Northern Marianas College: Mission, Purposes and Functions. (a) The Board of Regents shall establish, and from time to time amend, the mission statement of the college. (b) The purposes and functions of the college are: (1) To fulfill the mandate of N.M.I. Const. art. XV, § 2(b). (2) To provide for the residents of the Commonwealth higher education, community service programs, adult and adult continuing education, adult vocational and technical education, professional training programs for the improvement of private employee skills, training programs for government employees, and to establish a vocational, occupational and technical training center and professional development institute (hereinafter referred to as “institute”) within the Northern Marianas College. (3) To grant degrees, certificates of accomplishment, and other such documents of course or program completion as the board may authorize. (4) To serve as the land-grant college in the Commonwealth in accordance with federal laws and to promote, develop and administer agricultural education programs, including but not limited to agricultural extension services and agricultural and aquacultural research. (5) To support or conduct, as staffing and funding may allow, such research as may be beneficial to the Commonwealth and its residents, including but not limited to maintaining Commonwealth archives, United States, South Pacific Commission and Commonwealth government documents which shall include at least three copies of all publications funded in whole or in part by the Commonwealth government, or by any regional association or agency receiving local or federal funds to provide services to the region, minutes of all meetings held by Commonwealth boards, commissions or agencies, the official actions of the Commonwealth Legislature, and any other official record of the Commonwealth deemed by the archivist to have permanent historical, legal or political significance, and acquiring any other materials relating to the Commonwealth or region that has research or historical value. Source: PL 4-34, § 5; amended by PL 8-18, § 5; PL 9-53 § 4, modified; subsection (a) amended by PL 18-28 § 2 (Nov. 12, 2013). Commission Comment: PL 18-28 (Nov. 12, 2013) contained, in addition to savings and severability clauses, the following: Section 1. Findings. In light of accreditation standards requiring the Northern Marianas College to periodically review and revise its Mission Statement and the passage of Legislative Initiative 17-12, the House of Representatives finds that it is in the public interest to amend 3 CMC § 1305(a) to allow Northern Marianas College the flexibility to revise
its Mission Statement from time to time as the Board of Regents deems appropriate.