University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Bulletin No. 23

Date/Time sent: 10/19/2020 8:00 am

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

To build a growth resilient institution of higher education I know we must commit to “students first”! Sustaining affordable access to quality education comes first. I have stated this many times and I have not wavered. I believe – like many other higher education leaders – that it is essential to invest in academic programming and services (students and infrastructure) that generate strong, stable and rising enrollment gains with equally strong graduation rates of professionals, community leaders who will build a robust economy and healthy communities. It is important – now more than ever – that we are mission focused in our deliberations and our actions.

We should all know by now that the economic impact of the pandemic has been unyielding! The downward economic spiral is frightening for families, our communities, and our institutions. If you still question this I encourage you to visit “Estimating economic conditions during the COVID-19 crisis” on the UHERO site. Yes, it is important for you to know that the budget allocation from the State of Hawaiʻi to the University of Hawaiʻi System is declining. Hence, the urgent mandate of our Board of Regents to all 10-campuses to pivot quickly to ensure our financial well-being. (See Board of Regent meetings on their website).

While our head count is strong, our tuition revenue is not enough to keep us alive if we keep doing what we had been doing pre-COVID-19. I remind you to revisit my budget presentation to the campus on August 19, Convocation Chancellor’s Presentation (see attached). This presentation included data from both UH-System and UHWO Budget Offices as well as enrollment information, and data analysis and projections. At UH West Oʻahu, we were lean prior to the financial hit in quarter 4 of FY 2020. Note that prior to the pandemic we were slated to receive positions and funding from the legislature. Instead, we (all 10 campuses and system) experienced a sweeping of ALL vacant positions – even those that were currently in the hiring process. And, we were told to prepare for upwards of 16%-20%-25% ($3-$6 million) cut in our general funds this FY 2021. As is our fiduciary responsibility, we began cost-efficient strategies this summer and have continued to tighten our belts a bit more through this academic year.

Know that as we work on our cost-efficiencies we continue to invest in our students and people with extramural funding. This has helped us to live our mission. So change, while difficult and challenging, is happening. I understand it is uncomfortable and complicated because everything that we knew prior to the pandemic is shifting. So, finding solid ground for ourselves and our families is obscure and unpredictable. This is further confounded by the change that our institution must make in these uncertain times. Your campus leadership will continue to reach out to students, staff, and faculty to participate in our shared governance process to assist us in navigating our flotilla toward landfall.

The process of this shared governance process includes integrated work of (a) campus leadership, (b) unit leadership working with their faculty and staff, and (c) leadership from the faculty senate, ASUHWO, and staff. It has been and will continue to be transparent and inclusive. So, where are we now? Information from all three of the above sources has already helped us to enact cost efficient strategies and our current campus conversations have strengthened our sail plan that includes both cost-efficiency tactics AND investment focused pathways. Our next step will include:

  • Building a more robust strategic actions budget webpage to keep you informed and provide opportunity for feedback.

  • More attention will be targeted at defining and implementing strategies that will keep us fiscally sound while implementing tactics that will sustain our growth. The focus will be on:

    • Cost-Efficiencies to become an effective institution

    • Strengthening our Enrollment

    • New Economic Growth by strengthening programs that graduate professionals and community leaders who will have a positive impact on Hawaiʻi/Pacific

    • Expanding Enterprises that grow our extramural funding, entrepreneurial endeavors, and philanthropic giving.

This has been and continues to be a heavy lift for all engaged because we have been given a short window of time by our Board of Regents to define short-term and mid-range actions (reports to UH System beginning in November and final report to the Board of Regents in January 2021). We must ACT and INVEST now – “go deep and go quick!” We cannot stand around and just talk about the fiscal problem but understand that we are “at the tipping point now!” Former President Barack Obama said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Mahalo nui for your attention to this message and I ask you to pass it along to colleagues who have not been reading these weekly messages.

E mālama pono!
Chancellor Maenette Benham