Northern Marianas College (NMC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

land-grant college A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Signed by Abraha ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwea ...

(

CNMI The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory Terr ...

). The college was founded in Susupe in 1976. NMC today has three campuses on the islands of

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of th ...

, and Rota. The main campus on

is in Fina Sisu. NMC is the sole public college within the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

and is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing School accreditation, accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary school, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, ...

History

CNMI Governor Carlos S. Camacho created the college as an official governmental entity through Executive Order #25. The Executive Order established the college as one of the divisions within the Commonwealth Department of Education. Northern Marianas Community College was founded in 1976. The college was established in May 1981. By mid-summer of 1981, the College was offering training programs for government employees and teachers of the CNMI Public School System. In January 1983, Public Law 3-43 established NMC as a public, nonprofit corporation having the Board of Education as its governing board. In March 1985, Public Law 4-34 amended the Higher Education Act of 1983 by creating a separate Board of Regents and broadening the authority and responsibility of the governing board. In June 1985, NMC received its initial accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). That accreditation was reaffirmed in 1990, 1996, and 2001. In March 2001, the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges & Universities of WASC granted NMC initial accreditation for offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. In March 1999, President Agnes McPhetres delivered the first State of the College Address.

Leadership

In May 2007,

Carmen Fernandez Carmen Fernandez is a Guamanian businesswoman, politician, and college administrator. Fernandez is a former Democratic senator in the Guam Legislature. Early life Fernandez was born in Yona, Guam. Fernandez' father was Ignacio Taijeron Reyes ...

became President of Northern Marianas College. She replaced Acting President Danny Wyatt, who will return as Dean for Academic Programs and Services. In April 2010, Carmen Fernandez was fired from her position as President of NMC for unauthorized changing of students’ grades. Lorraine Cabrera became an interim President. Since Feb 2016, Sharon Hart was on leave of absence. In June 2016, Sharon Hart's term as President expired. David Attao served as interim President. In October 2016, Carmen Fernandez was named President. In August 2018,

resigned as President. Frankie Eliptico was appointed as interim president. In July 2021, Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero became the college's President.

Academics

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The Northern Marianas College academic instruction is maintained by the following departments: *Business (

Associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

and four-year Bachelors program) *Languages and Humanities *Liberal Arts *Nursing *School of Education (Associate and Bachelors program) *Sciences, Mathematics, Health, and Athletics *Social Sciences and Fine Arts *Criminal Justice Northern Marianas College established the Rota Instructional Site to provide post-secondary, continuing, and adult education and training opportunities for the purpose of improving the quality of life for the people of Rota. Since its inception in August 1986, the Rota Instructional Site has assisted many people who chose to pursue college education locally over the high cost of post-secondary education elsewhere. Many students have obtained a Certificate of Completion, an associate degree, or the Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. The College had also played a pivotal roles through its courses on cinematography to develop a

cinema of Northern Mariana Islands A small independent cinema of Northern Mariana Islands scene, producing mostly documentary films, developed in the 21st century thanks to the efforts of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and of the Northern Marianas College. Films h ...

Notable alumni

* Theresa H. Arriola

References

External links

* {{authority control Education in the Northern Mariana Islands

Universities and colleges in the Northern Mariana Islands {{Commons category, Universities and colleges in the Northern Mariana Islands Education in the Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northe ...