[October 26, 2020] Update from President's Office

Karen Simion
Interim President

COVID-19 UPDATES

The college has been operating in the current COVID-19 Response Condition 4 since September 14, 2020. Most classes continue to be offered through distance learning while science labs, career and technical education courses, and nursing courses are taught in the traditional in person modality.  All offices, learning resource centers, and computer labs are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00pm. Learning Resource Centers are open on Saturday, 9:00 am – 1:00pm through the end of this fall semester except in Yap.

The college continues to make improvements offering courses through distance learning by providing training opportunities for faculty and additional resources for both students and faculty. The college received CARES Act Funding for the Institution and reports on how the college uses this money may be found on the college homepage, Public Transparency & Accountability, CARES Act Reports.

Spring 2021 semester will continue with most classes being offered online as in the fall semester. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Colleges has granted a waiver to colleges requesting to offer courses online in spring 2021.

REMINDER: Everyone entering a COM-FSM campus is required to wear a mask, stop at the security check point to have temperature check, and either wear the COM-FSM ID or obtain a “visitors” ID at the security check point. Please help us to practice these safety guidelines now so they become safety habits when our borders open.

HOLIDAYS

The college will be observing the following holidays:

• FSM Independence Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020
• Pohnpei Liberation Day (Pohnpei only) Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
• Veterans Day Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020
• Thanksgiving (Kosrae & Chuuk) Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

The Board of Regents continues to meet regularly. Board Agendas are posted on the college website at http://www.comfsm.fm/?q=bor-agenda-listing. Please visit these pages to see reports of college accomplishments and activities. The next Board meeting is scheduled for the first full week in December. Meetings are currently held virtually.

I would like to close this update by asking that we all continue to keep each other’s and our own physical and mental health a priority.