University & Community Engagement

In addition to land-grant service and outreach projects, the university offers a host of other activities, projects, and courses to meet community and regional needs. Many of these activities fall under the auspices of the Office of University and Community Engagement. Others units, like the Center for Developmental Disabilities Education Research and Service, oversee grants and service projects supported by federal funding.This section of the annual report highlights the many ways in which the university serves individuals and communities on Guam and throughout the region.

Office of University and Community Engagement

Courses, programs and projects run through the Office of University and Community Engagement programs include: Professional and International Programs; the English Language Institute; and Telecommunication and Distance Education; as well as the Planetarium and TRIO Programs. Following are several outreach and service activities that underscore the many ways in which the University is engaged with the communities it serves.

• Japan’s Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Employees Participate in Business English Training - Eighteen employees from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Japan participated in a three-week Business English Program offered through the Office of University and Community Engagement’s Professional and International Programs. Small group interaction with UOG business students and professors, research ideas, and business topics were covered during the training. This training opportunity led to the development of additional business English programs for Deloitte Touch Tohmatsu employees in 2008.

• English Adventure Program - The development of educational tourism, partnerships with Asian institutions, and cultural exchange visits raised the University of Guam’s profile in Asia. In 2007, over 1,000 individuals participated in UOG’s short-term English Adventure Program, including: students and faculty from the Nagaoka Business School in Japan, Chosun University in Korea, and teachers and students from Sendai, Kaishi, Kanuma, and Kurashi high schools.

• English Language Institute - In 2007, 101 individuals completed the 14-week English Language Institute. Students who complete the program and earn a score of 500 or better on the TOFEL examination can enroll as regular University of Guam students.

Professional and International Programs

In 2007, Professional and International Programs (PIP) served 2,446 students and 37 businesses who registered for credit, continuing education units, and online courses.

In partnership with the School of Education, PIP continued to support the Individualized Degree Program offered to students in Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae who seek to complete their undergraduate degrees in Education. A total of 207 students were served including 107 in Yap, 57 in Chuuk, and 43 in Kosrae.

Professional and International Programs also partnered with the American Management Association to officer certificate programs in several areas: Certificate for Administrative Professionals; Certificate in Business Communication; Certificate in Finance and Accounting; Certificate in Supervision; Certificate in Human Resources Mgmt.; and a Certificate in Management.

• Online Courses - Partnerships with Ed2Go and Gatlin Education Services, launched in 2006, continued in 2007 with 88 students enrolling in these online courses. Professional & International Programs also offered over 5,000 online courses with their E-Learning Center beginning in 2007.

• Certification Courses for the Guam Public School System - PIP offered several courses in 2007 to enable GPSS employees to meet certification requirements. Courses offered include: eight librarian certification courses; physical education courses; and software and statistics training for administrators.

• Recertification Courses for Teachers - The Yamashita Educator Corps (YEC) provided financial support for recertification courses for teachers, counselors and administrators. Sixty in-service teachers enrolled in the courses.

• Recertification Courses For Real Estate Agents and Brokers Real Estate - PIP provided course to meet the training requirements of real estate agent pre-licensure, agent, and broker recertification. Sixty-four individuals enrolled.

• The Institute of Catholic Religious Education - In 2007, PIP offered Continuing Education Units for courses taken through the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program.

• Conferences - PIP offered CEU’s or credits for several conferences held in 2007 including conferences for GPSS Counselors, Health Educators, and the Annual Real Estate Conference.

• Hankuk University of Foreign Studies English Writing Course - Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Korea sent 130 students to participate in short-term, intensive English writing courses.The outcome of these initial courses offered in 2007 led to additional groups scheduled for training in 2008.

• Testing - Professional and International Programs offered several certification exams for a variety of community needs including: Pre-Veterinarian Certification Web-based Test and the Actuary Exams. Additionally, PIP proctored 223 Insurance Certification Exams and 458 Guam Real Estate Certification Exams. Additionally, 8,485 Guam written Driver’s License exams were proctored by PIP.

