Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Speaking at the recent ASG coronavirus task force meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi requested that the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) and the Education Department (ASDOE) submit their individual plans on providing instructional education for students.

Lolo said he believes that the coronavirus pandemic could continue to the end of the year. He said the plan should indicate how the two institutions will make up for the lost instruction time, during the current emergency declaration and also plans for the upcoming graduation season.

Education director Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga informed the governor that the department would provide data along with a recommendation to the task force, noting that ASDOE depends on physicians’ advise and guidance on their plan.

She says it would be difficult for students to catch up, even if the schools are reopened, but emphasized that all issues requested by the governor will be addressed in their plan including this year’s graduation for high school seniors.

During the shutdown of all public and private schools, ASDOE has continued education service through the internet and a package of study materials for students, picked up by their parents or legal guardians.

US news outlets are reporting that officials in some states and cities have made the decision to close the current school year early, and the decisions are made based on the COVID-19 curve in their respective jurisdictions.

ASCC President Dr. Rosevonne M. Pato, who attended the task force meeting acknowledged the governor’s request on submission of its plan, especially the upcoming Spring graduation for the college, that usually occurs the middle of May.

Speaking Tuesday night on KVZK-TV, the ASCC president explained that if the college is unable to hold a Spring graduation ceremony, due to COVID-19 restrictions, “we will most like” use the option utilized in the Winter graduation last December — in the midst of the measles outbreak — where students were able to come to pick up their degrees or certificates on a list basis, in which students went by names and they showed up at ASCC for pick ups.

“Right now, we’ve already looked at the option for graduation the same way with graduation last semester, where we would confer the degrees and have [graduates] come and pick them up. They have their gowns and everything,” she said.

(Samoa News notes that ASCC board official conferring of degrees and certificates last December was taped and aired by KVZK-TV).

Dr. Pato emphasized that a spring graduation ceremony, will depend on whether public gatherings will be allowed at the time.

Current ASCC courses for students are being conducted online through the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environmental (MOODLE) Course Management System since Mar. 23rd, according to information on the college’s website.

Dr. Pato explained that the MOODLE system allows teachers to provide courses and assignments that are normally done in a classroom setting. And students also have access to this online system.

“The MOODLE system is something that we have had for quite sometime, but only about 10% of our courses were online before the coronavirus pandemic,” she explained adding that teachers went “through, sort of a crash course learning” on how to upload and download lessons and instructions on this system.

“The challenge that we face, as we know throughout the territory, not all homes have internet access. So the college looked at other options to provide students with immediate internet access,” she said.

To address this issue, ASCC worked closely with the American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority (ASTCA) for cellular phones, which could be used as routers — not only for students, but teachers.

Through the assistance of ASTCA, ASCC purchased a number of phones, which currently have plans on them. Students with no internet access at home, as identified through their instructors, can use these phones as routers to get on the MOODLE system, connecting their laptop or other devices.

“Currently we’re looking at possible student packages for data, but that’s still in the planning… with ASTCA,” she points out.

She went on to explain that because ASCC wasn’t able to purchase the ASTCA phones for maybe about three-weeks, some students went on their own, and either bought phones or bought internet services either with ASTCA or Bluesky American Samoa.

However, if students are still unable to access internet, she said the college has these phones from ASTCA, and instructors who don’t have access are also able to lease these phones, in order to get immediately access.

“It has been a challenge because online instruction is not something we are used to doing, but fortunately, students are very tech [smart] and they know all about internet,” she said, adding that across the US, this is the new thing — online instruction amid the virus pandemic.

Last week, Congresswoman Aumua Amata announced another vital CARES Act coronavirus relief grant, this time more than $1.6 million through the U.S. Department of Education to aid the ASCC with $808,943 (half of the total) specified as assistance for the students. (See Samoa News edition Apr. 14th for details.)

Dr. Pato acknowledged this funding, saying that some of this money will be used for online access for students. She said the college is looking at purchasing more phones to be used for immediate access to internet courses.

Next month, the college “will be able to purchase laptops to allow our students to lease out laptops to get access to courses,” she explained.

She points out that all these challenges and changes — as a result of the COVID-19 declaration — occurred right in the middle of the semester but the college must continue instruction.

“Students have been really good about going online and using whatever devices they have to access courses,” she said, adding that this week, ASCC opened pre-registration for the summer and falls semesters and it’s being done online — which also provides other services for students such as financial aid, admission, tutoring and counseling.

“We have both instructional and student services all through the MOODLE system,” she said.

The only issue now for pre-registration and registration is the online payments. “We haven’t looked at how we’re going to go about that,” she said, noting that additional information will be released later and encouraged students needing assistance and information to call ASCC 699-9155.