Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou: Launching our 2026 Journey Together
Date/Time sent: 01/05/2026 9:21 am
Aloha Leeward Community College and UH West O‘ahu ‘Ohana,
Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou! I hope you enjoyed a restful holiday season.
As we prepare to launch the Spring 2026 semester, I am excited to formally begin our work together as Dual Chancellor. While the calendar year has just turned, it is the start of this academic term that truly marks the beginning of our new journey. I am filled with optimism for what lies ahead.
This semester represents a rare opportunity for us to pause, look at the changing landscape of higher education, and ask ourselves: How can we best serve our students and the families of West and Central O‘ahu?
As I shared when this appointment was announced, our two schools share a history and a region. Now, we are tasked with defining a shared future.
We are entering a period of distinct exploration, where our charge is to co-create a vision for a dynamic Regional Comprehensive Educational Ecosystem.
We have the potential to build something unique here, a seamless environment where high-tech skills, ancestral wisdom, and community-based solutions coexist. We can move beyond simple “transfer pathways” to create a true continuum of lifelong learning that meets our students exactly where they are.
To get this right, we need to engage in courageous conversations about where we are succeeding, where we are falling short, and where we have the potential to lead the UH System through innovation.
I am committed to preserving the distinct missions of both our schools but I am equally committed to tearing down the barriers that sit between them.
In the coming weeks, beginning with our respective Convocations, I will share the framework for this exploration, including:
- Guiding Principles that prioritize student success above all else.
- The formation of a Joint Advisory Group to lead our inquiry.
- Opportunities for you to contribute your expertise and creativity.
This work will be transparent, consultative, and student-centered by design.
Mahalo nui loa for your dedication to our students. The potential of our combined strengths is immense, and I am honored to walk this path of discovery with you.
Let’s get to work.
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Carlos Peñaloza