• Telecommunications and Distance Education Organization (TADEO) - Through grant funding,TADEO has built most of the communication network for the outer islands of Microneisa. Communication systems include email, weather FM Broadcast Stations and communication systems that support telemedicine. In 2007, in conjunction with the National Weather Service,TADEO expanded emergency weather FM Broadcast Stations in the Chuuk and Majuro lagoons. Other projects include:

Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service

CEDDERS has served as a training, technical assistance, and research center in the Western Pacific region since 1993. CEDDERS is a federally funded Center of Excellence that is part of a national network of 67 university-based centers. In partnership with individuals with disabilities and their families, agencies, organizations, and service providers, its mission is “to create pathways that enhance, improve, and support the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families." To meet this challenge, CEDDERS manages multiple federally funded grants and local and regional contracts that address a broad range of issues that affect individuals with disabilities. CEDDERS works locally with government agencies, service providers, individuals, and families on a variety of projects. CEDDERS also provides regional outreach to the Pacific Basin entities of American Samoa, FSM, CNMI, Palau, and Marshall Islands through technical assistance and training in support of individuals with disabilities. CEDDERS is 100% funded through federal grants and contracts. Some of CEDDERS major initiatives for FY2007 are:

• Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant - CEDDERS has partnered with the Guam Public School System (GPSS) in implementing a $9.3M three-year Teacher Quality Improvement Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Project Håtsa, the official name of the grant which means "to raise or to build", focuses on three major areas: Stakeholder Involvement: Policy and Curriculum Alignment; Mentoring and Professional Growth; and Leadership in Teacher Supervision and Evaluation. A significant outcome achieved in 2007 was the adoption for full implementation of the “Educator Certification Stage and Professional Growth Program” and piloting of the Administrator Standards. These policies went into effect during School Year 2007-2008. The Project also spearheaded the establishment of the Teacher Mentor Program, with full implementation taking place during this period, with 14 veteran teachers providing guidance and support to 83 beginning teachers.

• USDOE Special Education Program Grants - CEDDERS was awarded $3.3M by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs to support the full implementation of high quality alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities in six Pacific Basin entities. The 3-year grant, entitled “The PACIFIC Project,” includes American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The PACIFIC Project, which stands for “Pacific Assessment Consortium Implementing Fully Innovative Change,” continues the regional commitment of the Pacific Assessment Consortium (PAC6) established in 2005 to address both the common and unique needs of each entity in implementing an inclusive assessment system. This project is designed to provide the technical support for each entity to improve capacity to report and analyze participation and performance data of students with significant cognitive disabilities on alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards. The project connects each island entity to regional and national experts through CEDDERS, the National Center on Educational Outcomes based at the University of Minnesota, and the Western Regional Resource Center, located at the University of Oregon.

• Newborn Hearing Screening - The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 2004 requires hearing screening to be performed on infants born on Guam before they leave the facility in which they are born. The passage of this law is due to the efforts of the Guam Early Hearing Detection Intervention project which worked with many other agencies to draft the legislation. For the period between January to December 2007, 2,946 newborns were screened for hearing. Of that number, 13 were referred for further audiological evaluation, and 5 have been diagnosed with hearing loss. The long-term outcomes for these children are improved as a result of early identification and support. Research has shown that young children identified with hearing loss who receive intervention before six months of age develop language (spoken or signed) that is comparable with hearing peers.

• Pacific Consortium for Instructional Materials Accessibility Project - CEDDERS received a $1.4M grant in October from the U.S. Department of Education to address the common and unique needs of Pacific jurisdictions in implementing a system that meets the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center (NIMAC) requirements. This 18-month grant aims to enhance the systems in American Samoa, the CNMI, FSM, Guam, Palau, and the Marshalls, for providing timely educational materials in appropriate accessible formats for students with disabilities.

• Project Fona - In 2004, CEDDERS, in partnership with San Jose State University, was awarded a four-year $800K grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a master's degree program in Speech and Language Pathology. The grant, called Project FO'NA, will help meet the speech therapy needs of children in Guam and the Western Pacific by increasing the resource pool of master's level speech and language pathologists. Cohort 1 completed their 10-week externship in San Jose, California in early August 2007. Cohort 2 will complete their externship in August 2008. Approximately 20 students are on track to complete the program with graduation slated to take place in August 2008. UOG professor Dr. Velma Sablan is the Project Director.

