moving on to the College of Micronesia-FSM in Pohnpei. His position at the College of Micronesia-FSM was as Social Science Department Chair for 5 years and was extensively involved in student learning outcome-based assessment.

Robert is married, his wife Arieta is a Fijian and also an educator, and they have two sons Robert Jr. and Jonathan who are college students. His academic interests are the history of science and the biologically correct social and behavioral sciences.

Japanese Baseball Players Study English with CDI

One hundred baseball players from Japan’s Josai Daigaku University and Josai International University arrived on Saipan on Sunday; they will be training here for two weeks. Forty-five of the players, all members of the Josai International University Baseball Club, managed by Mr. Katsumi Harada, are studying Conversational English with Community Development Institute.

The team has arranged to hold classes every morning from February 13 to February 25 at Saipan Grand Hotel. The classes, taught by Phil Plaza and Melody Actouka, have been very successful. This is the first time the students have been taught English by native English speaking instructors. The players welcome the class each morning as a fun addition to their full daily schedules.

For their Saturday classes, the students will enjoy activity-based sessions taught by Amy Bohman and Richard Puhalla as well as some time to interact with our local college students.

For more information on this program or other English Language Development Programs, contact CDI at extensions 1005, 1030, or 1014.

NMC Weekly Update - February 10th

News from the President's Office




Here are the highlighted issues for this week:

NMC’s Progress Report to Accrediting Commission Accepted

Northern Marianas College has been informed that its accrediting body accepted the institution’s Progress Report of October 2005 and the report of the evaluation team that visited NMC on November 15 and 16, 2005. NMC President Tony Guerrero received notification of the action via an official letter from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which stated that the action was taken during the Commission’s meeting on January 11-13, 2006.

The evaluation team report has been distributed this week to the entire college community on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. In it, the team’s report concluded, “The College is making the kinds of progress envisioned by the Commission for building institutional capacity to use data for decision-making.” Copies of the report are available at http://courses.nmcnet.edu/course/view.php?id=51 and at Olympio T. Borja Memorial Library. For more information about NMC’s accreditation status and activities, contact Jeanette Villagomez, Dean of Student Development and Accreditation Liaison Officer, at 234-5498, ext. 1347.

The Commission’s action letter also reminded President Guerrero that the next comprehensive evaluation of NMC would occur during Fall 2006. A team at NMC under the leadership of Dr. Debra Cabrera, social science instructor, and Danny Wyatt, Dean of Academic Programs and Services, has been working diligently for the past year at preparing an institutional self study in preparation for that visit.

25th Anniversary of NMC: A Quarter Century of Postsecondary Education Excellence

The College is sponsoring a public forum on the 10th of March, which will commemorate the signing of the Executive Order No. 25 by former Governor Carlos S. Camacho on the 12th of March 1981, and is the legal basis for the establishment of the Northern Marianas College as the Commonwealth’s first Postsecondary Institution. This event will include an array of speakers who have contributed to the successful goals and accomplishments of our institution through their respective contributions including representatives of the following organizations: U.S. Department of Interior, Western Association of School & Colleges, NMC Board of Regents, current NMC Student Body Representative, the NMC Foundation, and Governor Benigno Fitial who will be issuing a proclamation acknowledging this auspicious occasion.

Our NMC community is encouraged to support this event, in recognition of our Silver Anniversary.

Treadmills donated to NMC's Physical and Health Education Gym

Our NMC's Physical and Health Education gym received two Precor model treadmills donated by Kaye Christian. These state-of-the-art treadmills are capable of being programmed to keep track of one’s distance, speed, heart rate, the number of calories expended and much more. For “first time users” an NMC employee needs to contact gym personnel to help in setting up the equipment, after that just let them know you are using it and you can exercise to your heart’s content. So if you run across Kaye Christian, please tell her again, thank you for her generosity.

Fall 2005 Academic Honors

Of the 1,100+ students enrolled in the Fall 2005 semester, 143 students excelled in their academic studies and will be recognized by having their names placed on the President’s List, Dean’s List, or Part-time Honors list of outstanding students. In addition, a congratulatory letter will be mailed out to each of these students signed personally from NMC President Tony DeLeon Guerrero and from the Dean of Academic Programs and Services, Mr. Danny Wyatt.

Aside from meeting the GPA requirements, each of these students met the academic honors criteria by being enrolled in a degree program in courses at the 100 level or above during the Fall 2005 semester and each grade received was an academic letter grade. The academic honors notation will be printed on the student’s permanent academic record.

The Office of Admissions and Records under the Student Development unit, certified 56 full-time students whose term grade point average is 3.96 or above for the President’s List, 40 full-time students whose term grade point average is 3.75 to 3.95 for the Dean’s List, and 47 Part-time students who are carrying from six to 11 credits (inclusive) per term, and whose term grade point average is 3.96 or above for the Part-time honors list.

In addition, the Office of Admissions and Records will be sending the academic honor’s listing for publication in the annual edition of the National Dean’s List, 2005-2006.

In order to be eligible for this honorary award and compete for scholarships, the students nominated must have achieved “Dean’s List” honors or comparable academic achievements during one or more recently completed semesters or quarters. The National Dean’s list has become one of the largest publications in the nation honoring exceptional college students representing nearly 2,500 colleges and universities throughout the country.

NMC Weekly Update - February 3rd

News from the President's Office



Here are the highlighted issues for this week:

Good News for NMC Students

President Tony DeLeon Guerrero recently announced, “After many months of hard work, revamping our own internal systems, and negotiating with U.S. Department of Education officials, Northern Marianas College’s administration of federal Pell Grants has returned to normal.” The college was informed last week that it has been returned to “advance status” for the Pell Grant Program. That means that NMC-screened student grant applications will be presumed to be correct before review and that grant funds will be advanced to NMC students on a more timely basis.

The college was initially placed on warning status in 2002 when several factors combined to cause concern among federal financial aid officials: late audits, audit concerns, and deficiencies in the documentation of some student Pell Grant applications. NMC’s demotion in status from “advance” to “reimbursement” greatly slowed grant payment and had a considerable negative effect on the NMC students and the College’s cash flow. All those concerns have now been answered to the satisfaction of federal officials.

“It took a lot of work to accomplish this and I want to thank all those involved in Student Development and Finance, particularly those in Financial Aid and those that assisted them, for helping us get back to normal,” President DeLeon Guerrero said. He added that, “I certainly hope we never have to go through this hardship process again.”

NMC Starts Work on Rehabilitative Services Degree Grant

Northern Marianas College is hosting three rehabilitation specialists from February 2-6 in order to help prepare for offering a rehabilitation services associate degree in the upcoming year. While the College must obtain approval for the establishment of the Associate in Arts in Rehabilitative Services from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) prior to offering the degree, the work with these rehab experts will help get the college off to a solid start.

Acting Director of the Rehabilitation Project, Brante Dashiell, will be meeting and working with Dan Hopkins, Project Director of the Rocky Mountain Technical Assistance and Counseling Center in Aurora, Colorado, Dr. Madan Kundu, Project Director at Southern University’s Department of Rehabilitation Services and Disability Studies, and Mr. Leon Thornton, Associate Coordinator of the Rocky Mountain Technical Assistance and Consulting Center in Bismark, Arkansas.

NMC has been awarded a total of $1.1 million over the next five years by the USDE Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to plan and implement an associate level degree program in rehabilitative services and to articulate its courses with baccalaureate degree programs in this field at other U.S. institutions. NMC is the first postsecondary two-year institution in the western Pacific region and nation to receive this rehabilitation capacity building grant, which will greatly enhance its ability to prepare Pacific Islanders, Asians, and other individuals for professional careers in the public vocational rehabilitation and human services areas.

To obtain community input and support, the College is seeking members from our CNMI community interested in serving as a program advisory council member for the project. For more details about this program, please contact Dean Danny Wyatt, Brante Dashiell, or Raaj Kurapati.

PTK Honor Society Receives $1,500 Donation

The Northern Marianas College (NMC) Beta Lambda Psi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society recently received a $1,500 donation from DFS Saipan Ltd. The generous contribution will be placed in PTK’s ongoing scholarship fund, which has been developed by and for the students of NMC. This self-perpetuating scholarship is designed to promote and recognize academic excellence, leadership development, and community service among PTK honor society members.

Founded in 1918, PTK has become the largest and most prestigious honor society recognizing academic excellence in two-year colleges around the world. The organization’s membership has a sincere obligation to continually seek new service opportunities that will enhance the local community and benefit its members in their quest for academic and leadership excellence at NMC and beyond.

For more information, please feel free to call or email the Phi Theta Kappa officers, or contact NMC Saipan PTK advisors Dr. Debra Cabrera, at 234-3690, ext 1231, or Larry Lee at ext. 1811, or NMC Rota advisor Frank Sobolewski at 532-9477.

Counseling Programs and Services Holds Open House

Our NMC Counseling Programs and Services started off the 2006 school year with a bang! On February 2, students, faculty and staff were all invited to an "Open House," where everyone had a chance to mingle, enjoy each other’s company, and share ideas on how we can make NMC a more “student-focused” learning institution. Everyone enjoyed delicious homemade goodies. Information about our Counseling Programs and Services was also shared with all who attended.

NMC Charter Day Theme Contest

This year marks NMC’s 25th anniversary. The Charter Day Planning Committee announces its Charter Day Theme Contest and would like everyone’s participation in determining the theme for Charter Day this year. The individual whose theme gets selected will be given a $100 cash prize. Please submit your theme(s) to Edwin Propst or Raaj Kurapati via email no later than Wednesday, February 8, 2006.

Governor’s Cabinet Training Provided by COMPASS

CDI and the SBDC coordinated a half-day training session for the Governor’s new cabinet members in the Governor’s Conference Room on Wednesday, January 25th. There were 26 participants from the new administration who received training from CNMI Public Auditor, Michael Sablan, on the topic of “Ethics and Accountability” and from the Director of the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Business Center Program, Dr. Failautusi Avegalio, on the topic of “Effective Change and Transition Management.” NMC’s President Guerrero gave the opening remarks and Eric Plinske, Acting Dean of COMPASS, reminded the participants about NMC’s commitment and capabilities to provide further training for cabinet members, as well as staff at their respective agencies. Both presentations were well received based on the results of the workshop evaluations filled out by the participants.

SBDC Business Student Internship

The SBDC, through a sub-recipient grant from the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP), initiated an internship opportunity for NMC business student, Teresa Borja. Teresa is currently receiving training from the SBDC’s office manager, Robert Suzuki, on how to set up and utilize Quickbooks accounting software. Robert and Teresa will then work with local small businesses on installation, setup, and training on how to use the software to better manage their finances. The SBDC is investigating the possibility of using some of the remaining funds to hire up to two more interns to assist with the technical aspects of conducting the UH Neighbor Island MBA program via live video teleconferencing on the Polycom system.