As a move towards improved efficiency while maintaining the proper focus on its priorities, the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) has reorganized the administrative post of Vice President into two new positions. Veteran ASCC administrator and instructor Dr. Kathleen Kolhoff-Belle now serves as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, while Mikaele Etuale, another long serving member of the administration and faculty member, has been appointed Vice President of Administration and Finance.

"The academic and administrative divisions work in very different ways, even though they work towards the same mission and vision at the College" said President Dr. Seth Galea'i. "The Board of Higher Education and I agreed that the time has come to divide these responsibilities between two individuals, rather than having one Vice President attending to both." Dr. Galea'i explained that many of today's institutions of higher learning have followed a similar approach to dividing the responsibilities of Vice President. "In fact," he said, "I know of many colleges that have several Vice Presidents who focus on various aspects of the institution. ASCC has yet to reach that level of need, but for now we feel that having two Vice Presidents will improve our administrative organization by having separate leadership in the respective areas of academics and administration."

Having served ASCC for the past 22 years, Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs Dr. Kolhoff-Belle earned her PhD from Union Graduate School in Ohio . Looking back on her long career in academics, she recalls, "I've worked in higher education for 35 years as a teacher and administrator.  I was Academic Vice President of a small college in Oklahoma before coming to American Samoa in 1987.  At ASCC, I've worked in a number of different roles, usually involving grants and accreditation, and this has helped me develop a broad view of college activities, operations and priorities.  Along with my administrative duties, I've continued to teach at least one class a semester."

During his 26 years in the field of education, Vice President of Administration and Finance Mikaele Etuale's experience has involved instruction and curriculum development ranging from the elementary to the high school and college levels. He earned his M.A. Ed from University of San Francisco , and got his first teaching experience working at Lupelele Elementary School from 1983 to 1985, followed by a stint at Leone High School from 1985 to 1992. For the rest of the '90s, Etuale worked with the American Samoa Diocese of Catholic Education, a job which saw him serve as Principal of Marist/Faasao as well as Assistant Superintendent. He joined the ASCC faculty in 2000, initially bringing his teaching expertise to the Social Science Department before taking the position of Assistant to the Dean of Academic Affairs in 2003.

Having worked as colleagues for many years, both Kolhoff-Belle and Etuale expressed optimism that their new positions as dual Vice Presidents will enable them to help the College maintain its steady rate of positive growth. "Mikaele and I have a close professional relationship," said Kolhoff-Belle. "We will meet regularly, have adjacent offices, and look forward to many areas of collaboration. I think this is a logical division of responsibilities that allows each of us to focus on priorities while keeping lines of responsibility and lines of communication open and transparent."