BOH appoints
Dr. Seth P. Galea'i ASCC president
New
leader says his top priority is the college's accreditation
by Tina Mata'afa
Samoa News Writer
The Board of
Higher Education has appointed Dr. Seth Peni Galea'i as President
of the American Samoa Community College.
Dr. Galea'i was
presented yesterday to faculty and administration during a special
meeting announcing his new leadership role effective today, May
1.
"It is with
great humility and respect I accept the position as President
of the American Samoa Community College," said Dr. Galea'i
after being officially introduced as the new college president
by BHE Chairman Uta Tagoilelagi.
ASCC staff welcomed
the new president with a warm round of applause.
At the top of
Dr. Galea'i's priorities as president is accreditation for ASCC,
with its six-year term due for a full review this October.
"US accreditation
is at the core of the college," Dr. Galea'i said during
an interview with Samoa News. "It is needed for the college
to receive grants, without it our students are not qualified
for Pell grants and their degrees are not transferable. US accreditation
is also what attracts foreigners to our college."
ASCC, which has
an enrollment of about 1,700 students, is accredited by the Accrediting
Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), a division
of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
ASCC will be
conducting a self-study in preparation for the ACCJC visit, with
a report prepared from the self-study to be submitted to the
ACCJC, said the college president.
During his brief
speech, Dr. Galea'i told administration and faculty that as president
he will continue to uphold the values of ASCC-professionalism
and team work-to honor the college and take the institution of
higher learning forward.
"It will
all come into play as we move forward from May 1st on,"
he said.
He reminded his
staff members of the ASCC vision which, in part, is to offer
a US accredited education within the Pacific region and American
Samoa, conducive to higher education.
According to
Uta, who chairs the seven-member BHE, Dr. Galea'i and two others
submitted applications for the ASCC presidency.
The other applicants
were Dr. Kathleen Kolhoff, director of the Office of Institutional
Advancement at ASCC and Tialuga Seloti, director of the American
Samoa Teacher Education Program (ASTEP), also at ASCC. Both Kolhoff
and Seloti are also ASCC instructors.
BHE members who
met to select Dr. Galea'i were Uta, BHE vice-chairman Tauiliili
Pemerika, Lauifi Tauiliili, Mine Pase, Sapini Siatu'u and Faye
Panama.
Uta said DOE
director Dr. Claire Poumele, BHE's seventh-member excused herself
from the selection process because she is related to Dr. Galea'i
(He is her brother-in-law).
"It took
two days for us to select the person that fits to continue managing
the college of American Samoa," he said.
To Dr. Galea'i,
he said "We [BHE] are wishing you the best of luck and good
luck in the next two years...we congratulate you and faamalo."
When former ASCC
President Dr. Adele Satele-Galea'i left her position for health
reasons, Dr. Seth Gale'ai, ASCC vice president at the time, was
named acting president in January.
He said Dr. Galea'i
can expect challenges to be a part of his job and that his role
is a vital one within the community.
Dr. Galea'i is
a father of three and a longtime educator and administrator who
graduated from Samoana High School. He received his undergraduate
and graduate degrees as well as his doctorate in education from
the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
He taught and
also served as principal at Leone, Samoana and Fagaitua high
schools. After serving at the high school level, he then became
coordinator for planning with the Department of Education.
He joined ASCC
in 1990 as director for ASTEP and became Dean of Instruction
at ASCC in 1998.
In 2004 he was
appointed vice president of ASCC.
As president,
Dr. Galea'i is the chief executive officer of ASCC and serves
at the pleasure of the BHE. Among other duties, the president
recommends policies to the BHE and is authorized by the board
to exercise broad discretionary powers per the policies, goals
and general direction of the institution, as established by the
BHE.
Reach Tina
Mata'afa at tina@samoanews.com.
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