M E M O R A N D U M

April 05, 2006

To:           All Concerned 

From:       President, COM-FSM 

Subject: Update #272

Accreditation

A three member Accreditation Visiting Team will be visiting the College of Micronesia-FSM during the last week of April 2006, to verify the content of the Progress Report submitted to the Accrediting Commission for Junior and Community Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges on March 15, 2006. The visiting team will also be assessing the progress made by the College of Micronesia-FSM on the six recommendations made by the Commission in June 2004. The College is presently operating under reaffirmed accreditation issued by the Commission in June 2005.

The three member team consists of:

Team visit chair Dr. Marie Smith. Marie B. Smith, Ed. D. Dr. Smith is the Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology at Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento, California. Prior to her current position, she served as president of American River College for nine years. Dr. Smith has been involved in higher education in California for over 20 years, also serving as president of the College of Alameda and Dean of College, Life Chiropractic College-West. She serves in a leadership capacity in several community and regional initiatives and in the privatization of McClellan Air Force Base. Dr. Smith will be visiting Pohnpei.

Dr. Louise Pagotto. Acting Dean of Academic Affairs, Kapi'olani Community College, Honolulu, Hawaii. She has been at the Kapi'olani, part of the University of Hawaii System for over 20 years. Kapiolani Community College attracts students from across the U.S. and internationally and serves a diverse student population with widely varying needs.

Mr. Floyd Takeuchi. President and Chief Operating Officer, AIO Group. AIO Companies include publishing companies like Pacific Basin Communications and Watermark Publishing, turf maintenance company B. Hayman Co. ( Hawaii), KKEA-AM 1420 radio and Pnualuu Bakery. He serves as a public member of the Commission. Through his activities as a journalist, Mr. Takeuchi has worked with community colleges in Hawaii, Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau and the Western Pacific for over twenty-five years. Mr. Takeuchi serves on the Evaluation and Planning Committee of the Commission. He was named Small Business Journalist of the Year in 2002. Mr. Takeuchi will be visiting Chuuk.

Who will be where & when?

Member	April 19	April 20	April 21	April 22	April 24-25	April 26
Dr. Marie Smith				Arrives Pohnpei	Pohnpei	Departs Pohnpei
Dr. Louise Pagotto				Arrives Pohnpei	Pohnpei	Departs Pohnpei
Mr. Floyd Takeuchi	Arrives Chuuk	Chuuk	Departs Chuuk Arrives Pohnpei	Pohnpei	Pohnpei	Departs Pohnpei

The recommendations the college is addressing are:

Recommendation 1: Improve Communication

The College must implement a collaborative process that:

• (I) Includes faculty, staff, students, and administrators a the College's six sites.
• (II) Identifies the roles and scope of authority of the faculty, staff, students and administrators in the decision making processes.
• (III) Identifies the roles ands scope of authority of college committees in the decision-making process.
• (IV) Includes dialogue as a means to develop, document, implement, and evaluate assessment plans for students learning outcomes in both instruction and student services.
• (V) Includes formal pathways for effective communication and recommendations are distributed across the college's six sites.

Recommendation 2: Improve Communication

The College must develop, document, and implement an organization of administrative responsibilities across the six sites that ensures continuity in student support and instruction and gives a clear, consistent line of administrative authority such as,

• (I) For all instructional programs cross all sites the Vice President for Instructional Affairs
• (II) For all student service programs across the sites to the Vice President for Support and Student Affairs.
• (III) For all Learning Resources Programs across the sites to the Director of Learning Resources Center.

Recommendation 3: Improve Communication

Once the collaborative processes (Recommendation 1) and the organization of administrative responsibilities (Recommendation 2) are developed, documented, and implemented, they must periodically evaluated to facilitate a cycle of continued improvement.

