Ka Pe‘ahi Lono: Monthly Message for December
Date/Time sent: 12/06/2021 9:30 amAloha mai kākou e UH West Oʻahu ʻOhana!
During this festive season, I sincerely hope that you enjoy, safely and joyfully, the warm embrace of ʻohana and friends (near and far). Indeed, good health is the greatest gift of all to give to yourself and your loved ones. Such generosity of spirit is especially important today – in these unprecedented times! So. another precious gift is the gift of kindness! I had asked a friend, a family counselor, about how she thought I could show and promote more kindness and she pointed me to a website Inspire Kindness by Kathryn Good. I share her 15 ideas to practice kindness during this season and urge you to practice kindness as we return to campus in January.
5 Ways to Be Kind to Your Community During Coronavirus / COVID-19
Be a good neighbor.
Support local businesses.
Remember the caretakers.
Be generous.
Help people.
5 Ways to Be Kind to Your Friends and Family During Coronavirus
Be goofy.
Eat and drink well.
Have family time.
Reconnect.
Pick up the phone.
5 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself During Coronavirus
Organize.
Get outside.
Stay calm
Read.
Feel your emotions.
(See: https://inspirekindness.com/blog/practicing-kindness-during-the-coronavirus)
Last week’s UH System President email (included in the section below) spoke to a return to full capacity across all 10 campuses. This was predicated on the updated State and County orders/rules that defer to the CDC guidance for safety, hygiene, and physical distancing. Per the CDC guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) that are fully-vaccinated, there can be a return to full capacity for in-person learning. Masks must continue to be properly worn while indoors.
At UH West Oʻahu, we are transitioning to full capacity in-person learning for Spring 2022 and we continue to urge our faculty to continue to work with their respective Division Chairs to increase in-person class presence. Our goal is full capacity classrooms and learning environments by Fall 2022. This return to a full capacity, in-person campus includes our efforts to provide more on-campus, in-person events. We begin with our two modified Commencements on December 11, 2021, followed by our Spring 2022 Convocation on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Revitalizing our campus will require us to continue to check-in daily on LumiSight UH, wear our masks indoors, follow our campus rules and guidelines, and remember that your individual actions impact your colleagues, students, and friends. With the emerging new Omicron variant, the selflessness of our actions and behaviors continues to be important.
I continue to be humbled by the sacrifices shared by so many of you over the last year and a half. I sincerely appreciate all that each of you do to help UH West Oʻahu continue to provide a world-class education, conduct high-caliber scholarship, and offer impactful outreach and engagement locally and globally.
E mālama pono!
Maenette K.P. Ah Nee – Benham, Chancellor
RETURNING AND REVITALIZING THE LIFE OF OUR CAMPUS
UHWO Spring 2022 Convocation – LIVE and IN-PERSON
“Welcome Back” for Faculty and Staff
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
10:30 a.m. – Noon
Convocation and Bento Lunch
Naʻulu Outdoor Learning Center
RSVP Flyer will be out soon!
Message sent Wednesday, Dec. 1, by UH System President David Lassner:
Aloha UH students, faculty, and staff,
You have likely seen recent announcements of changes in the State and County restrictions related to COVID-19. Some of these changes may take effect today, December 1. Of particular note, some spaces that had previously restricted capacity to allow for physical distancing may be able to move back to full capacity either now or in the very near future.
We had already announced that UH would open to full capacity in classrooms, labs, and other learning spaces as well as offices and meeting rooms starting next year. Based on the recent announcements, however, additional locations such as dining halls, gyms, theatres, exhibits and other public gatherings on some campuses are now authorized to return to full capacity as soon as December 1. While we expect that some eligible locations may transition back to full capacity during the month of December, please check with your campus websites for up-to-date information on capacity limits at specific facilities.
Other COVID-19 protection measures such as wearing face masks indoors and maintaining compliance with health requirements through LumiSight UH will remain in place. UH will continue to require that individuals wear face masks when indoors. If you are outdoors you will not be required to wear a mask, but we encourage you to do so when in close proximity to others.
You have almost certainly seen news of the emergence of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant in other countries. The WHO, CDC and our own Hawaiʻi health leaders are closely monitoring this evolving situation. There are no specific changes in response to Omicron at this time but please be assured that we are actively monitoring its impact and any associated changes in recommendations at the national and/or state level. So please remain cautious as we “return” to the new-normal.
Mahalo for your continued efforts to keep our UH campuses and our communities safe!
E mālama pono,
David Lassner
What’s in this month’s Peʻahi Lono?
We have an engaging newsletter this month!
- The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs offers our Hana Lawelawe message celebrating the accomplishment of our instructional faculty and academic programs.
- A highlight of faculty, staff and student good works follows.
- The “How Does That Work” column presents important information from our Business Office.
- Please scroll to the General Announcement section, which will point you to two important resources.
