Emmanuel III

Only 27% of Xavier College graduates passed the licensure exam of the California Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians in 2006.

Why should we care? Xavier College has been touted as the sister school of our own Emmanuel College. Take this Saipan Tribune press release for example.

I'm trying to be fair, because I think the college is a great idea. We always need nurses and foreign students would be a boon to the economy. They're basically long-term tourists with minimal impact on the community.

Emmanuel College's instructors are from the CNMI, according to the press release. Recently we've heard that it's using Northern Marianas College to provide, umm, accredited English instruction to foreign students. That's a plus for NMC, too.

I hate to keep harping (Mean sheets) and carping (Decena redux) on Sedy Demesa. I'm sure she's a nice person.

After all, it's the graduates who take the test. Only, Xavier doesn't stack up very well against the other institutions on the list.

During the run-up to Emmanuel's approval we were papered (especially by the Pacific Times) with glowing depictions of Xavier and the connection with Pleasant Care.

I was happy to finally see a newspaper finally ask about Pleasant Care Corporation: Palau may send students to Emmanuel College (Marianas Variety). Well, once anyway. It's problems were obvious for years with a simple Google search. Here's a summary. Ms. Demesa told the Marianas Variety its bankruptcy was to "save jobs, retain assets and the company’s engine of profitability.” No questions about the deaths, fines and lawsuits, I guess.

There's no connection to Emmanuel, she told the Variety. According to the reporter: "She said she will continue to pursue her investments in the CNMI and that her investment plans — existing and future —are independent of Pleasant Care, and will not be affected by anything that concerns the California-based company."

So, what? The benefit of the doubt? No doubt. They're halfway through the first class. I truly hope this works, for the students, for the company and for the CNMI.