President's Message to the Community

August 1, 2019

Dear Colleagues and Fellow Members of the COM-FSM Community,

I want to take a moment to welcome all of you to a new academic year. Many new students are arriving on campus from Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap and Kosrae states in anticipation of student orientation, the first week of classes and immersion into a year of study, learning and personal growth. The feeling of energy and excitement on campus is palpable.

As well, please join me in welcoming our new faculty and staff joining the COM-FSM community. We are pleased that you are with us and trust you will find your experience in service to our students both meaningful and rewarding. Welcome.

To our returning faculty and staff, welcome back! I hope and trust that each of you found some time to rest and to renew. As you make your way back to campus, whether it be here, or at our respective state campuses please know that I am looking forward to an exceptional year.

Let us also take a moment to remember our colleague Scott Snaden who passed away on July 22, 2019 after thee and one-half years of service to our students. A memorial service will be held at the National Campus at a later date. Condolences are extended to Scott’s family and many friends.

This year we again welcome the beginning of a new academic year and embrace the opportunities and promise that awaits us, as we commit and aspire to our vision to “ provide quality education today for a successful tomorrow.” I believe we are poised for great things again this year.

If you feel proud and inspired to be a part of COM-FSM, please know that you are not alone. We have successfully confronted a number of challenges and have taken important steps in strengthening the college in service to our students.

I want to thank you in advance for your participation in the summit at the National Campus on August 5, and express my thanks to those who will participate in the mini-summits to be held at the states campuses. We will continue to fully embrace and integrate accreditation Standards into the fabric of the college. Please know that this responsibility is shared among us all. We must continue to strengthen the college’s culture of assessment and accountability.

While we have much to celebrate, we remain mindful that we are once again at the “starting line.” The important work of the college work of continues. Our work continues with a familiar and embedded paradigm of participatory governance, purposeful dialogue and continuous quality improvement. We have a responsibility to our stakeholders to demonstrate that we are successful, we are continuously improving, and our students are learning and are successful.

Our facilities plan proposal based on the Beca Study is included in the FSM National Infrastructure Development Plan FY2016-FY2025. We anticipate breaking ground in January 2020 for the construction of the student center at National Campus and the technology lab at the CTEC, and completion of Design and Engineering plans for the Chuuk Campus.

Please be reminded that Academic Convocation will be held on August 30, and brings us together to celebrate the beginning of a new academic year and renew our commitment to student success.

I convey my appreciation to you for all your work, effort and dedication to the students we serve. Each of us plays an important role in the successful implementation of the mission of COM-FSM.

As we begin a new academic year, let us once again join together at the “starting line” and “lace up our running shoes” as we begin the next leg of the race. It promises to be a great run.

It is a privilege for me to serve you as your president.

Warm regards,

Joe

Joseph M. Daisy, Ed.D., President & CEO