University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Ka Pe‘ahi Lono: Monthly Message for June

Date/Time sent: 05/31/2022 9:00 am

Hoʻokāhi ka ilau like ana (Wield the paddles together)

Aloha mai kākou e UH West Oʻahu ʻOhana!

As we end our 2021-2022 Academic Year and fire up our campus and our computers for our summer sessions, I am hopeful that we have all had an opportunity to reflect on the impact we make in the lives of our students and their families, our colleagues and peers, and the Westside communities we serve! It is so very important that you know that the work we do is significant and makes a difference.

I want to mahalo all the hardworking hands who have supported our small enrollment team to reach out to potential and continuing students. You have gone into our high schools and worked with counselors, students, and families. You have sent emails to continuing students as well as made a phone call to encourage students to register for fall classes. You have led tours and attended recruitment fairs. Let’s keep working together to strengthen our efforts as we reach for our fall 2022 enrollment goals!

I wanted to acknowledge a surprise act of kindness and aloha. On Thursday morning as I drove around the circle on my way to park, I noticed our security officer, Darrell Johnson, standing near the flagpoles waving hello to me. Throughout the morning he welcomed folks to campus waving hello. Several guests I was meeting with that morning remarked that Darrell made them feel welcome and safe on our campus. Mahalo NUI Darrell for your “peʻahi” – your call of welcome!

Please take the time to read our June Peʻahi Lono – there’s important information and updates!

Mahalo nūnui for taking the time to review this week’s bulletin.
E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor

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REVITALIZING THE LIFE OF OUR CAMPUS

Working to keep our campus safe!

COVID 19 reminder graphic

Keep in mind, kūkūlu kaiaʻulu! Please strengthen our community with your passions, respect for one another, and patience! Please respect an individual’s personal choice to wear a face mask outdoors and indoors where face masks are no longer required. Should you want to learn more about the ESF-6 Omicron, please see this powerpoint presentation offered by Dr. Curtis Toma, Hawaiʻi Medicaid Medical Director.

Announcement from UH System on May 24, 2022

Aloha students, faculty and staff,

Effective Wednesday, May 25, face masks are once again required indoors across the University of Hawaiʻi System, except when working alone or separated from others by 6 feet or more. Restoration of this practice, consistent with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, was recommended by UH medical and public health experts and the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health and affirmed by UH leadership.

Reinstatement of the comprehensive indoor mask requirement will help prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus and better protect the health of students and employees as every county in the state but one is currently assessed to have a “high” level of COVID-19 community transmission by the CDC. Only Hawaiʻi County is still rated “medium.” The CDC also ranks the state as 4th highest in the nation with an average 7-day case rate of 495.9 cases per 100,000 people.
The indoor face mask requirement will remain in place and be re-evaluated when the level of COVID-19 transmission in the state decreases. All members of the UH community should continue to monitor your hawaii.edu email and UHNews.org for updates.

If you test positive for COVID-19 and have been on campus or a UH facility, immediately contact your respective COVID-19 Response Team (contact info for each UH campus). Instructors can also inform the CRT with contact information of an individual. The UH System follows the State Department of Health return-to-work guidance.

Do not report to a UH campus or facility if any of these apply:

  • You tested positive for COVID-19 and are on home isolation.
  • You have new or worsening symptoms that could be COVID-19 and not attributable to a pre-existing condition.
  • You are immunocompromised and are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive individual.
  • You are not “up to date” with your vaccines and are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive individual. “Up to date” means you have received all COVID-19 vaccine doses for which you are eligible, e.g., the initial two shots and a booster.
    • You must isolate for 5 days after the date of last exposure and may return on day 6 if you have not had a fever within the past 24 hours and your symptoms have significantly improved. When you return to campus, you must wear a well-fitted mask at all times and not eat or drink around others until the full 10 days have passed.
  • You are subject to government-issued or a healthcare provider’s orders to quarantine.

