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ASCC Hosts Pacific Postsecondary Education Council Meeting By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer
Thursday, November 18, 2010

A group of executive officers representing universities and colleges from across the American Pacific gathered at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) this past weekend to attend a meeting of the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC), an organization formed in 1981 to address the concerns and needs of postsecondary institutions in the American-affiliated Pacific islands. “The PPEC meeting this past week was very fruitful, both in terms of content and experience,” said Project Director Larry Gamoba, who traveled with the visiting group.

“The goals of the PPEC are to collaborate on common issues, and leverage, share, and maximize limited resources to ensure the people of the Pacific continue to have access to high quality academic programs through colleges and universities in their home locations,” Gamoba explained. “Many of these institutions are the only access Pacific people have to quality higher education that meets their individual needs. Institutional leaders, faculty, and staff learn not only from counterparts in the mainland, but also from amongst each other. The PPEC serves as a conduit by which the institutions can speak to one another, utilize expertise within each institution, and share lessons learned and insights gained from their individual experiences. As a collective body, the PPEC strengthens each institution’s voice by ensuring their concerns are heard and a collective response is made.”

While ASCC has participated in the Council since its inception, last week’s gathering marked the first occasion of a PPEC meeting being held in American Samoa. “For many of the presidents and chancellors, this was their first trip here, and they enjoyed themselves,” said Gamboa. Participants included Spensin James, President, College of Micronesia and PPEC Chair; Dr. Leon Richards, Chancellor, Kapi'olani Community College; Dr. Mary Okada, President, Guam Community College; Dr. Helen Whippy, Senior Vice President, University of Guam (representing President Dr. Robert A. Underwood); Lorraine Cabrera, Interim President, Northern Marianas College; Doug Dykstra, Chancellor, Windward Community College (Hawaii); and ASCC President Dr. Seth Galea’i.

Following a Friday morning ava ceremony to welcome the PPEC guests to the ASCC campus, the Council officially convened. “A major concern of the Council is the quality of academic programs in the colleges,” said Gamboa of the meeting agenda. “We regularly share updates on the status or progress of an institution’s accreditation. Additionally, the PPEC has received its next two years of grant funding from the US Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs, which essentially funds the Council’s activities to address the quality of academic programs in the colleges. An important aspect at this meeting was a proposal by the chief academic officers of each institution to fund a large conference on regional accreditation involving not only chief academic officers, but also accreditation liaison officers, chief financial officers, and institutional researchers.”

“We also reached another milestone this week,” Gamboa continued. “At an earlier meeting of the chief academic officers, a ‘General Statement of Intent’ was developed to smooth the pathway for students transferring between institutions, especially between two-year and four-year, and particularly with the University of Hawaii at Manoa. At the table to develop this ‘General Statement of Intent’ were the chief academic officers of a majority of PPEC institutions, along with chief academic officers and a few colleagues of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Hawaii, West Oahu.”

After concluding their official business by mid-day Saturday, the visitors enjoyed more College festivities. “We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful territory of American Samoa, its hospitality, and the talent of everyone at ASCC,” said Gamboa. “From the welcoming ava ceremony to the CNR/Land Grant site visit, the Ms. ASCC Pageant, and the closing ceremony, we were very impressed with the maintenance of cultural traditions and the love and pride the people of American Samoa have for their heritage and country. Personally, having traveled to many Pacific islands, I often see indigenous cultures losing the battle to remain alive and well in their own lands. That is not necessarily the case in American Samoa.”

Expressing his appreciation for the effort the students, staff and administrators made in welcoming the PPEC visitors, ASCC President Dr. Galea’i also considered it significant that many of his contemporaries have now experienced American Samoa firsthand. “Our circumstances differ somewhat from the other American Pacific territories in that they are all in close proximity to one another in the north Pacific, while we are basically the US only territory truly in the south Pacific. Therefore, I’m glad that our visitors had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with American Samoa in its own cultural and economic context.”

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Educators from across the American Pacific traveled to American Samoa this past weekend for a meeting of the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council. Here, the PPEC visitors are seen with members of the ASCC administration and staff following the welcoming ava ceremony. (Photo: J. Kneubuhl)

ENDS

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