University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Bulletin No. 68

Date/Time sent: 10/11/2021 9:00 am

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

Statement of Gratitude

Instead of a quote, we offer you an opportunity to chuckle and remember the different ways and reasons for saying, “Thank You!” Click here.

Aloha mai kākou!

Please take the time to scroll through this weekly bulletin. The first message provides more information on RETURNING AND REVITALIZING THE LIFE OF OUR CAMPUS as we schedule more curricular and co-curricular learning experiences offered on-campus, in-person (fully or hybrid) this coming Spring 2022 Semester. This message is followed by important COURSE REGISTRATION information for students. We ask faculty and staff to urge your students to meet all health requirements and register for spring semester. The final message provides information for all employees from the UH System Office of Human Resources regarding EMPLOYEE VACCINATIONS.

Mahalo nūnui for taking the time to review this week’s bulletin.
E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor

Revitalizing the life of our campus in Spring Semester 2022:

Our enrollment numbers – short term and long range – is severely impacted by stiffening competition for students as college going is declining. See these articles:

This fall there was a slight up-tick for some regional campuses (with college residency programs, e.g. UH Hilo) and for system flagships (e.g., UH Mānoa). For UH West Oʻahu – we were not so fortunate! We dropped 5.1% (160 students) from our Fall 2020 enrollment. At the same time that we find ourselves competing for enrollments, the value of higher education is coming under more scrutiny. See this article, “Despite Positive Experiences, Students Question Value of College,” in Inside Higher ED, July 7, 2021.

More and more of our peer universities in Hawaiʻi (to include BYU Hawaiʻi, Chaminade, and HPU) and on the West Coast of North America have returned to on-campus instruction and vibrant student life activities. Our K-12 schools, public and most private, are fully in-person (by the way, without vaccination mandates). It is becoming increasingly more difficult for us to attract students to our campus and engage them in the distinctive academic programs offered by our faculty. Some have asked us, “What do our students want to do?” AVCAA Alan Rosenfeld recently addressed this query – we repeat it here:

Dear Faculty Leaders,

In light of recent discussions at our ALC and Faculty Senate meetings, we wanted to alert you to a survey of students administered by the UHCC Online Advisory Workgroup and focusing on desired course modalities and scheduling preferences. The survey yielded responses from 3,386 UH students, including 115 UH West O‘ahu students. Please keep in mind that this data merely provides a snapshot of a complex and fluid situation. Furthermore, those 115 UH West O‘ahu students constitute only 4% of our total student population, so the data should really only be viewed as a general picture of student preferences across the System. (Drilling down to the division level, in particular results in pools too small to yield significant data.) In any case, while the study identified “online asynchronous” was the most desirable modality for students, it is also worth noting that 58% of respondents (n = 1,527) expressed a desire for hybrid courses while another 52% (n = 1,404) expressed a desire for face-to-face classes.

We hope that this (public) data is helpful as you continue to plan your Spring 2022 course offerings. Thank you!

At UH West Oʻahu, we must work together toward building a healthy blend of fully in-person, on-campus and hybrid course offerings as well as fully online course delivery. It is essential to provide our diverse student community of traditional learners, continuing education for working adults, Veterans and active Military, neighbor island students and students across the Pacific with learning platforms that are accessible and provide them every opportunity to capture their dreams! Please work with your Division Chairs and Director to move more course instruction to on-campus. Together, let’s revitalize the life of our campus!

Important Course Registration Message For Students

Effective January 3, 2022, the University is requiring that all Students be Fully Vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to entering any University campus or any University facility or office (collectively, “University Site”), subject to the following provisions and exemptions. Nothing in this policy is intended to alter or excuse University requirements for in-person attendance relating to education or employment. Here’s an easy way to remember:

Health Requirements and Course Registration for Spring 2022 chart

A. Students

  1. All Students must provide verification of being Fully Vaccinated for COVID-19 before entering a University Site in accordance with Section III.B., Verification of Vaccination & Submission.
  2. Any Student who has not provided verification of being Fully Vaccinated for COVID-19 may still enter a University Site provided that they both (1) request and are approved for an exemption as set forth in this policy, and (2) provide proof of a current negative COVID-19 test prior to arriving at a University Site in accordance with Section III.C., Exemptions and Testing Requirement for Less Than Fully Vaccinated Individuals.
  3. There is no vaccination requirement or COVID-19 testing requirement for Students who enroll only in online courses; only engage with student services online; and only participate in virtual student activities.
  4. Non-vaccinated students and less than Fully Vaccinated Students, regardless of test result (i.e., even if the test is negative), may be ineligible for some educational activities (e.g., clinical and field work), that may prevent them from completing educational requirements, employment opportunities, and/or participation in certain face-to-face activities.
  5. Any Student who is Partially Vaccinated may still enter a University Site provided that they provide proof of (1) Partial Vaccination and (2) a current negative COVID-19 test prior to arriving at a University Site in accordance with Section III.C.2., Testing Requirement.
  6. Students who (1) are less than Fully Vaccinated, do not have an approved Exemption, and do not comply with the Testing Requirement, or (2) are Partially Vaccinated and do not comply with the Testing Requirement, may not enter any University Site, may be disenrolled from in-person courses without tuition reimbursement, and may be subject to appropriate corrective actions for a violation of the student conduct code if they enter a University Site.
  7. Students in University resident halls may be required to submit to additional surveillance testing when COVID-19 cases arise.
  8. Students who provide false documentation will be subject to Executive Policy (“EP”) 7.208, the Systemwide Student Conduct Code.

B. Verification of Vaccination & Submission

All Students must provide verification of their current vaccination status by uploading a photo of their vaccination record and the requested information to LumiSight UH while signed in with their UH ID.

C. Exemptions and Testing Requirement for Less Than Fully Vaccinated Individuals

  1. Exemptions: Medical and/or non-medical exemptions from this policy may be requested consistent with state and federal law by submitting an Exemption Request Form (See Student COVID-19 Medical Exemption (PDF) and COVID-19 Religious Exemption Request Form (PDF)).
    a. Medical Exemptions: Students who are not able to be vaccinated for a medical reason may seek a medical exemption and shall provide supporting documentation from a health care provider.
    b. Non-Medical Exemptions: Students may seek a non-medical (e.g., religious) exemption and shall provide sufficient information to support the request.
    c. A person who is granted an Exemption may be required to adhere to additional rules, including non-pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., wearing a mask or personal protective equipment, physical distancing, quarantining upon exposure to someone else with the illness, or no/limited entry into certain facilities, spaces, or learning opportunities until they are Fully Vaccinated).
  2. Testing Requirement:
    a. Any less than Fully Vaccinated Student, prior to entering a University Site, must receive proof of a current negative COVID-19 test from a UH-recognized testing facility. The length of validity of a negative test result will depend on the type of test. At this time the following tests are approved:
    i. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test: Negative test results valid for 7 calendar days;
    ii. Rapid Antigen Test: Negative test results valid for 3 calendar days; and
    iii. Any other testing protocol approved by the UH Health Committee.
    b. All test results must be uploaded to a Student LumiSight UH account for verification purposes.

D. Vaccination and Testing Sites
This policy does not apply to those Students entering a University Site for the sole purpose of participating in a university-sponsored COVID-19 testing or vaccination program for that identified date(s), time(s), and location(s).
E. Privacy
Information under this policy is classified as “Regulated” under EP 2.214 and shall be managed and controlled consistent with that classification. The use, storage, privacy and security of data under this policy shall be in accordance with EP 2.210 and EP 2.214-217.
F. https://www.hawaii.edu/covid19/vaccinate/covid-19-mandatory-vaccination-for-students-policy/

Important Vaccination Message to UH Employees

As a reminder, under the University of Hawaiʻi Vaccination and Testing Policy effective August 23, 2021, employees are expected to show compliance with the policy through the LumiSight UH daily health check app by uploading their COVID-19 Vaccination Card OR negative COVID-19 test results into the system within the applicable period (7 days from time of test for PCR, 3 days from time of test for antigen). Supervisors may validate policy compliance with their employees on a regular or irregular basis by checking the employee’s “green” or “red” status via the LumiSight UH app.

Employees unable to upload their documents to LumiSight UH should email LumiSightUH@hawaii.edu for assistance or reach out to their HR office. Those employees who do not upload their documents should maintain a paper copy of their vaccination card or valid negative test when on campus to validate compliance with the policy with their supervisors.

Employees seeking medical or religious exemptions related to the COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy should inquire with their HR office.

The OHR website has been updated to include policy compliance FAQs, forms and other information for both employees and supervisors.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy Compliance Information for Employees
COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy Compliance Information for Supervisors

If there are any questions about the policy, please contact reporthr@hawaii.edu.

Mahalo for your time and attention,
The Office of Human Resources