American Samoa Community College 2006 Annual Report MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the American Samoa Community College is to enable successful student learning by providing high quality programs that meet the educational needs of its students and American Samoa. The American Samoa Community College is an accredited, open admissions, co-educational, post-secondary, Land Grant institution with programs leading to associate degrees and certificates. The College’s programs fall into five areas: 1) Programs transferable to other institutions of higher learning, 2) Human Resources development in preparation for employment, 3) Instruction for the educationally underserved & community extension programs, 4) Research in human and natural resources, and 5) Programs in the study of Samoa and the Pacific. The College recognizes its critical role in developing the human capital necessary for American Samoa’s economic development and is thus committed to the continuous improvement of American Samoa’s workforce. The College further recog- nizes the significance of perpetuating Samoan culture and language. As the only pub- lic institution of higher learning in American Samoa, the College accepts its responsibil- ity for research and instruction in the culture, language, and resources of the Samoan people. VISION The Board of Higher Education envisions the American Samoa Community College as the leading U.S. accredited institution of higher learning in American Sa- moa and the South Pacific region providing quality courses, programs and services for its students enabling them to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The College strives to adequately prepare its students for matriculating to colleges and universities off-island, joining the labor market, or pursuing an endeavor of choice. The College recognizes changes in technology and methods of teaching and learning in its pursuit of continuous improvements in its courses, programs, and ser- vice. The College will realize its potential by acquiring adequate resources to be- come an accredited four-year institution of higher education. With visionary and committed leadership, the College will develop ways to forge ahead while dealing with changes and challenges both locally and globally. i American Samoa Community College Message from the Chairman of the Board of Higher Education On behalf of the Board of Higher Education, I wish to thank everyone who supported the American Samoa Community College throughout the year 2006. A special “Faafetai” to Governor Togiola Talalelei Tulafono, the President of the Senate and all the senators, the Speaker of the House and all the members of the House of Representatives. I am pleased to report that the ASCC is healthy in student enrollment and faculty dedication. In spite of the challenges, our institution con- tinues to grow and improve. The American Samoa Community College crucially depends on the assistance of our government leaders, the Legislature, the business sector, the churches, and the community as a whole to support the H.C Tauiliili Pemerika Territory’s only institution of higher learning as it embarks on its Board of Higher four-year Teacher Education program. The college is awaiting a forth- Education Chairman coming accreditation review as it continues to upgrade and build more classrooms to meet the growing number of students. The Auditorium is being remodeled, and it is anticipated that a new, more modern one will be constructed in the near future. The priorities for the College set by the Board of Higher Education over the last four years have begun to bear fruit. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges has approved our application to begin the four-year Teacher Education program; the Nursing program has grown in enrollment and in the number of its graduates passing the national certification exam; the Trades & Technology division has made significant progress; and the Samoan Language Institute is re-organized and beginning to thrive under its new director. We have seen increased enrollment in our Upward Bound program, which gives qualifying high school students a head start as they prepare for college. We have enjoyed significant cooperation between ASCC and the Department of Education and ASCC, an excellent sign for the fu- ture, and credit for this goes to the respective leaders of both. I congratulate President Dr. Adele Satele Galeai and her faculty and staff for the work well done. “Ua outou faia mea sili ma outou manumalo ai lava”. I would also like to recognize the tremendous contri- butions by the members of the previous Board of Higher Education. Your vision and dedication through long hours of meetings have slowly but surely yielded the desired results. By the same token, I extend a sincere welcome to the new Board members as we continue to strive for excellence at our institution. Soifua, Pemerika L. Tauiliili AMERICAN SAMOA COMMUNITY COLLEGE P.O. Box 2609, Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 (684) 699-9155 • (684) 699-2062 (fax) American Samoa Community College Message from