Update from the President's Office - No. 162

Summer 2000. The College of Micronesia-FSM was finally given the okay to open for the summer. Following the adoption of Legislature Resolution No., 24 and based on the results of an EPA inspection and recommendation of the Task Force, the Governor issued an Executive Order on June 23, 2000 that allowed the National and Pohnpei Campuses to open for Summer 2000. Classes for Summer 2000 commenced on June 26, 2000. Because of the Governor's Emergency Executive Order on the Cholera Epidemic, late registration fees were waived. At the National Campus, there are 24 instructors and 44 courses are being offered. Classes are held Monday to Friday for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The official enrollment for summer 2000 is 268 students with projected enrollment of 350 students. In order to meet the required contact hours, summer's last day of instruction will be on August 1, 2000. This will give us only 4 days before the Fall Semester Freshmen Orientation, which starts on August 8, 2000.

Pohnpei Campus. The summer enrollment at Pohnpei Campus is 59 students with projected enrollment of 180 students. Only nine courses are being offered with 8 instructors. The others were canceled due to low enrollment. The Campus, however, looks busy because there are also 50 Upward Bound students, 30 GED students and students in non-credit classes. The GED program was scheduled to begin in May, but due to the cholera outbreak it will now have began July 3. The Upward Bound Program began on Tuesday, June 27, 2000. Students in the program will receive lunch catered by PCR.

The summer 2000-enrollment lists from other State Campuses have not been received.

Senator Dohsis Halbert visited Pohnpei Campus to request for adult education program for his constituents. They are working on an MOU.

COM-FSM Admissions Test. The entrance examination originally scheduled for May, which was postponed due to the cholera outbreak, has been rescheduled for Friday, July 7, 2000 at Pohnpei Campus.

Business Office. A draft copy of the FY 99 audit report has been received. For the first time the report includes only one finding... an unqualified opinion, which is the highest rating or the equivalent of an "A".

FSM Students at the University of South Pacific (USP) - The Acting President received a fax from the University of the South Pacific Registrar's Office asking if we can administer the final exams to their students who left Fiji because of the coup. Ringlen replied in the affirmative and will be receiving the questions by email.

Teacher Quality Institute Conference - Robert Churney, Richard Womack, Saped Santos (Elementary School Principal in Kitti), Senator Naiten Phillip (Chairman, Education Committee Pohnpei State Legislature), and Spensin James attended a one-week Teacher Quality Institute Conference in California.

Personnel - Max Voelzke resigned effective end of summer 2000. Thank you for all your hard work for the IEP program at Pohnpei Campus. We wish you and Leslie well.

Alfred Chon was hired as the Mechanical Engineer teaching assistant for FSM-FMI. Let's all welcome Mr. Chon.

Seven terminations took place at Yap Land Grant office due to lack of funding. They were Jerome Falabthin, Alfred Nam, Ferdinand Samot, Charlie Gilgaayan, Raphael Garanug, Mark Googag and Daniel Baweg. Thank you all for your services with the Land Grant program.

More Next Time!