• Guam System for Assistive Technology - CEDDERS sponsored the 13th Annual Assistive Technology Conference held in April 2007. The theme of the conference posed the question: "What AT Is Available and How Do You Access It.” Presentations addressed a broad range of topics that focused on employment, education, and independent living for people with disabilities. The Guam System for Assistive Technology sponsored the Annual Assistive Technology Fair in March at a popular shopping mall, and the 4th Annual Walk, Wheel, and Run 1 mile and 5K event in May 2007.

IRS Funds Low Income Taxpayer Clinic at UOG

The University of Guam received a three-year $300K grant from the Internal Revenue Service to establish a clinic for low income taxpayers. The clinic provides outreach, education and other services and is located in the Leon Guerrero School of Business and Public Administration Building. UOG School of Business and Public Administration faculty members and students in the accounting and related fields provide services to eligible individuals at the clinic, which opened in February 2007. UOG School of Business and Public Administration faculty members, Dr. Filomena Cantoria and Dr. Doreen Crisostomo are the project director and assistant director, respectively.

National Family Caregiver Support Program

The Social Work Program was awarded a $478,634 contract with the Department of Public Health and Social Services through the Division of Senior Citizens to continue the University of Guam's service to eligible caregivers of elderly family members. The grant is part of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) authorized under Title III-E program of the Older Americans Act of 1965 amendments of 2000.

The program provides five core services to approximately 200 family caregivers on Guam: 1) provide information about available services, 2)assist caregivers in gaining access to supportive services, 3) counseling and support groups, 4) respite care, and 5) supplemental services to complement care. The program falls under the Chair of the Social Work Program, Dr. Gerhard Schwab.

Small Business Development Center

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program in the School of Business and Public Administration is a partnership uniting private enterprise, government, higher education and local nonprofit economic development organizations. It is the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their businesses. The Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network (PISBDCN) is one of 63 networks across the United States and its Territories. The 63 networks have over a 1,000 SBDC Service Centers across the nation that offers small businesses free confidential counseling and low cost training. The Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network Office and the Guam SBDC Service Center are hosted by the University of Guam and the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network has partnered with the local governments in the region to have five additional SBDC Service Centers in Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae, Palau and in the Republic of the Marshall Islands providing counseling and training to start-up and existing businesses in their area.

In FY2007, the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network counseled 696 individuals who have an existing business or plan to start a business, offered 191 business training sessions around the region attended by 2,525 individuals, and coordinated 90 loans in the total dollar amount of $1,844,298.00, with the owners contributing an additional $1,679,602.00 in equity injection. Sixty of the loans went to start new businesses with the remaining supporting the expansion of existing businesses. The work of the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network assisted in creating 216 new jobs around the region and helped retain 116 jobs.

Ketsen Haregaichig was named the 2007 State Star of the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network. Ketsen is a counselor at the Chuuk Small Business Development Center. She was chosen by the PISBDCN staff for being an exemplary performer, making a significant contribution to the Regional SBDC program, and showing a strong commitment to small business in Chuuk and around the region.

Summer Theatre Camp 2007

The University of Guam Summer Theatre Camp 2007 presented School House Rock Live! Jr. at the UOG Fine Arts Theatre in July. More than 30 children participated in the second successful year of the program.

ISLA Center for the Arts

ISLA is an auxiliary program within the Communication/Fine Arts Division of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. ISLA activities include a variety of art-related events that welcome the participation of both the general public and members of the University community.

The exhibition program during FY 2007 featured the following art displays: Art of the Pacific Rim: Works by Selected Artists, the Ninth Annual Art-a-thon Exhibition, the Smithsonian Institution produced New Harmonies! Celebrating American Roots Music, and Japanese Toys: Traditional and Contemporary, a traveling exhibition curated by the Japan Foundation.

During FY 2007, two gallery management courses were added to the Fine Arts curriculum. These classes provide University students with the opportunity to gain practical experience in ISLA’s unique learning environment and to utilize the permanent collection that consists of over 500 objects for research purposes.

Fundraising activities at ISLA included the Summer Creative Children’s Camp, Ceramic Celebration, an Art Festival, and the annual Art-a-thon campaign. The ISLA Creative Children’s Camp provided art and drama classes for children ages 5-9. Over 30 students enrolled in these classes. Ceramic Celebration was an event that featured for sale beautifully hand built bowls produced by Fine Arts Professor Lewis Rifkowitz. The Art Festival included musical entertainment, art vendors, and the annual silent art auction in ISLA’s gallery space. Revenue generated from these events totaled $10,900.

