College receives names of March visitors

Palikir, Pohnpei - February 3, 2010 –– The College of Micronesia – FSM (COM-FSM) President received today the latest comprehensive evaluation visit team roster. The team will be visiting the College on March 8 – 11.

The following are the names of the team members:

Ms. Sandra Serrano (Chair) Chancellor Kern Community College District 2100 Chester Avenue Bakersfield CA 93301 E-mail: ChancellorOffice@kccd.edu Telephone: 661-336-5104 FAX: 661-336-5025	Mr. David Clarke Instructor College of the Siskiyous 800 College Avenue Weed CA 96094
Mr. David Barney Professor, Film-TV De Anza College c/o 4458 24th Street San Francisco, CA 94114	Mr. Douglas Dykstra Chancellor Windward Community College 45-720 Kea'ahala Road Kane'ohe HI 96744
Ms. Carolyn Bloch Senior Nursing Instructor Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health 1237 North Mission Road Los Angeles CA 90033	Ms. Kate Pluta (Assistant) Professor, English Bakersfield College 1801 Panorama Drive Bakersfield CA 93305 E-mail: kpluta@bakersfieldcollege.edu Telephone: 661-395-4531 FAX: 661-395-4344
Mrs. Mary Ann Laun Assistant Dean, Library Services Pasadena City College 1570 E. Colorado Blvd Pasadena CA 91106	Ms. Martha Tilmann Dean of Technology College of San Mateo 1700 Hillsdale Blvd. San Mateo CA 94402
Mr. Ricardo Navarrette Vice President, Student Services Santa Rosa Junior College 1501 Mendocino Avenue Santa Rosa CA 95401-4395

The College was also notified to expect five more additional members to be named before the March 8 – 11, 2010, visit. More information about the visitors will be available later.

Chancellor Serrano completes pre-visit to COM-FSM

COM-FSM President Spensin James
and Chancellor Sandra Serrano at
Pohnpei International Airport.

Palikir, Pohnpei - February 3, 2010 –– Sandra Serrano, chair of the WASC visiting team, has completed her visit to all the COM-FSM six sites.

The pre-visit commenced at Kosrae Campus on January 18 and concluded at Yap and FSM-FMI campuses on January 26, 2010. During the visit, Ms Serrano met with the president, the vice presidents, campus directors, the accreditation liaison officer and other staff to obtain logistical information from the College. The visitor also toured all the college’s six sites.

According to information from Ms Serrano, the pre-visit is an important aspect of the comprehensive visit. It gives her the opportunity to meet key individuals, to become familiar with the College, the physical settings, and achieve a sense of institutional climate and dynamics. The pre-visit will facilitate the logistical arrangements for the team, including access to evidence to support the self study report, and access to computer hardware and software. Another reason for the visit is to determine travel, lodging, and other logistical arrangements for the team, and to develop a preliminary schedule for the team visit, including visits to the College’s six sites.

The pre-visit was conducted in preparation for the College’s comprehensive visit which is scheduled for March 8 – 11, 2010.

Chipen Is First Pohnpei Campus Graduate Of Revived Agriculture and Food Technology Certificate Program

Valentine awaits his award
during fall 2009 graduation.

Palikir, Pohnpei - January 12, 2009 - The College of Micronesia –– Valentine Chipen became the first graduate from the revamped Agriculture and Food Technology Certificate of Achievement program since it started in the fall 2008 in Pohnpei. Valentine is the son of Michael and Micheala Satowan of Chuuk State.

During the fall semester 2008, the College reestablished the agriculture certificate program and started offering it at Pohnpei campus in addition to Kosrae campus. According to the college, lack of interest in the program contributed to the low enrollment and eventually to the discontinuation of the offering of the program at Pohnpei campus.

In fall 2008 a total of 10 students from Pohnpei Campus enrolled in the Agriculture and Food Technology Certificate of Achievement Program. In 2009 the number increased to 34 fulltime students. Valentine is the first of the 2008 cohort to graduate.

The agriculture and food technology certificate of achievement program is operated through assistance from the FSM office of Economic Affairs; Pohnpei State Department of Agriculture; and the College’s Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE) Program, which provides much of the teaching needed and external funding through the CariPac program. The CariPac program is received by the College through the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Bill.

The CariPac fund is for educational programs in Agriculture and Natural Sciences and Food related sciences. The acronym refers to the US affiliated areas in the Caribbean and the Pacific regions. The institutions involved are: University of the Virgin Islands; University of Puerto Rico; University of Guam; American Samoa Community College; Northern Marianas College; Palau Community College; and College of the Marshall Islands and College of Micronesia - FSM.