University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Bulletin No. 37

Date/Time sent: 02/09/2021 4:00 am

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

*Statement of Gratitude:

“People say that walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on Earth is a miracle. Each step is a miracle. Taking steps on our beautiful planet can bring real happiness.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh, spiritual leader, poet and peace activist.

Update on the State Legislative Session

Should you wish to provide testimony on and House or Senate Bill, here are some templates to follow:

Official Testimony

Official University of Hawaiʻi testimony regarding the UH’s position on specific University-related proposals is provided by the President, the Board of Regents, the President’s Senior Management Team, the Provost/Chancellors, or their designees.

Unofficial Testimony

Faculty and staff of the UH have the academic freedom and freedom of speech rights to express their opinions to the State Legislature.  In doing so, faculty/staff should not use the letterhead or logo of the UH for testimony unless authorized to do so.  Personal testimony should be printed and submitted on plain white paper.  Faculty/staff may state their qualification and association as part of the text of their personal testimony, but they should also clearly state that they are speaking as an individual and not as an official University spokesperson.

These guidelines are consistent with the State Ethics Code, Chapter 84, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS). Section 84-13, HRS, prohibits State employees from using or attempting to use their positions in State government to obtain unwarranted advantages or preferential treatment for themselves or others.

The State Capitol is currently closed to the public and additional information on remote testimony can be found here https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/RemoteTestimony.pdf.

COVID-19 Vaccination Update

Nothing has changed from the announcement provided last week. The University of Hawaiʻi is working with the State DOH to roll out our vaccinations. Please note that ALL UH Campuses and UH System are following a sub-prioritization list that prioritizes frontline employees, those who are working on-campus, and everyone else (those working primarily remotely. We anticipate that vaccinations for UH employees will begin to ramp up in March, so, please be patient and be safe – I will try my best to keep you updated. Any queries, please send to Chris Neves at cabralch@hawaii.edu

Update on our Campus Work Groups

Work Groups have begun to meet. Should you have any questions or would like to learn more about their efforts please contact their facilitators:

  • Business Model & Mindset: Dr. Walter Kahumoku and Professor Ed Keaunui

  • Student Recruitment & Retention: iVC Jan Javinar and Professor Reed Young

  • Student Learning: VC Jeff Moniz and Dr. Mary Heller

  • Campus Efficiencies: VC Kevin Ishida

You can also catch up on our 2020-2021 planning processes on our website.