The current treaty of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau with the United States allows the three College of Micronesia campuses including the Palau Community College to share the $3 million U.S. land grant.
The current treaty will end Sept. 30, 2009 and the resolution will extend the expiration date to Sept. 30, 2011.The president said that in the recent 11th Micronesian Chief Executive Summit held in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands last July 14 to 15, the presidents of the Freely Associated States including Toribiong agreed to renew the treaty for two more years until Sept. 30, 2011.If the grant program is not extended PCC could lose its share of $3 million from the program.Currently, Micronesia Land Grant Programs are offered throughout Micronesia (Palau, Marshall Islands, and the FSM states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) by and thru the three national local colleges namely, Palau Community College, College of the Marshall Islands, and College of Micronesia-FSM in partnership with the College of Micronesia.The US Congress in 1980 designated College of Micronesia as the land-grant college for the (former) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The COM land-grant status was subsequently extended by each of the Compact of Free Association agreement between the three Micronesian nations and the US Government.Three categories of programs are offered: 1) Extension; 2) Research; and 3) Residential Instruction/Education.The Extension Programs are offerend in six sites: Koror, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Majuro.The Research Program has three Agricultural Experiment Stations affiliated with each of the three Micronesian colleges at PCC, CMI and COM-FSM which has substations in Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap.