Important Announcements
UHWO Fall 2021 In-Person, Modified Graduation
Itʻs not too late to support our Fall 2021 graduates at their Dec. 11 Commencement! The Commencement committee is still looking for volunteers to assist with a variety of roles and responsibilities to ensure that the day runs smoothly and successfully. Sign up to volunteer via this link: Modified In-Person Volunteer Sign Up! Specifically, the committee needs volunteers to create an atmosphere of positivity and celebration. The following duties are needed: Vaccination verification, Parking and Traffic Control, and Guest Experience (walking to and seated in their designated locations, and exiting the campus). A part of what makes our campus so unique is how we connect with our students. Letʻs give them another way to remember their experience with us fondly!
The modified commencement ceremony will be Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, and will feature a short program, including short remarks, the presentation of diploma covers, and the awarding of degrees and certificates. The ceremony is contingent upon City & County of Honolulu, State of Hawaiʻi, and University of Hawaiʻi gathering limits/restrictions. Candidates for graduation will be allowed two guests, and all attendees must be fully vaccinated and wear masks during the entirety of the event.
Due to rigid requirements set forth by the City & County of Honolulu (prior to Dec. 1st when planning had begun), the Commencement will be held in two separate ceremonies. A morning ceremony, starting at 9 a.m., will feature graduates from Applied Science and Business Administration. The afternoon ceremony, starting at 1 p.m., will feature graduates from Creative Media, Cybersecurity, Education, Humanities, Natural Science, Public Administration, and Social Sciences.
As a reminder, candidates for graduation, guests, volunteers, and vendors must:
- Download the LumiSight UH daily health check app.
- Upload your vaccination information to the LumiSight UH app as soon as possible (at least 3 days before the event to allow time for verification).
- On the day of the event, you must complete the LumiSight UH daily health screening for COVID-19 symptoms and possible exposure, which takes less than a minute.
- Everyone must present the green “You may report to campus” status with the current date on the app to enter the campus.
- Attendees will also be able to show their vaccine cards on site and answer the COVID-19 health check questionnaire, but should expect longer wait times to enter.
- Wear face masks at all times at the event, except when drinking water.
This is our first celebration of graduates since fall 2019 (we hosted a drive-through Spring 2021). Please help us to revitalize our campus and campus community! See you at Fall 2021 graduation!
This is the season for giving!
Fresh off the press! The UH Foundation officially launched its new scholarship fundraising framework. A key aspect of the new framework is encouraging donors to give to the new “Equity & Access” student scholarship fund that will support our students in greatest need to actualize their dreams of career and community leadership. Learn more at this new page promoting the Equity & Access Fund: https://www.uhfoundation.org/scholarships/equity-access.
During this season of giving, please consider giving to a UH West Oʻahu scholarship fund. Your generous support will assist us in our kuleana to enrich the lives or our students with great ability but little resources. You can help our students to capture their big dreams, to lawe i ke aʻo a mālama a e ʻoi mau ka naʻauao (apply the wondrous gifts of knowledge) they receive at UH West Oʻahu to make a difference in their communities.
New video tour of the Academy for Creative Media building!
Haven’t been on campus for awhile? Interested in learning more about the new Academy for Creative Media at UH West Oʻahu facility? See this recently published video: https://youtu.be/jUNw9Ap3Xco
HANA LAWELAWE: ON LEADERSHIP
Hauʻoli Lono i ka Makahiki
A message from the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
As we enter the ever-anticipated holiday season—our second under Covid restrictions—the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA) extends its wholehearted gratitude to the faculty, whose ceaseless commitment to excellence has helped us navigate these turbulent times. In addition to the standard—but vital—duties faculty carry out each fall by teaching classes, advising students, conducting research, administering grants, serving the community, and, in the case of division chairs and tenured faculty, performing numerous personnel reviews, we wanted to use this forum to highlight the remarkable progress our faculty members have achieved of late in the realm of curriculum (re)development and (re)design.
As we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic generated a rupture in the trajectory of higher education that thrust distance learning into a new level of necessity and prominence. The rapid advent of distance learning technologies coupled with shifts in student behaviors and expectations have forced universities to radically rethink the ways in which instruction is structured and delivered. Fortunately, the faculty at UH West O‘ahu has embraced this call for change with great enthusiasm and efficacy. Since the onset of the pandemic, our faculty members have implemented a new B.S. degree in Cybersecurity (2020) and three new certificate programs: Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing (2020), Sustainability Issues (2020), and Long-Term Care (2021). Additionally, eight different concentrations and six different certificate programs have either already redesigned their curricula for fully online delivery or are currently making their way through the stages of Faculty Senate and WSCUC approval for such a renovation.
These initiatives stretch across the divisions to include the Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Public Administration, and Social Sciences Divisions, as well as the Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR). Our Education faculty have already converted the Middle/Secondary English concentration to distance format (as part of the Kelekaʻa Hoʻonaʻauao Title III grant partnership with Kaua‘i Community College) while the Business Administration faculty are currently pursuing the same approval for the Finance concentration. Last year, the Social Sciences established the aforementioned Certificate in Sustainability Issues in both onsite and distance modalities while the Public Administration did so for its Long-Term Care concentration while also implementing the Certificate in Long-Term Care this fall. There has also been a flurry of activity within the Humanities Division, with UH West O‘ahu gaining WSCUC approval for distance education delivery of the Humanities B.A. and the English concentration having already implemented its online curriculum (2021). The History concentration is currently pursuing distance education approval while the Hawaiian-Pacific Studies concentration has received WSCUC authorization to move forward with new (onsite and distance education) certificates in both Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian-Pacific Studies (HPST) while simultaneously working to obtain Faculty Senate approval for those initiatives and an online format for the HPST concentration. Within the Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences Division, faculty are working on migrating the Health Information Management (HIM) and Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing (HIHH) concentrations to distance formats while the faculty of CLEAR are advancing a proposal for a (stand-alone) distance education certificate in Labor Studies.