The 9th Annual Art-a-thon campaign grossed just over $49,000 due to the efforts of 1,286 students in the Guam Public School System and one private school, 40% of which was returned to the 23 participating schools to purchase art-related materials.

ISLA was also awarded a total of $10,700 in grants and subsidies from the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency and the Guam Humanities Council to support operations and special projects. Annual sales, memberships, and donations garnered $917.

Over 4500 visitors viewed the exhibitions and participated in Isla-sponsored events. Guided tours were given to more than 1,950 students. Members of the community volunteered throughout the year to assist with the daily operations at ISLA. ISLA staff provided technical assistance for several organizations.

Detention & Discrimination:The Art of Roger Shimomura

Roger Shimomura, a third generation Japanese American artist with a substantial national and international reputation, gave a series of lectures and presentations in January 2007. His work reflects the contradictions, misunderstandings, and sometimes overt bigotry that characterize the historic diversity of the American culture. William Lew, Professor of Art History, Clemson University, and Daniel Wueste, Director of Robert J. Rutland Center for Ethics, joined Shimomura at the events. Their visit to Guam was organized by Dr. Kim Skoog and supported by funding through a Kaha grant for the visual arts, and other local sponsors.

Jacoulet Exhibit

In October 2007, over 200 people attended the opening reception for the exhibition Paul Jacoulet’s Vision of Micronesia at the Isla Center for the Arts. This exhibit included over 200 images produced by Paul Jacoulet, a French artist who lived in Japan from the age of three and traveled throughout Micronesia annually from 1929 to 1935. The exhibition featured an array of Jacoulet’s blockprints as well as preparatory watercolor and pencil sketches for the different blockprints. One of the unique aspects of the display was that all of the images depicted Micronesian subjects including the Rainbow Series, also known as Seven Women of the South Seas, consisting of seven portraits of Chamorro women whom Jacoulet met in Saipan. Donald Rubinstein of the Micronesian Area Research Center served as the primary curator of the show.

UOG Planetarium

Attendance at the UOG Planetarium increased from 6,299 visitors in 2006 to 7,052 in 2007. Nine hundred more people attended public shows in 2007 than the prior year and the number of attendees from college classes more than doubled. The number of off-island visitors (who pay to attend the Planetarium) also doubled in 2007. Pam Eastlick, Planetarium Coordinator, writes two weekly newspaper columns for the Pacific Daily News and the Marianas Variety. She also produces Tropical Skies, a weekly radio program about Guam's skies that airs on Guam's public radio station, KPRG. The Planetarium's website (www.guam.net/planet) provides current information about Guam's skies, monthly public shows, and occasional sky events.

Traditional Seafaring Society

In February 2007, the Traditional Seafaring Society invited Dr. Akira Goto, Nanzan University, and Dr. Rintaro Ono, Japan National Ethnology Museum to speak at the University of Guam about traditional seafaring and boat building in the circum-Philippine Sea area. TSS maintained an exhibit for Charter Day in March and for Graduate Recruitment Day in December. The group made 41 public presentations during 2007, many at local schools. Funded by the Toyota Foundation, Manny Sikau, master navigator, Ward Kranz, and Dr. Lawrence J. Cunningham of TSS lectured in Japan about the history, establishment, activities, and voyages of TSS and about traditional navigation and seafaring. The group presented at the Oceanic Culture Museum and the First Annual Boat Culture Pre-Summit Seminar in Okinawa, the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, the Tokyo Star Observatory, among other venues.

Community Events at the Field House

The Field House hosted numerous events in 2007, including musical concerts, graduations, elections, job fairs, and sporting events.

Charter Day

The University of Guam celebrated the founding of the institution with an annual Charter Day celebration held in March. The campus is open to the community for lectures, presentations, performances, and outreach activities. Thousands of school children and members of the community attend Charter Day events in March 2007.

Chamoru Language Competition

The annual Chamoru Language Competition, held March 2007 in conjunction with Charter Day, drew dozens of participants from elementary, middle and high schools from Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. The popular event features competitions in a variety of categories including storytelling, spelling, poetry recitation, and chant, among many others. The annual competition is organized by Peter Onedera and Rosa Salas Palomo. The 2007 theme was: FINO' CHAMORU: Hasso, Tuge', Taitai, Sångan.