American Samoa Community College

Coordinates: 14°19′18″S 170°44′32″W / 14.3217°S 170.7422°W / -14.3217; -170.7422
Page semi-protected
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

American Samoa Community College
Pago Pago)
,
14°19′18″S 170°44′32″W / 14.3217°S 170.7422°W / -14.3217; -170.7422
Campus39 acres (16 ha)[1] – 53 acres (21 ha)[2]
Colors     
NicknameChiefs
Websiteamsamoa.edu
American Samoa Community College

American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is a

General Equivalency Diploma
are admitted to ASCC.

It is American Samoa's only

LBJ Hospital and vocational facilities in the Tafuna Industrial Complex.[3]

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.[4]

History

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

High School of American Samoa (now Samoana High School). 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 closed its Mapusaga High School in 1974, the government of American Samoa purchased the buildings for $1.5 million (equivalent to $7,212,000 in 2023), signed a 50-year lease for the 20-acre (8.1 ha) property, and moved the college here. The college received accreditation from the Commission of Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1976. The college's new wing was constructed in 1978 at a cost of $3.5 million (equivalent to $12,836,000 in 2023). ASCC received a $1.5 million federal grant in 1978 (equivalent to $5,501,000 in 2023) in order to establish a Teacher Corps project to improve the teaching quality.[5]

The college was established in 1970 as part of the

teacher training, 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.[6]

In 1979, the U.S.

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act in 2011. Groundbreaking for the Multi-Purpose Center was initiated in 2013.[6]

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.[7]

Samoan artist Sven Ortquist has been an artist-in-residence at the college.

Academics

ASCC offers

Associate of Science degrees, as well as certificate programs. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
.

Student body

93 percent of students are residents of American Samoa; however, only 24 percent have Samoan 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.[8]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

See also

References

External links