University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Bulletin No. 43

Date/Time sent: 03/29/2021 7:40 am

E ala! E alu! E kuilima!
Awaken! Come together! Join hands!

Statement of Gratitude: “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

Update COVID-19

We are still in the process of offering first and second vaccines to our faculty, staff and student employees.

Gradual Reopening of UH West Oʻahu Campus

Update on our Campus Work Groups

Student Success: Recruitment and Retention:

  • Work group has generated strategies to recruit adults returning to education, military connected, and transfers from community colleges. Additionally, they have developed strategies to promote the re-enrollment and continued academic success of continuing students. The work group, in subsequent meetings, will be working to refine the strategies and prioritizing them.

  • In addition, the work group is learning more about the revised business model and how to apply to their recruitment and retention strategy development.

  • For more information contact either iVC Javinar or Instructor Reed Young.

Student Learning

The Student Learning Work Group recently focused on proposals for the investment of one-time relief funds in key areas, in order to effectively respond to impending challenges and proactively address emerging needs.  This effort aims our attention at being more efficient as well as generating the revenue needed to offset the reduction in general fund support. This involves the development of innovative changes and new initiatives, concerning student learning, in light of current and possible future conditions in our state. Examples include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

  • Short-term programs, aimed at working adults, focused on develop skills for the workforce

  • Short-term program credentials that can be applied toward a degree in the future

  • Opening more opportunities for earning college credit through assessments of prior learning gained outside the college classroom

  • Advancing our capacity to provide hybrid, blended learning opportunities that leverage our use of developing technology

  • The redeployment of resources into new scheduling models that better fit working professionals and non-traditional students

  • Building a sense of belonging through the creation of transdisciplinary learning communities that provide problem-based, place-based, and culture-based learning opportunities

The group also celebrated progress, over the span of our work group meetings, in the following areas: (1) the development of a prior learning assessment system for Creative Media; and (2) recent changes in requirements that will remove barriers that prevented students seeking to be teachers from entering the Education Program.

  • For more information contact either VC Moniz or Division Chair Mary Heller.

Business Model:

  • The work of the Business Model group has paused as the other work groups work with the model to refine it.

  • For more information contact either Dr. Walter Kahumoku or Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Ed Keaunui.

Campus Efficiencies:

The Campus Efficiencies Work Group is focusing on two general categories:

  • Streamlining various campus processes through the use of technology

  • Providing increased professional development opportunities to our faculty and staff

The group is currently discussing potential strategies and will be meeting to learn how to employ the revised business model to support their decision-making.

  • For more information contact either VC Ishida or Sheri Ching (Business Office)/

Update on Federal Stimulus Funds

Providing an overview of Federal Funding current and future:

I.  Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security (CARES Act March 27, 2020)

You may hear us call this HEERF I — Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
This was a total of $14.3B

II.  Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA December 27, 2020)

  • Supplemental to Tranche I: Student Aid — just received
  • Supplemental to Tranche II: Institutional — just received
  • Supplemental to Tranche III: MSI — just received

You may hear us call this HEERF II — Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
This was a total of $22.7B

III. The American Rescue Plan (ARPA)

This was proposed on Jan. 14, 2021, enacted March 22, 2021 (1.9 trillion).
For ED: $18M Student Aid, $18M Institutional, $3.7 MISC

We do not yet know the amount coming to the UH System and to individual campuses.
You may hear us call this HEERF III — Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
This will be a total of $39.6B

More information anticipated within the next several weeks

Please read the April Ka Peʻahi Lono. We will provide more details on our current funding.

E mālama pono!
Chancellor Maenette Benham