July 1st of this year marked the beginning of American Samoa Community College (ASCC) President Dr. Rosevonne Makaiwi Pato’s three-year appointment as a Commission member with the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), 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. The ACCJC is recognized by U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority regarding the quality of education offered by the institutions it accredits, in keeping with the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The Commission consists of 19 members elected by ACCJC member institutions and comprises the Board of Directors of 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. At ASCC, she has served in various leadership roles, including Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Vice President of Administrative Services, and as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, all positions which have given her insight into the accreditation process. Dr. Pato holds a B.A. degree from the University of San Francisco, a M.Ed. from the University of Hawaii – Manoa, and a Doctorate in Education in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University – Phoenix. “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 dialog concerning the most current issues facing higher education in the US through my participation on the ACCJC Commission.”

Another of the ASCC Executive Leaders has also been selected for a position within the ACCJC. Mr. Sonny Leomiti, Vice President of Administration and Finance, 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.

Dr. Pato and Mr. Leomiti both credit the American Samoa Board of Higher Education for their encouragement and support, as well as the ASCC administration, faculty and staff for working with them as a team in response to recent challenges the College has faced. “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.”