Recommendation 4: Integrated Planning

The College must develop and implement college-wide planning that

• (1) Includes all sites
• (II) Integrates all aspects of planning, evaluation, and resource allocations
• (III) Includes a technology plan and evaluation, supports, and plans for future of instructional student services and administrative functions across the college's sites
• (IV) Is driven by the college mission and goals.
• (V) Relies in involvement of faculty and staff across the college’s sites
• (VI) Incorporates research and data in a strategic plan that contains measurable outcomes
• (VII) Guides decision-making for both short-term and long-term planning
• (VIII) Is well-documented and widely disseminated
• (IX) Is periodically reviewed to assess the validity of the process.

Recommendation 5: Identify and assess Student Learning Outcomes

The College must develop and implement student learning outcomes across the six sites in order to determine the effectiveness of college programs and services on student learning including:

• (I) Instructional programs at course, program, degree and certification levels
• (II) Student services throughout students' matriculation at the College of Micronesia-FSM
• (III) Mechanisms for measuring student learning outcomes
• (IV) Mechanisms for using those measurements to improve courses, programs and services

Recommendation 6: Create Continuity

The college needs to standardize instruction, student services, learning environment, and quality instruction across the college's six sites. Specific areas that require greater continuity at this time are:

• (I) A written policy manual for the Board of Regents
• (II) Full-time and part-time faculty and staff hiring procedures, assignments appropriate to qualifications, and performance evaluations
• (III) The delivery of comprehensive and consistent student services at each of the college's site
• (IV) The provisions of adequate facilities for instruction at all sites; at this time the college must immediately provide an adequate facility for student learning at the Chuuk site

Annual Reports to WASC

The College of Micronesia-FSM's Accreditation Liaison Officer submitted the annual report for the College to the Accrediting Commission for Junior and Community Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges on April 1, 2006. On behalf of the Administration of the College, I would like to express our appreciation and thanks to Mr. Joe Saimon, ALO, for completing and submitting the report to WASC on time.

Pacific Post Secondary Education Council Met With Commissioners

Mrs. Jean Thoulag, Vice President for Instructional Affairs and President James along with other Presidents and Vice Presidents from the Pacific Post Secondary Education Council Institutions met with the Commissioners of WASC Region on March 29, 2006, at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel in Kona, Hawaii. The bulk of the meeting with the Commissioners was spent on power point/CD presentations from PPEC Institutions' representatives. The Commissioners were happy that PPEC Institution's representatives can educate them on their programs, services, etc. It is also good that they know the challenges facing these institutions.

Board of Regents

The COM-FSM Board of Regents recently concluded their second annual special meeting in Kosrae during March 21-23, 2006. The actions and directives from the March 22-23, 2006, meeting is attached for your information. The next regular meeting of the BOR has been tentatively scheduled during the week of May 15-19, 2006, at the National Campus in Pohnpei.

Housing Program at the USDA Rural Development Office in Pohnpei

Communication has been received from Ms. Cheryl Burkindine, Rural Development Manger, Pohnpei informing the COM-FSM President's Office that majority of the faculty, staff, and administrators at the College are eligible for the Rural Development housing program. Faculty, staff, and administrators that are interested on this housing program should contact Ms. Cheryl Burkindine and her staff at the telephone # 320-2581.

Update from Human Resources Office

New staff. The College is pleased to welcome a host of new staff who came on board since the last update including:

• Monica Rogon -- Administrative Assistant, Upward Bound Program at Yap Campus;
• Rosemary Manna - Accountant I, Yap Campus;
• Witsen Solomon - Dormitory Advisor, National Campus;
• Jacob Une - Dormitory Advisor, National Campus;

A warm welcome to all of you!

Resignations:

• Linus Soumetau - Agriculture Agent, Land Grant/Chuuk Campus resigned from his post effective January 20, 2006;
• Cynthia Welles - Account Clerk ll, Bookstore/Pohnpei Campus resigned from her post effective March 09, 2006;

We wish them the very best in their future endeavors.

Staff Development Efforts:

The Staff Development Committee recently approved two funding requests for a workshop and degree program.

1. Ketiner Kenneth - Attended the Pacific Financial Aid Association Conference 2006 Spring Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.
2. Shirley Jano - continued pursuing her MA Degree at San Diego State University

Thank you.

Attachment: Actions & Directives