Thirteen Member Visiting Team to Arrive Mid March 2016
Palikir, Pohnpei (February 24, 2016) - The College of Micronesia-FSM will be welcoming a thirteen member visiting team as part of the External Evaluation Visit by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), from March 8 – March 17, 2016.
Below is the Visiting Team Roster:
Dr. Rachel Rosenthal
Chair
Dr. Rachel Rosenthal is currently the President of Folsom Lake College in Folsom, California. She joined Folsom Lake College in July 2012 and has twenty-two years of experience in the California Community College system in both single- and multi-college systems
Dr. Rosenthal holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a master’s degree in applied mathematics, both from the University of California, Davis, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University, Sacramento, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Monica Pactol
Team Assistant
Monica Pactol has 24 years of experience in community colleges. She was a full time faculty member in Communication Studies at West Valley College. She has served as Director of Instructional Outreach at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton CO, and as Dean of Instruction at Folsom Lake College (FLC). She currently serves as Vice President of Instruction and Accreditation Liaison Officer at FLC.
She possesses a BA and MA in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University and a PhD in Community College Leadership from Colorado State University.
Jonathan Cole
Academic Representative
Jonathan Cole teaches physics and climate science at MiraCosta College, where he has been on the faculty since 1984. He has served in a variety of governance roles at MiraCosta, including serving as Academic Senate president in 2003-2005 and again in 2005-2007 and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of MiraCosta’s Faculty Assembly.
Mr. Cole holds a master’s degree in physics from the University of California, San Diego and a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Dr. Joseph Carrithers
Academic Representative
Dr. Joe Carrithers has taught full time in the English Department at Fullerton College since 1994. He has experience teaching basic skills and transfer-level classes, and he has been a faculty member in both the Transfer Achievement Program and the Honors Program.
He served as co-chair for his college’s accreditation self study of 1999, as chair for the self study of 2005, and as editor of the self study of 2011. This is his eighth time serving as a member of an accreditation site visit team.
Ms. Cathy Chenu-Campbell
Academic Representative
Cathy Chenu-Campbell is a librarian at Sacramento City College, where she oversees use of the library information system and the purchasing/cataloging of all library materials. In addition, she has regularly taught courses for the Library and Information Technology certificate program at the college.
Ms. Chenu-Campbell has extensive accreditation experience. She has twice served as faculty chair for the accreditation self-evaluation process at Sacramento City College, and has been a visiting team member on a number of accreditation site visits to other colleges.
Mr. Matthew Crow
Academic Representative
Matthew Crow is currently a Professor of English and English and Foreign Language department chair at Cerro Coso Community College. He teaches at the Indian Wells Valley campus in Ridgecrest, California. He has been at Cerro Coso since 2005 and has served as president of the academic senate from 2010 to 2013.
Professor Crow earned his bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in English Literature at California State University, Fresno.
Dr. Renée DeLong
Academic Representative
Dr. Renée DeLong Chomiak is the Dean of Counseling Services and a part-time psychology instructor at Cerritos College in the Los Angeles area. She has been at Cerritos College since 2001 and has many years of community college experience in California and Illinois.
Dr. DeLong holds associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in psychology as well as a master’s degree in theology and marriage and family therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary. She also has an EdD. in Educational Administration & Leadership from a joint program at the University of California, Irvine and California State University, Long Beach.
Dr. Alan D. Buckley
Academic Representative
Dr. Alan D. Buckley is Professor of Political Science at Santa Monica College. Before joining the College in 1989, he was an International Business Analyst, The Conference Board, New York (1979-82), an International Business Analyst, Getty Oil Co., Los Angeles (1982-84), and Vice President, Economics Department, Security Pacific National Bank, Los Angeles (1984-88).
Dr. Buckley earned his BA in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma, his MA. in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and his PhD. in Political Science from Columbia University.
Dr. James Dire
Administrative Representative
Dr. James Dire has served in higher education for more than thirty-three years. Besides twenty years full-time in the classroom teaching science and engineering, Dr. Dire has served in multiple leadership roles.
Dire earned a BS degree in Physics and Mathematics and a BS degree in Chemistry, both from the University of Missouri. He also earned a MS degree in Physics/Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida. In addition, he holds an MA degree in meteorology and a PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from The Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. Peter J. Hardash
Administrative Representative
Mr. Hardash is currently the Vice Chancellor of Business Operations/Fiscal Services for the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) in Santa Ana, California. Mr. Hardash has over thirty-four years of experience in public education.
He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles, and an MBA from Pepperdine University in Malibu.
Dr. Brian Sanders
Administrative Representative
Dr. Brian K. Sanders is currently serving as the Interim Vice President for College and Administrative Services at Columbia College. In that role since October, 2015, he is responsible for day-to-day administrative operations including budget management, business office, food service, bookstore, duplicating, marketing, mail service, facilities, and campus security.
Dr. Sanders earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California, Davis, a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Oregon, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Ms. Carmen Santos
Administrative Representative
Carmen Kwek Santos has a BA in Accounting, master’s in Business Administration, and became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 1996. She previously worked at Deloitte, a public accounting firm for over 10 years where she worked up the ranks from an assistant to senior auditor to manager.
She is currently the Vice President of Finance and Administration at Guam Community College where she manages the Business Office, Materials Management, Human Resources, Financial Aid, Management Information Systems, the Safety Office, and Academic Technology departments.
Ms. Barbara McNeice-Stallard
Representative
Ms. Barbara McNeice-Stallard is the Director of Research and Institutional Effectiveness at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). In 2001 she began at Mt. SAC and brings over 20 years of experience in institutional effectiveness in higher education research from both Canada and the United States.
She has her Master of Science degree in Health Behavior and a Bachelor of Science degree in Honors Kinesiology (Co-Operative). Both University of Waterloo degrees have a strong research focus. Her research expertise includes biological (sleep deprivation, catecholamine reactivity, facial expressions) and educational (quality of nurses’ work lives; improving student success).
