Bulletin No. 41
Date/Time sent: 03/08/2021 8:00 amE ala! E alu! E kuilima!
Awaken! Come together! Join hands!
*Statement of Gratitude: “Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” Eckhart Tolle
Update COVID-19
Please see this excellent summary from Senator Schatz regarding how the American Recovery Plan Act will impact Hawaiʻi. The House appears ready to pass it this coming week. In summary, it looks like $1.6B for the State of Hawaiʻi and $391M for the DOE.
For your information see DOH pamphlet, Home Care for Persons with COVID-19.
Message from the UH-System Vaccination Team – “Get Vaccinated!”
“Widespread vaccination is the best way to end the COVID-19 pandemic and allow us to safely reopen our campuses with more in-person instruction and on-campus activities,” said UH President David Lassner in a Friday, March 5 message to the 10-campus system. “Recognizing the importance of higher education, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health has categorized UH employees as essential workers, which should enable our employees, who are willing, to be vaccinated well before the start of the fall 2021 semester.”
If you have not yet received an invitation (from C&C of Honolulu or DOH) to get your first shot or you would like to now get on the list to get your first vaccine, PLEASE email Chris Neves at cabralch@hawaii.edu ASAP. There is one last window of opportunity for UH to submit a list of names under the “essential workers” category.
In the meantime, please continue to follow the basic COVID-19 prevention steps even after you are vaccinated: stay home if you’re ill, wear a face covering, practice safe physical distancing, avoid large gatherings whenever possible, check your health daily with the LumiSight UH app, and download the AlohaSafe app to your mobile phone.
Update on our Campus Work Groups
Student Success: Recruitment and Retention:
- The recruitment effort is focused on development strategies to increase the following target areas: Military (active, dependents, veterans), Returning Adults (career changers/returning to employment), and Transfer Students (community colleges). NOTE: The enrollment management team is already working on the recruitment of high school graduates with EAB.
- The student success/retention effort is developing strategies to foster student success and strategies that support students to persist toward a timely graduation.
- For more information contact either iVC Javinar or Instructor Reed Young.
Student Learning
- This group has been collectively learning together reviewing current campus, system, and other applicable higher education documents that has aided them to think critically and creatively about our student’s learning journey at UH West Oʻahu. After four meetings, they are focused on:
- “Innovation” as a frame to increase the quality of learning, inclusivity of ideas and approaches, and value of both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning and teaching.
- Development of short programs and stackable credentials to address current employment and economic recovery needs in our communities.
- Step-up our Prior Learning Assessments (PLA), e.g., CLEP
- Refine and grow blended learning opportunities.
- For more information contact either VC Moniz or Chair Mary Heller.
Business Model:
- After more than eight intensive meetings, the work group has drafted a more refined UHWO Business Model (see initial UHWO Business Model in our 2018 Strategic Action Plan).
- The work group plans to vet the first draft with campus executives, the campus work groups, and other groups on campus. This will lead to a revised second draft followed by more campus vetting and feedback.
- For more information contact either Dr. Walter Kahumoku or Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Ed Keaunui.
Campus Efficiencies:
- After several meetings that included a review of the fall task force recommendations, discussions, and brainstorming, the group will now be developing a set of target actions that reconceptualize and streamline our campus structures and procedures to better serve faculty, staff and students. For example:
- Automating processes – streamlining, making processes more transparent and cogent, going paperless., e.g., Human Resources/Personnel, Business Office, Facilities, Compliance, etc.
- Reviewing processes that impact staff support workload to simplify, modernize efforts to alleviate heavy and redundant labor/tasks. Additionally, to define opportunities for cross-training and developing cross-functionality as appropriate.
- Working to enhance strategic communications
Wishing everyone an excellent week as you prepare for a restful and refreshing Spring Break!
E mālama pono!
Chancellor Maenette Benham