University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Bulletin No. 9

Date/Time sent: 07/13/2020 8:45 am

Aloha mai kākou!

ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia! No task is too big when done together by all!

The theme for this week’s bulletin highlights the need for us to work collectively to address the challenges we face today. I am deeply grateful for the hard work and commitment of our entire University ʻohana in responding to the dramatic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individually and collectively you have acted with resourcefulness, innovation, and compassion and concern for our community. There will be many more challenges ahead as we reopen our campus, hence, your queries and concerns are important in helping us to determine solutions. We will be developing a section on our COVID-19 page that will focus on information (and FAQs) regarding prevention and care as we reopen our campus. We hope to have that up soon! For more information about returning to campus please see the attached memos from Hawaiʻi’s Department of Health and Department of Human Resources Development.

A reality check regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our university

The speed, breadth, and depth of Hawaiʻi’s economic slowdown coupled with an anticipated protracted pace of recovery makes our current rate of expenditure unsustainable. Indeed, it is understandable that everyone has “budget tightening fatigue” and there might be thoughts of “this too shall pass” or “what makes this time any different than before?” I have to urge you to take this messaging seriously because this is different. In a recent article published in Inside Higher Ed (July 10, 2020) – I have attached it to this bulletin – we hear from university chief business officers from across the U.S. that affirm the severity of the economic impact (see p. 6 of the article) and the strategies that some will or are using. AVCAA Alan Rosenfeld, after reading the article shared, “I note that 25% of CBOs stated that their institutions have already taken austere measures (furloughs, salary reductions, layoffs, etc.) while 33% anticipate taking such measures before the end of the calendar year. Not surprising per se, but very indicative of the severity of the situation across the country.”

Our UH West Oʻahu reality check is that while our enrollment management unit with support from faculty and staff are working hard to move mountains, we – like many of our sister higher education institutions – will realize an enrollment decrease. At this time, we’re looking at close to a 15 percent enrollment decrease. However, our teams are working hard to bring that number down by reaching out to our continuing students who have not yet registered, transfer students still on the fence, and new freshmen (with the help of EAB). See updates below.

In addition to the decrease in enrollment (funds our operations, pays our campus construction bond, and funds personnel costs) we are working with a 10 percent cut to our state-funded G-Base (funds our permanent personnel). Ultimately, we must address existing shortfalls and ensure that the whole of the University will be financially sound and prepared to address short- and mid-term contingencies. At the same time, we must also respond in a manner that ensures our enduring value principles and distinctiveness as a university committed to education, scholarship, and the health of our communities.

Update on our efforts to strengthen our base to survive and thrive.

Enrollment Management: Much gratitude and kudos to the tireless efforts of our enrollment management team and all the faculty and staff who have lent a helping hand/contributing time! IVCSA recently update the efforts – a synopsis is included:

Recruitment for Fall 2020:

  • Goal is to match regular enrollment in Fall 2019 amount of 2749.

  • Strategies to be used or being used now to up enrollment include continued Friday orientation sessions with freshmen & their ʻohana; banners to post throughout communities on leeward coast, Waipahu, ʻEwa, and Kapolei to remind folks about registering and letting them know we remain open; additional reach outs to UH Community College transfers.

  • Continued phone campaign to all accepted students who have not yet registered, started with continuing students and also addressing newly accepted.

  • Continued social media advertising with in-house designed campaigns.

  • The challenge for enrollment management is looking for no-cost approaches to recruitment or alternative ways to cover low-cost approaches.

Financial Aid:

  • Packaging has exhausted our 2020-21 allotments from Title IV sources other than Pell.

  • CARES I allotment 100% awarded with a total of 1,194 recipients (1,055 unduplicated) awarded the full tranche of $697,500.

  • Challenge is that there is still a large amount of applications not complete due to USDOE/Federal verification requirements. Office is about one month behind on verifications of outstanding FAFSAs selected.

Academic Prioritization: VCAA Moniz and AVCAA Rosenfeld are working with Division and Program Chairs to assess the delivery of our academic programs. They realize the implications of the State of Hawaiʻi’s cut to our budget and are working to mobilize the skills, the energy, and the commitment of our faculty, staff, and community partners to take action, to make the changes we must make in order to continue to deliver efficiently quality and value-added programs.

Ultimately, for us to be a resilient institution of higher education, I know we must invest in academic programming and services (student focused/teaching and learning infrastructure) that generates strong (stable and growth oriented) enrollment gains with equally strong graduation rates of professionals who will build a robust economy and healthy Hawaiʻi. It is important for everyone to know that we have been assessing, acting, and making changes since 2017. Our first phase of our Strategic Action Plan (SAP) shifted how we do the work we do and resulted in our 6-year rolling budget projection (FY20 to FY26). This was a collaborative activity that assessed where and how we would move forward, where we need to invest, and not invest and/or invest differently. We must now move quickly to reassess our findings and decide how this will inform a position that will help us to move (boldly) toward achieving our SAP renewed objectives. This academic prioritization process must illuminate the opportunities we have to increase the ability of all employees, faculty and staff, to do many things that will help us thrive. Future bulletins will provide more information about these discussions.

I go back to the theme of this bulletin: ʻAʻohe hana nui  ke alu ʻia! The question we should be asking ourselves is: “Where can my skills be best used this year, then next year, and the following year to strengthen the collective mission of UH West Oʻahu?”