the President On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students of the American Samoa Community College, I am pleased to report that 2006 was another year of record growth, significant improvements and, of course, many challenges. Fall 2006 brought a record number of 1607 students to the ASCC campus. The new computer labs dedicated in 2005 provided a much-needed resource to these students. ASCC’s Pacific Information and Communications Technology Academy (PICTA) graduated its first class of 17 men and women from ASCC and from the community. ASCC also played host this year to a number of exciting conferences, including a PIC Filmmaking Workshop and the Archaeology of the Polynesian Homeland Conference. Dr. Adele Satele-Galea’i ASCC President ASCC continued its positive relationship with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), as our Mid-Term Report was accepted and ASCC was granted permission to apply for accreditation of the developing Teacher Education Baccalaureate Program. I was also honored to be elected to serve as a member of the WASC Commission, representing ASCC and the other Pacific colleges. Building on support provided to the college by the Board of Higher Education and the Office of the Governor, the graduates of the ASCC Nursing Program achieved a record-high pass rate of 90% for the National Licensing Examination. Trades and Technology welcomed a new Dean and launched a major initiative to improve scope and quality and instruction. As part of ASCC’s efforts to serve the broader community, the college received a six-year, multi-million dollar grant for the GEAR-UP program which will provide direct services to a group of public students from seventh grade through high school graduation. The Samoan Studies Institute was opened to provide research and instruction for the College and the Community. The arts continued to shine at ASCC, and the year ended with a production of The Nutcracker that included ASCC students and faculty, as well as children from the community. For all that we do at the College, it always follows that we depend on the goodwill and the support of the community to keep ASCC going strong. All educational institutions today face the reality that there is a business side to running a school. While our goal is not monetary profit, but rather the intellectual profit of our students, I hope that you will share my belief that education is the best investment a community can make in its own future. Within this report are numerous student and faculty achievements, in spite of very limited resources. We consider this evidence of our commitment to excellence and the significance of the support we receive from internal and external stakeholders. We are looking forward to another successful year. AMERICAN SAMOA COMMUNITY COLLEGE P.O. Box 2609, Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 (684) 699-9155 • (684) 699-2062 (fax) TABLE OF CONTENTS OPENING Mission and Vision Statement i Message from the Chairman of the Board of Higher Education ii Message from the President of ASCC iii Table of Contents iv HIGHLIGHTS WASC gives ASCC Approval to Proceed Towards First Bachelor’s Degree 1 ASCC President Chosen for Membership in WASC Accrediting Commission 2 PICTA Celebrates Inaugural Graduating Class 3 Call Center Visitors Impressed with ASCC Technology Resources 4 ASCC Hosts Archeology of the Polynesian Homeland Conference 5-6 ASCC Hosts PIC Filmmaking Workshop 7 ASCC Secures GEAR UP Grant for American Samoa 8 ASCC Thanksgiving Cultural Event Showcases Healthy Food Choices 9 STUDENT & FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS Teacher of the Year: Keseta Okenaisa Fauolo 10 Academic Affairs 11 Shinar Ieti Wins PTK Scholarship 12 Dean’s List (Fall 2005 March) 13 PTK 14 Graduation 15 Student Services 16 2006 In-House Scholarships 17 YANA 18 PROGRAMS American Samoa –Small Business Development Center 19 American Samoa– University Center for the Developmentally Disabled 20 Business Department 21 Fine Arts 22 Marine Science 23 Nursing 24 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Samoan Language & Culture 25-26 Samoan & Pacific Studies 27 Service Learning 28 Student Support Services 29 Teacher Education 30 Trades & Technology 31 COMMUNITY AND NATURAL RESOURCES 32 CNR-1 : Plant Pathology CNR-2 : Research 33 CNR-3 : Agriculture Extension Program 34 CNR-4 : Entomology 35 CNR-5 : Families, 4H, and Nutrition 36 CNR-6 : Forestry 37 CNR-7 : Instruction 38 CNR-8 : Tissue Culture 39 CNR-9 : American Samoa Community Cancer Network 40 Sea Grant 41 LIBRARY 42 FACILITIES & IMPROVEMENTS Facilities 43 INSTITUTIONAL DATA Enrollment 44-46 Historical Data 47 Employment 48-50 Budget 51 Grants List 52 v 2006 Annual Report 2006 Annual Report WASC GIVES ASCC APPROVAL TO PROCEED TOWARDS FIRST BACHELOR’S DEGREE In the summer of 2006, ASCC reached a milestone in a series of crucial steps towards establishing a Bachelor’s (BA) degree. Dr. Barbara A. Beno, the President of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACJCC), a division of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), wrote to Dr.