The College of Micronesia-FSM was represented at the 2026 Association for
Community College Trustees (ACCT) National Legislative Summit in Washington D.C. by Board of Regents’ Chairwoman Lynn Sonden, Regent Steven George and President, Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono. Roundtable seminars, thought-provoking general sessions, leadership and new trustee academies, plenary speakers and focus group discussions were some of the highlights that characterized the four-day Summit from February 8 – 11, 2026. Of special note was the participation and contributions of several student trustees from across the ACCT region. The ‘Student Trustee Advisory Committee meeting and Student Advocacy Workshop’ enabled student trustees to use “research-based advocacy, communicate clear visions to potential allies” and strengthen collaborative partnerships.
Reports by the Summit organizers placed the total number of participants at 1900 with the COM-FSM representation being the only one from the Pacific Islands’ region. The program started for COM-FSM with the “New Trustees Academy” on February 8, 2026. The full-day program focused on “Governance, Consultation” and “Administration” as the guiding pillars on which a Community College Board can develop policies, procedures and practices for carrying out their responsibilities with integrity and transparency.
Scenario-based, discussion groups enhanced the participants’ understanding in real-life-like situations which were very well received. Featured speakers at the Summit included the Under Secretary of Education, Nicholas Kent and Manu Raju a senior congressional correspondent at CNN covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics. The opening general session on “perspectives on the higher education landscape” highlighted the “seismic shifts with the restructuring of the U. S. Department of Education and altered funding practices”.
The session on ‘Workforce Pell’ drew considerable interest as colleges prepare to launch their programs designed to optimize this new source of funding. Adapting to rapidly changing funding and governance legislation and policies characterized much of the discussions throughout the Summit.
Another major area of discussion focused on “legislative priorities” in relation to higher education. The priorities are listed below:
- Strengthen the Bedrock of Student Financial Aid: Pell Grants;
- Support programs and policies that boost community colleges as economic engines;
- Bolster the role of community colleges in Workforce Development;
- Strengthen accountability and transparency; and
- Join the House Community College Caucus.
In the last two days of the Summit, time was allocated so that community college trustees and senior administrators could meet and lobby with their representatives on Capitol Hill.
A meeting between COM-FSM and selected ACCT partners, included discussions for a second Governance Leadership Institute (GLI) in the Micronesian region later this year. Furthermore, COM-FSM has yet to hold a Board training retreat that was deferred from 2025. Potential dates were also discussed for the retreat to take place around the middle of this year. Overall, participating in the discussions and attending the presentations with fellow community college trustees/regents, presidents and senior administrators provided significant insights for our own Board of Regents’ continuous improvement.
