President of the American Samoa Community College, Dr. Rosevonne Makaiwi-Pato and ASCC Vice President of Administration and Finance, Mr. Sonny Leomiti are serving as members of the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. This is the entity which accredits institutions of higher learning that have a primary mission of granting Associate degrees in the United States, its territories and its affiliates.
July 1st was the beginning of Dr. Pato’s three year appointment to the ACCJC. Commission membership is determined by areas of expertise and experience that a Commissioner brings, as well as affiliation with other Commissions and related organizations.
The composition of the ACCJC Commission includes a member of the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC), which is the position Dr. Pato has been appointed to. Dr. Pato has a longstanding affiliation with PPEC, a consortium of presidents and chancellors of higher education institutions in the U.S., and its affiliated Pacific Islands who collaborate to address regional and postsecondary education issues.
Dr. Pato’s previous experience with the ACCJC includes having served as a member of two of its peer review teams, and as the chairperson of another.
“I see this as an exciting opportunity to promote unity within the education community of the US-affiliated Pacific through my role with PPEC,” reflected Dr. Pato, “And also to join in the dialogue concerning the most current issues facing higher education in the US through my participation on the ACCJC Commission.”
Mr. Sonny Leomiti was recently requested to serve as a member of the ACCJC Nominating Committee. This is a key ACCJC body that reviews all applicants for positions that are vacant, new, or open for election. Mr. Leomiti has had extensive experience collaborating with the ACCJC through his role as the College’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO). In his capacity as ALO, Mr. Leomiti maintains close contact with the ACCJC, a working relationship which played a significant part in ASCC achieving excellent results during its most recent accreditation review by the ACCJC in September 2021.
“We’re proud to represent American Samoa and ASCC in the wider educational arena,” said Dr. Pato, “But at heart, Mr. Leomiti and I are both just educators who do this for our students.”
