American Samoa Community College

II.A.6. The institution schedules courses in a manner that allows students to complete certificate and degree programs within a period of time consistent with established expectations in higher education.

The College, through its Academic Departments, programs and divisions, schedules courses on a semester basis.  The College’s schedule of classes is a collaborative effort by all departments/programs to ensure faculty members are complying with ASCC teaching policies 1.  Course scheduling and offerings are preapproved prior to the upcoming semester.  Each department/program/division schedule is reviewed and approved by department/program/division chairperson before a final submission to the Dean of Academic Affairs. The Department Chairperson prepares all tentative course schedules with input from the faculty. Department Chairpersons are required to create a yearly tentative course schedule to assist students in academic advising and planning. This enables all students to create a clear pathway to complete their degrees and/or certificates in a reasonable period of time. 2

A schedule of classes is made available to all students before priority registration.  This allows students to plan accordingly with the assistance of their advisors in fulfilling their Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for a declared degree or certificate programs. The IEP, also known as the advising sheet, is available at the office of Academic Affairs or with respective programs, and serves as a guide to students on required courses. The Student Planning Sheet indicates the sequencing of courses and program length. 3

Academic Department Chairpersons continue to plan courses based on course sequence, length of time for certificate or degree completion, and available resources prior to submission of their semester course schedule to the Division of Academic Affairs. 4

A time period to pursue an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree with a minimum of 60 credits at ASCC is at least a year and half including summers or more.  Based on degree completion rates, the majority of ASCC students require 2.5 to 3 years to complete an Associate Degree, which is consistent with established expectations in higher education. A student may also complete a certificate with a minimum of 30 credits in two or more semesters.  Based on ASCC institutional-set student achievement standards, graduation rate is set at 39% within a 150% normal time to completion, which is equivalent to three years.

An estimated time period to pursue the B.Ed. degree after completion of all GE and Elementary Education program requirements is set at two years.  According to the course offerings from fall 2012-spring 2014, the institution continues to place emphasis on offering CAPP courses and General Education requirements every semester including summer. CAPP English and Math courses are offered in two six-week sessions per semester to accommodate students placed in developmental/pre-collegiate courses.  The increased availability of CAPP courses each semester provides students opportunities to move forward with their program of study in a timely manner.