Board of Regents Meeting in Chuuk:

The College of Micronesia-FSM Board of Regents will be meeting in the State of Chuuk during the week of September 12-16, 2005. The agenda for the Board of Regents meeting is given below for your information. The BOR meeting is open to public except for executive sessions.

1. Call to Order; opening prayer

2. Reading of Mission Statement

3. Roll Call; declaration of quorum

4. Approval of Minutes

a. May 24-26, 2005 regular meeting

5. Communications

6. Regents’ Reports

7. President’s Report (summary of progress and concerns)

a. President’s update

b. Instructional Affairs

c. Support and Student Affairs

d. Campus reports (all State Campuses and FSM FMI)

e. Cooperative Research and Extension (Land Grant)

f. Finances

1.) FY 2005 financial report as of June 30, 2005

g. Research and Planning

h. Human Resources

i. Facilities

8. Old Business

a. Chuuk Campus*

b. Revised mission statement*

c. Enrollment management briefing

9. New Business

a. Finance

1. FY 2007 budget guidelines*

2. Pohnpei Campus request to use excess revenue*

3. Revised rates for FSM-China Friendship Center *

b. Instructional

1. Certificate of Achievement Program in Small Engine, Equipment, and Outboard Motor Repair*

2. Articulation agreement with UOG on Third-year Program in Accounting and General Business*

c. Human Resources

1. Policy on minimum qualifications for part-time instructors*

d. Miscellaneous

1. Policy on external funding development and reporting*

2. Resolultion for Saramen Chuuk Academy *

10. Executive Session

a. Evaluation of the President*

11. Next Meeting

12. Adjournment

* action items

COM-FSM SEG Plan:

President’s Office has received official communication from the JEMCO staff that the COM-FSM’s SEG Plan was clearly delineated and is approvable as written. However, in order for the JEMCO Staff and FSM National Government to be able to track the projects, a timeline needs to be established for each objective. The Vice President for Instructional Affairs and Education Division faculty will be working with the President’s Office on establishing and submitting the timeline to the JEMCO staff as soon as possible. The College will be getting $174,000 from the SEG Grant to establish a Teacher Corp Program at the College.

It is good to learn that the Plan was well received and JEMCO can approve it easily. Thanks to Mrs. Jean Thoulag, Vice President for Instructional Affairs, and Mr. Benson Moses, Chair of the Education Division, for working with the President’s Office on completing and submitting the Plan to FSM President Office for inclusion in the overall FSM SEG Plan.

COM-FSM Endowment Fund:

The objective for the COM-FSM Endowment Fund is to receive a return of 10% per year on the funds. So far the average returns on the investment since its inception in January 31, 1998 fell short of this. The average returns on the investment are at 8.35% because of the negative returns on the investment during 2001-2002. The ending market value for the COM-FSM investment as of July 31, 2005, is at $2.308 million.

Thanks to all donors and those faculty and staff that continue to allot monies to the COM-FSM Endowment Fund on a biweekly basis. I would like to encourage other faculty and staff to join these generous people and start allotting money to the Endowment Fund. Remember that this is a good cause and is for the children and future leaders of the FSM.

Working Group on Alternate Energy:

Due to recent increases in fuel costs globally, the cost of electricity at the COM-FSM Campuses has skyrocketed. The College is expecting to spent over half a million dollars for its electricity this fiscal year at its six campuses. Because of the increases in the electricity bills, the President has established a working group on alternate energy. The working group has its first meeting on Monday, August 29, 2005, during which the President explained the goals and objectives for the working group. One of the goals for the working group is to explore the cheapest, reliable, and relevant energy source(s) that the College of Micronesia-FSM could invest in to supplement or replace its current electricity/power source. The working group has been divided into three groups to explore solar, water, and wind powers and report on the results of their research at the next working group meeting on Thursday, September 8, 2005. The member of the working group includes the following faculty and staff: Spensin James, Dr. Richard Womack, Mr. Dana Lee Ling, Mrs. Jessica Stam, Mr. Joe Saimon, Mr. Francisco Mendiola, Mr. Anwar Jahan, Mr. Dannis Lorrin, and Mr. Alfred Olter.

While the working group is working on long and short terms power needs for the College, the group is also recommending the following energy conservation measures for the College Community:

Energy Conservation Tips:

1. Set the thermostat of the air conditioners at 75 degrees;
2. Turn off lights, air conditioners, and appliances in offices and buildings after 5 p.m. on working days and weekends;
3. Close curtains and blinds to help insulate buildings against cooling lost;
4. Reduce the use of nonessential electrical equipments and appliances in the offices; and
5. Turn off all nonessential lighting.

Gasoline Conservation Tips:

1. Driving Sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) waste gas. Driving sensibly could reduce gas consumption of your car by 5%
2. College is implementing a new guideline on the number of errands for its vehicles that drive to Kolonia Town daily. Faculty and staff should schedule errands into town around the two scheduled mail runs a day. The exception to this guideline will be made only on a case by case request.

The College is contemplating on awarding prize(s) to buildings at its campuses that uses the least kilowatts of power per month.

Grant Award Notification for Gear Up Program:

A grant notification award for the Kosrae Campus Gear Up Program was received by the Project Director on August 29, 2005. This grant notification award is an approval on the program’s request for one-time no cost extension proposal. This award also allows the Gear Up Program to extend the program for one year using the remaining funds from the project. The notification is not for the Gear Up Program Grant Proposal submitted to the US Department of Education in May 2005.

Talent Search Grant Writing Workshop:

The Director of Research and Planning Office is organizing a Talent Search Program Grant Writing Workshop for representatives from Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap Campuses during the week of September 12-13, 2005, at the National Campus. Pohnpei Campus Talent Search Program will be developing and re-submitting a grant proposal for continuation of its program. The Kosrae and Yap Campuses will be developing new grant proposals for the first time. The Chuuk Campus cannot submit a Talent Search Program grant proposal as University of Guam is already proving the service to schools in the State of Chuuk. The College is confident that the new and the continuing proposals will be funded. The proposals will be submitted to US Department of Education TRIO Programs in October 2005.

The Grant Writing Workshop is an initiative that the College is using in developing its local capacities in grant writing. The College plans not to use consultants from abroad to write its grant proposals from now on. The only time we expect an outsider to write grant proposals for the College is when the College collaborates with an institution abroad. The success rate so far is 100% when College staff develops the grant proposals.

Workshops for Vocational Instructors:

A series of workshops in telecommunication electronics, NIDA computer assisted instructions, assessment, classroom management, entrepreneurship, and interpersonal skill for vocational instructors from the five campuses (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, and National Campuses) were conducted at Pohnpei Campus during the week of July 25- August 5, 2005. A total of 14 vocational instructors and 8 technicians from FSM Telecommunication, Corporation, attend these series of workshops. The workshops were conducted by John Limtiaco from Guam Community College, Grant Collis, NIDA Office in Australia, and the following COM-FSM faculty and staff: Herman Semes, Jean Thoulag, Benson Moses, Grilly Jack, and Anwar Jahan. The workshops were very successful.

 

The following is a photo of the instructors and participants of the workshops:

 

 

Thank you.