In compliance with the State of Emergency declared by Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga and in effect as of May 2020, the Board of Higher Education (BHE) and the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) administration has suspended all public events and gatherings within the ASCC campus. While the current social distancing requirements restrict ASCC from holding its traditional graduation ceremony for spring 2020, in its place the College will hold a closed ceremony this Friday, May 15th, during which ASCC President Dr. Rosevonne Pato and the Board will officially confer all of the degrees and certificates earned by this semester’s graduating class. While, in accordance with current social distancing requirements, no students will be present at the ceremony, their names will subsequently be published in the local print media, and instructions will be forthcoming on the procedure for them to pick up their diplomas from ASCC using a system which will minimize social contact.

“We regret that due to the current State of Emergency we cannot offer our regular commencement ceremony in honor of the ASCC Spring 2020 graduating class,” said President Dr. Rosevonne Pato. “The Board of Higher Education and the College nonetheless take great pride in acknowledging this semester’s graduates by means of the internet and the broadcast and print media. On behalf of the Board and the faculty, staff and administration of ASCC, I wish all of our Spring 2020 graduates a safe summer and a successful future.”

Names of the Spring 2020 graduates, along with the degrees and certificates they have earned, will be published in Samoa News beginning Friday, May 15th. Thereafter, an announcement will follow on the procedure for the pickup of diplomas from the College. ASCC thanks the community for its longstanding support and wishes all of American Samoa a safe living and working condition until the conclusion of the existing health crisis.