Please continue to follow the UH COVID-19 Guidelines except as described above regarding masking.

Mahalo for your assistance in keeping our campus communities safe,

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A CELEBRATION OF GOOD WORKS: KŪLIA I KA NUʻU (REACH FOR THE SUMMIT!)

Highlights

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HANA LAWELAWE: ON LEADERSHIP

Pūpūkahi i Holomua (Unite to Move Forward)!

This month we pass along an important message from the newly appointed University of Hawai’i System Vice President for Academic Strategy, Dr. Debora Halbert, PhD:

Dear UH Faculty, Staff, and Administrators:

The University of Hawai’i is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of student education records and monitoring the release of information from those records, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

UH employees with access to student education records have a legal responsibility to protect the privacy of students by using information only for legitimate educational reasons to instruct, advise, or otherwise assist students. FERPA also assures certain rights to students regarding their education records. These rights do not transfer to parents, guardians, spouses, or other family members without the express written permission of the student.

What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (also known as the Buckley Amendment), affords students four primary rights with respect to their education
records. They have the right to:

  1. Inspect and review their education records;
  2. Have some control over the disclosure of information from their education records;
  3. Seek to amend incorrect education records;
  4. File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office.

Learn more about how FERPA protects the confidentiality of student records at:
datagov.intranet.hawaii.edu/ferpa/

Are a student’s COVID-19-related education records protected under FERPA?
Yes, a student’s COVID-19-related education records are protected by FERPA. Generally, the use of these education records is restricted to authorized institutional use and access is limited to school officials provided the University has determined those officials have legitimate educational interests in accessing the information. Therefore, COVID-19 related education records that are accessed by authorized school officials should NOT be copied, shared or disclosed. For more specific guidance, visit datagov.intranet.hawaii.edu/ferpa/.

Best practices involving third party software and services

  • If users need to create an account, inform them to not use their UH username and password, if possible. Mirroring credentials poses a security risk.
  • Do not forget about your data after the contract or subscription ends, especially if there is Sensitive or Regulated data involved. Remind users to delete their account and materials when the platform is no longer being used (e.g., when the class is over).

Questions? Email the UH Data Governance Office at datagov@hawaii.edu.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

From our Business Office

Reminder: Fiscal 2022 Year-End Closing Procedures:
We’re in our countdown to year-end…just 2 more months left in the fiscal year! Please be sure to adhere to fiscal year-end deadlines provided by your respective administrative staff.

From our Human Resources Office

Required Conflict of Interest Forms for 2022
This is a reminder for all BU-07 Faculty and Lecturers to submit your annual Conflict of Interest Forms for 2022 ASAP. The Conflict of Interest form has been moved to Kuali Build.

  1. Go to: http://go.hawaii.edu/xyA
  2. In the website’s search bar, search for “UH Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form”
  3. Complete the form and click “Submit”

Reminder Ethics Training for ALL State Employees
The Hawai’i State Ethics Commission is pleased to offer upcoming ethics training classes for all state employees on the following dates:

  • August 18, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • October 20, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • December 16, 2022, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • January 24, 2023, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

These classes will meet the mandatory ethics training requirement currently being considered by Governor David Ige.

Individuals can register for a course online at: https://ethics.hawaii.gov/training/ Space is limited, so we encourage early registration.

Alternatively, state employees can take an on-line self-directed training course at https://ethics.hawaii.gov/ethicsonlinetraining/. This 30-minute, interactive training provides basic information for state employees subject to the Ethics Code, including all executive and legislative branch employees, and judiciary employees (other than judges and justices). Individuals who complete the training will obtain a certificate of completion that satisfies state ethics training requirements.

Thank you for your support of ethics education!
Hawaii State Ethics Commission
1001 Bishop Street, Suite 970
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Telephone: (808) 587-0460

ethics@hawaiiethics.org
http://ethics.hawaii.gov/
Twitter: @HawaiiEthics