American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

land-grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

in the village of Mapusaga, American Samoa. Only legal residents of

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...

who have graduated from high school or obtained a General Equivalency Diploma are admitted to ASCC. It is American Samoa's only

tertiary education Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

institution. The main Mapusaga campus has a variety of Associate degree programs. Also associated with the college are a nursing school at LBJ Hospital and vocational facilities in the

Tafuna Tafuna ( sm, Tāfuna) is a village on the east coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is home to Pago Pago International Airport (Tafuna Airport). It is one mile south of Nu'uuli, American Samoa. The Ottoville district is a part of Tafuna. Ne ...

Industrial Complex. ASCC awarded 139 degrees and certificates in 2016, including 75 Associate of Arts degrees, 60 Associate of Science degrees, 3 Certificate of Proficiency, and one Bachelor in Elementary Education. In 2016, the college had 1,254 enrolled full-time students and 553 enrolled part-time. Around 27 percent majored in liberal arts but other popular majors were business management, accounting, criminal justice, education, nursing and health science.

History

American Samoa Community College was established in 1970. It started its first year with 474 attending school in

Utulei Utulei or Utulei is a village in Maoputasi County, in the Eastern District of Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. Utulei is traditionally considered to be a section of Fagatogo village, the legislative capital of American Samoa, and is ...

at the old navy buildings that once were the High School of American Samoa (now

Samoana High School Samoana High School (SHS) is a prominent high school in Utulei,History
" Samoana High School at Cyb ...

). Enrollment increased to 550 in the fall of 1971 and 872 by the spring of 1972. The college originally offered an associate degree and transfer to baccalaureate-granting colleges. It offered vocational, teacher, adult education and manpower training. Nurse training was added in 1976. The college was granted one-year accreditation in 1973 and received entitlement to funds under the Higher Education Act of 1963. When

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

closed its

Mapusaga Mapusaga is a small village located nine miles west of Pago Pago on Tutuila island in the American territory of American Samoa. Its coordinates are 14.33° south and 170.74389 ° west, with an elevation of 180 feet. The village is home to Ameri ...

High School in 1974, the government of American Samoa purchased the buildings for $1.5 million, signed a 50-year lease for the 20-acre property, and moved the college here. The college received accreditation from the Commission of Junior Colleges,

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Sam ...

in 1976. The college's new wing was constructed in 1978 at a cost of $3.5 million. ASCC received a $1.5 million federal grant in 1978 in order to establish a Teacher Corps project to improve the teaching quality. The college was established in 1970 as part of the American Samoa Department of Education to provide residents the opportunity to enjoy postsecondary education in the

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

teacher training Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their t ...

, vocational-technical education, and general education. The first freshman class had only 131 students. The school moved into a few buildings on the island before moving permanently to its current location in Mapusaga in 1974. In 1979, the U.S.

Economic Development Administration The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants and technical assistance to economically distressed communities in order to generate new employment, help retain exist ...

provided a grant that allowed the college to add five modern buildings for the fine arts,

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

, and

vocational training Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an in ...

. ASCC was also able to add a cafeteria and a

gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...

nasium. A new

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

was added in 2003. New administrative offices, lecture hall and two new teacher education classrooms were added in 2008. The computer and science labs were renovated and upgraded with funding from the

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...

in 2011. Groundbreaking for the Multi-Purpose Center was initiated in 2013. The Health Care Center at ASCC opened in November 1985. The college also began a program to enable local nurses to take national tests as registered and licensed practical nurses. Samoan artist Sven Ortquist has been an artist-in-residence at the college.

Academics

ASCC offers Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, as well as certificate programs. It is accredited by the

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is an accrediting organization in the United States. It accredits private and public colleges that provide students two-year education programs and confer the associate deg ...

Student body

93 percent of students are residents of American Samoa; however, only 24 percent have

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

n citizenship. Roughly 23 percent are over the age of 26. Around 75 percent of enrolled students are full-time students, while first-year students make up 47 percent of the total student body.Crocombe, R.G. and Malama Meleisea (1988). ''Pacific Universities: Achievements, Problems, Prospects''. The University of the South Pacific. Page 223. .

Notable alumni

Lemanu Peleti Mauga Lemanu Palepoi Sialegā Mauga (born January 1, 1949) is an American Samoan politician and the 8th governor of American Samoa since January 3, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Mauga served as a senator in the American Samoa Senate, where he ...

, Governor of American Samoa * Lutu T. S. Fuimaono, the longest-serving member of the

American Samoa Senate The American Samoa Senate is the upper house of the American Samoa Fono. The Senate, like the lower House of Representatives, is a nonpartisan body. It is composed of 18 senators, serving a four-year term. History American Samoa became a Unit ...

Notable faculty

* Mike Gabbard *

Salu Hunkin-Finau Salu Hunkin-Finau (born ?) is an American Samoan educator, politician, and academic administrator. She is the former president of American Samoa Community College. In February 2012, Hunkin announced her candidacy for Governor of American Samoa in th ...

, former President of American Samoa Community College * Sa'eu Scanlan, the college's first Samoan president * Galeai Moaaliitele Tuufuli

References

External links

* {{Authority control Universities and colleges in American Samoa Community colleges in the United States Buildings and structures in American Samoa Tutuila Educational institutions established in 1970 Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges 1970 establishments in American Samoa