Board of Regents Meeting.  The next meeting of the COM-FSM Board of Regents will be held September 20-21, 2000, in Chuuk.  The draft agenda for this meeting is attached for your information.

Education Summit.    The FSM Nationwide Education Summit was held in Pohnpei September 5-8, 2000.  Two plenary sessions were held in the temporary gymnasium at the National Campus.  I was pleased to see a number of the College’s staff and students participating in the Summit.  Appreciation is expressed to the staff who represented the College on the planning for the Summit who are as follows:  Vice President for Instructional Affairs Spensin James, Director of Academic Programs Joe Habuchmai, Division of Education Chairperson Dr. Richard Womack, Division of Math/Science Chairperson Dana Lee Ling, Director of Research and Planning Dr. Greg Myers, and Director of Vocational Education Gary Robertson.  Both the plenary and breakout sessions focused on the following five key policy elements:  accountability and quality of education; education linkages to the economy, quality of staff, cooperation and collaboration, and financing education.

Enrollment.  Preliminary figures for the various campuses shows the College is experiencing a system-wide record enrollment for Fall 2000.  A total of 861 students have enrolled at the National Campus (including the students enrolled in the UOG program), over 560 students have enrolled at the Chuuk Campus, 91 at Yap Campus, 154 at Kosrae Campus, and 280 at Pohnpei Campus.  More specific figures will be reported once the official enrollment lists have been received and compiled.

Honolulu Meetings.   As you read this update I will be in Honolulu attending a number of meetings on behalf of the College.  On Monday, September 11, 2000, I will be meeting with the UH Chancellor for Community Colleges, the former Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, and a representative from the College of the Marshall Islands to discuss possible partnerships in the area of nursing education.  At the 2nd FSM Economic Summit the College was asked to look into this possibility.  On Tuesday, September 12, 2000, I will be meeting with a subcommittee of the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC) comprised of the President of American Samoa Community College, the President of Guam Community College, and the UH Community Colleges Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to review the PPEC bylaws.

From September 13-15 I will be attending the PREL IHE networking meeting at the PREL Office.   One of the primary purposes of this meeting is to determine ways in which the Institutions of Higher Education in the region and PREL can work collaboratively on programs and projects related to teacher education.  PREL is covering the costs of my attendance at this meeting.  I will be returning to Pohnpei on the late flight on Sunday, September 17, 2000.  During my absence, Vice President for Support and Student Affairs Ringlen Ringlen will be acting.
 

                                                   More Next Time!