Bulletin No. 75
Date/Time sent: 12/13/2021 9:00 amE ala! E alu! E kuilima!
Awaken! Come together! Join hands!
Statement of Gratitude
Please take the time to watch this short YouTube video, “How you Treat People Is Who You Are!” Kindness Matters!
No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. Integrity is everything.
Who were you kind to today?
From I am Fearless
Aloha mai kākou!
Hauʻoli Lonoikamakahiki!
As I write this, I am still riding high on the euphoria of our first in-person, on-campus commencement ceremony! Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, was a keystone event for our graduates and for the entire UH West Oʻahu ʻohana! It was a reminder of our resilient and relentless spirit to “kūlia i ka nuʻu” — to reach for excellence in all that we do. Your expertise, your aloha shared, revitalized the life spirit of our campus community. I am deeply grateful to everyone for making our first big in-person event, since 2019, a brilliant success!
During these unprecedented times we may find ourselves becoming impatient, frustrated, alone, and fearful! This can result in us lashing-out at friends, colleagues, and loved ones in uncharacteristic ways. Yesterday, all I saw was GRACE, KINDNESS, AND CARE! The YouTube video from I am Fearless (above) speaks to the power of kindness, which everyone shared including our hired security, alumni, and friends! Being present for our students and their families, sharing stories and fist pumps with colleagues, smiling behind our masks (yes—I saw the twinkles in your eyes), and cheering for both our students and our accomplishments as a learning community is a precious gift! Mahalo nūnui!!
On behalf of your campus executive staff, I wish you all a joyful holiday season. Let’s continue to cultivate and strengthen our humanity, our collective commitment to live into the awesomeness that is “Aloha!” And, always, should you need support please do reach out! There are many ʻohana members who are here to help.
REGARDING COVID-19: Campus leadership and our COVID Team are working with the UH System to revise the COVID Guidelines. We hope to have this up on the website with revised FAQ’s within the next two weeks (before January 1, 2022). We encourage you to get your booster shot and to follow all safety precautions and testing should you travel over this holiday season. Please keep your eye on the website and your email. Note that the Bulletin is on hiatus until Jan. 3, 2022.
Mahalo nūnui for taking the time to review this week’s bulletin.
E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor
Announcements and Reminders
For Faculty and Staff Only: Mark your calendars for a fully in-person Spring Semester 2022 Convocation and Professional Development Day on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, in our Naʻulu Outdoor Learning Center.
For Faculty, Staff and Students: Download and Use LumiSight UH. Must show verification.
Students, employees, and visitors: It is essential that you download LumiSight UH to your smartphone. Register and upload all relevant COVID-19 information. Prior to coming to campus please check-in using your LumiSight UH and respond to all health questions. BE PREPARED TO SHOW YOUR “GO GREEN” SCREEN at our campus verification stations. If for some reason you forgot to sign-in, please do so before entering campus or see our friendly student assistants at any of the verification sites. They will assist you with signing in or getting a day pass. NOTE: you must have proof of COVID vaccination or negative COVID test to retrieve a day pass. Welina mai – Welcome to campus!
Travel protocol reminder
As the holidays and the end of the semester quickly approach, we know that travel may be high on your to-do list.
To mitigate the risk of introducing post-travel infections onto our campus, University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu leadership is strongly recommending that all students and employees, vaccinated and unvaccinated, who are returning from out-of-state travel, business or personal, upload to LumiSight UH proof of a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus. For your safety, health and well-being please follow all State of Hawaiʻi Safe Travel guidelines and UH COVID-19 Guidelines, including being cleared by the LumiSight UH daily health check app to be on campus and wearing face masks indoors when on campus.
For employees and students who are reporting to work/to classes immediately after returning from out-of-state travel, it is strongly recommended that you obtain two negative COVID-19 test results: the first should be obtained within 24 hours of your return and before returning to campus, and the second should be obtained within three-to-five days of returning from travel.
Let’s be mindful, respectful, and responsible of and to our campus community as we celebrate family, holidays, commencement, and continued good news in the upcoming months.
If you have any questions, please email covid19@hawaii.edu.