If you are having trouble following the details of this whirlwind of curricular activity, you are surely not alone! If all of these applications are successful, UH West O‘ahu will have raised its count of certificate programs from five to fourteen in just a five-year period, with ten of those certificates available to students in fully online formats. This is a radical transformation of the UH West O‘ahu curriculum that helps meet the needs of the shifting nature of student demand. The emerging portfolio of distance education certificates will allow UH West O‘ahu to market its offerings to full-time working adults—both within and beyond the State of Hawai‘i—including those looking to enhance their skillset to advance in their current career path or even those seeking to migrate into an entirely new industry. As we enter the holiday season, the OVCAA applauds and praises the efforts of all of the faculty members who have undertaken these additional pursuits, so that UH West O‘ahu can serve 21st-century learners more effectively. Thank you for all that you do! Your efforts are truly appreciated!
Pūpūkahi i Holomua (Unite to Move Forward)!
A CELEBRATION OF GOOD WORKS: KŪLIA I KA NUʻU (REACH FOR THE SUMMIT!)
- Rock collection donated to UH West Oʻahu puts world ʻat our fingertips’
- UH West Oʻahu graduate is youth ambassador at World Expo in Dubai
- Academy for Creative Media Facility enjoys successful awards season
- Hawaii Business: Inside the Vault at ‘Ulu‘Ulu Archives
HOW DOES THAT WORK? Messages From Across Our Campus
From our Business Office, Sheri Ching, Director
Reminders:
As we are approaching the holiday season and calendar year-end, here are a few reminders:
- If you are a Supervisor of students and/or casual hires, please be sure to review and approve timesheets in SECE (students) and/or TAPS (casual hires) by designated deadlines.
- For PCardholders, please continue to monitor your accounts during the holiday season, as there have been reports of increased fraudulent activity during this period.
- The Wages-in-Kind processing deadline for Tax Year 2021 is Dec. 3, 2021. All DVs approved by the Disbursing Office on or prior to that date will be processed for Tax Year 2021. Payments subject to this deadline include:
- Same Day Travel Per Diem
- Mileage
- Auto Allowance
- Transportation Allowance
- Cash Awards
- Uniform Allowance
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Review General Education Proposal:
Please see the attached memo and Place-Based Capacities Proposal for General Education. We would greatly appreciate your assistance in disseminating this to your constituents/delegates. Comments and questions can be sent to gedesign@hawaii.edu or submitted anonymously online at https://forms.gle/xJsYMpqGMjPa5qNy6.
The Noʻeau Project launches an enriching library of resources
The Noʻeau Project is a library of 52 original Hawaiian language stories and audiobooks as well as educational and business curriculum resources. The goal of the project is to strengthen the proficiency of the Hawaiian-speaking community as well as to encourage Hawaiians to pursue education at all levels including, but not limited to, the doctoral degree. Go to noeau.org for more information.
From Kapā Oliveira, UHM, Interim Assistant Vice-Provost for Student Academic Success
ʻAuhea ʻoukou e nā kupa o ka ʻāina,
E hoʻolono mai i kahi nūhou o ka ʻāina! Ua hemo mai nei kekahi kaha pūnaewele hou, http://www.noeau.org/, o ka Noʻeau Project (Papahana Noʻeau). He papahana hou kēia i hoʻokumu ʻia i mea e hoʻonaʻauao ākea ʻia ai ka lehulehu i ka ʻōlelo makuahine o ko kākou pae ʻāina nei, a noʻeau mai ai kona hoʻohana ʻia ʻana. Ma o ka heluhelu ʻana i kēia mau puke kamaliʻi, he 52 ka nui i kēia manawa, a me ka hoʻolohe ʻana nō hoʻi i ko lākou heluhelu leo ʻia mai e nā mānaleo ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, pēlā ana e māhuahua ai ka ikaika o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a laha ai hoʻi mai ʻō a ʻō o ka honua nei.
ʻO kekahi hopena koʻikoʻi o ua papahana nei, ʻo ia nō ka paipai ʻana i ka lāhui Hawaiʻi e ʻimi ai kākou i ka naʻauao ma nā ʻano ʻike like ʻole o ia mea he ʻoihana kāloaʻa.
No laila, e alu like kākou i ka mehana ʻana mai o ka mālamalama o ka Lā Kūʻokoʻa (ka lā 28 o Nowemapa), no ke kaumaha ʻia mai o kēia mau pūʻolo waiwai i mua o ke ākea.
I kukui pio ʻole ka Noʻeau Project no ka lāhui Hawaiʻi e ao ai i ka lamakū o ka noʻeau.
