COM-FSM out of Probation, ACCJC-WASC reaffirms Accreditation

L-R: Mr. Churchill Edward, Board member, Mr. Kasio E. Mida, Board chairman, President Mori, Dr. Joseph Daisy, COM-FSM President, and Ms. Frankie Harriss, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Quality Assurance

FSMIS (July 5, 2013): On July 3, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) informed Dr. Joseph M. Daisy, President, College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) on the Commission’s decision to remove the probation sanction against the college and reaffirm accreditation.

According to Dr. Barbara A. Beno, President of the ACCJC, the action to “remove Probation” and “reaffirm accreditation” was taken by the Commission after its review of the Follow-Up report by the college and the report by an evaluation team that visited the college on March 25-27.

Dr. Beno stressed in her July 3^rd letter to COM-FSM President Daisy that the college is required to provide a Follow-Up Report by March 15, 2014, demonstrating the institution’s long-term facilities master plan that is “linked to an identified, reliable, and ongoing funding source”.

The college was put on probation by the Commission on June 30, 2011, when the Commission determined that COM-FSM was significantly out of compliance with several recommendations made in spring 2010 during a “comprehensive evaluation visit” undertaken by an evaluation team. Ten of these recommendations were to fully meet Accreditation Standards.

The latest in ongoing actions for improvement since 2010 for COM-FSM, as guided by the Commission recommendations, was the March 25-27, 2013, four-member “accreditation evaluation team visit”, which, among other actions, interviewed faculty, staff members and a number of students. The purpose of an evaluation team is to verify the accuracy of information and evidence provided by the college to the Commission.

Involving various stakeholders, the college has been stepping up serious efforts to work its way out of the probation status and assure compliance with outstanding recommendations, which saw increased momentum since the hiring of a new college president in February 2012.

On July 4, 2013, in his seventeenth month as the President of COM-FSM, Dr. Daisy passed on the “good news” of the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation to FSM President Manny Mori with a grateful message.

“Today, July 4, 2013, is an especially proud day for COM-FSM. As president of COM-FSM, I wish to convey to you my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and tireless efforts on behalf of the college. I remain honored to serve COM-FSM, and am humbled by your steadfast support for me as president during these challenging seventeen months.”

 In his May 29, 2013, State of the Nation address, President Mori took some time to direct attention to the college’s current progress and press for sustained support.

“I am pleased to note that the College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) is on the path towards regaining full accreditation based on the College’s continuous quality improvement… I urge Congress to continue its financial support to the College in its efforts to gain full accreditation and its objectives to become a model of best practices in higher education.”

Throughout a six-year review cycle, a college is expected to comply with eligibility requirements, standards and policies set by the reviewing Commission to improve and validate quality.

Quality assurance review for COM-FSM falls within the jurisdiction of the ACCJC which accredits “associate degree granting institutions in the Western region of the United States” according to the Commission’s website.