Bulletin No. 85
Date/Time sent: 03/21/2022 9:00 amE ala! E alu! E kuilima!
Awaken! Come together! Join hands!
Statement of Gratitude and Kindness
In Celebration of Women’s History Month
“Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”
This is a time of tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the countless ways that women of all cultures have provided healing and hope throughout history.
Share a hug and “mahalo!”
Welina mai kākou!
Hoʻokāhi ka ilau like ana (Wield the paddles together)
Working to keep our campus safe! UPDATED COVID-19 Guidelines
Our current COVID guidelines to include masking and daily LumiSight check-in must be followed through March 25.
It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to protect ourselves from exposure by using well-fitted masks, to be vaccinated and appropriately boosted, to take breaks and eat meals safely, and to stay home if we are displaying new respiratory symptoms.
The following UH COVID-19 Guidelines are STILL REQUIRED for the remainder of the spring 2022 semester:
- Face masks must be worn indoors in classrooms, shared laboratories, other instructional spaces and tightly confined educational spaces (such as advising offices).
- Visible identification. If you require a lanyard check, with your VC office. If you need to update your UH West Oʻahu ID card please see Student Services.
- Students and employees with a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement must continue to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test regularly to the LumiSight UH app.
The UH COVID-19 Guidelines NO LONGER REQUIRED as of March 26 include:
- The daily COVID-19 health screening via the Lumisight UH health app.
- Face masks indoors except as identified above; face masks may be encouraged, but are not required in the following situations:
- Common areas (hallways, stairwells, lobbies, bathrooms, etc), offices, eateries, libraries, bookstores, etc.
- Indoor events such as commencement, athletic and performing arts events, campus tours and field trips.
- While not required, event organizers may request continued masking if the number of attendees is close to the maximum capacity of the venue or based on anticipated high numbers of higher-risk persons attending.
- Instructors while teaching, provided they maintain 6 feet distance from others.
- And outdoors, including outdoor campus events
- Visitors providing proof of vaccination or negative test results to access campus events.
Keep in mind, kūkūlu kaiaʻulu! Please strengthen our community with your passions, respect for one another, and patience! On behalf of your campus leadership, enjoy a safe and vivacious 2022 spring semester on campus!
Please stay informed: UH COVID-19 Dashboards have been updated. The dashboards provide you with a daily summary of COVID-19 Positive Cases across the UH System and by Campus, Summary of Employee Vaccinations across the UH System and by Campus Percentage and head count. Additionally, there are student information dashboards to include a Summary of Student Vaccinations across the UH System and Vaccination head counts by campus.
The University of Hawaii System COVID-19 Guidelines are currently being revised. The current guidelines are live at the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/covid19-guidelines/. UH West Oʻahu’s guidelines are also being revised. New guidelines will be posted prior to March 26. Our current guidelines can be accessed at this link: https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/covid-19/guidelines/.
The UH COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Working Group, UH System leadership, and UH West Oʻahu executives and COVID-Response Team continue to strongly encourage everyone who is not up-to-date with a COVID-19 booster to receive their free vaccination as soon as they are eligible.
Also, please respect an individual’s personal choice to wear a face mask outdoors and indoors where face masks are no longer required.
As UH President David Lassner stated in his March 3 message, Hawaiʻi is entering a new stage of the pandemic, coexisting with COVID-19. The combination of vaccinations, boosters and exposure to the virus has built up immunity locally and nationally, and COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping. This change has led to a reduction in the need for government restrictions, including at UH, but through the rest of the semester, given the uniqueness of our learning environs and our state’s hospital capacity, we will continue essential precautionary measures as identified above.
This is a Time of Giving
The Hawaiʻi Foodbank has kicked off its Annual State Employees Food Drive, which runs through May 13, 2022. The issue of hunger continues to be a major challenge facing our community, affecting those most vulnerable among us, and the University of Hawai‘i (UH) ʻOhana is not immune from this issue.
Hawai‘i Foodbank’s state employees food drive’s goal this year is to raise $147,000 and 39,000 pounds of food. The top five most wanted items are monetary contributions, canned proteins (chicken/tuna), canned meals (stew/spaghetti), canned vegetables/fruit, and rice (five to ten pound bags are preferred). While monetary and food donations will still be accepted across our campuses, we recognize many employees continue to telework and may not physically be on their respective campus. Please note that monetary donations are also being accepted via the Hawaiʻi Foodbank’s Online Donation page.
In 2021, UH employees accounted for more than $90,000 (which provided food for 204,374 meals) and over 11,940 pounds of food for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank, making UH one of the largest contributors among all State offices.
Please take a moment to consider making a contribution to assist those who are most in need. Information about this year’s Food Drive can be found at: http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/president/foodbank
Staying Informed
Below are links to resources that will help you to stay informed about “Building a Better America” and what it can mean for Hawaiʻi.
Resources
Growing the Economy
Fact Sheet: President Biden’s Remarks on the Economy During his First State of the Union Address
Fact Sheet: Lowering Prices and Leveling the Playing Field in Ocean Shipping
Fact Sheet: Investments to Create Opportunity and Build Wealth in Rural America
Unity Agenda
Fact Sheet: Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis
Fact Sheet: Supporting Veterans
Fact Sheet: Addressing Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic
Fact Sheet: Ending Cancer as We Know It
Addressing the Climate Crisis
Making our Communities Safer and Reducing Gun Crime
Fact Sheet: Historic Actions to Make Our Communities Safer by Reducing Gun Crime
Combating COVID-19
Memorandum on Maximizing Assistance to Respond to COVID-19
Fact Sheet: New Steps to Combat Criminal Fraud and Identity Theft in Pandemic Relief Programs
Actions you can take now:
Stay tuned for additional opportunities to get involved by signing up for the White House Office of Public Engagement’s listserv, which you can do here.
Mahalo nūnui for taking the time to review this week’s bulletin.
E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor