University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Ka Pe‘ahi Lono: Monthly Message for December

Date/Time sent: 12/01/2020 11:05 am

Aloha mai kākou!

The Makahiki Season in Hawaiʻi is marked by the rising of the Makaliʻi (Pleiades star cluster) on the horizon at sunset. This is the time of Lono when we reflect and renew – reenergize! It is also the time of celebrating our pilina/relations giving thanks for the cordage that binds us as ʻohana/family. I am deeply grateful for the joy that you bring to the lives of our students and for the many life lessons we, as the UH West Oʻahu ʻohana, have experienced together!

Title of Photo: Lele-o-ka-lā Photo Credit: Manu Meyer

Every project, big or small, leads to new experiences and teaching moments that enable us to continue to do what we love– and for that we are so grateful. (Gratitude Statement)

There are many activities to participate to celebrate the holiday season! Here are a handful:

  • Tuesday, December 1: UH Giving Tuesday 2020 Ready, Set, Go!  #GivingTuesday! 
    UH Giving Tuesday is an online giving event, bringing the University of Hawai’i community together for one day to support the university and its students. The event will be held in conjunction with the national day of giving movement – Giving Tuesday – on Tuesday,
    December 1. It will last 24 hours and feature targeted digital appeals, social posts and call center outreach. UH Giving Tuesday 2020 will emphasize scholarship and student aid for all ten campuses, athletics, and the law school.
  • Wednesday, December 9, noon – 1 p.m.: Mele Honouliuli with Manulani Meyer
    Come learn the UH West Oʻahu mele to welcome all visiting guests, to start events, to begin a new semester. Come learn the wahi pana of Honouliuli in the Ewa Plains of West Oʻahu. Come experience a mele ʻuhane that came to Puʻu Zablan of the PIKO Project.  Come learn the moʻolelo of Puʻuloa and Puʻu O Kapolei from beloved Artist Kupihea. Come over to the ʻāina wela o Kapolei.
    Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/91499916950
    Password: ukana
  • Wednesday, December 23, noon – 1 p.m.: Christmas in the Islands with Aaron Salā, Jon Magnussen and special guests
    Join us (virtually) at the University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu as we celebrate the successful close of an extraordinary semester with music! Featuring students, staff, and faculty from our campus, along with a few special guests, we invite you to come celebrate Christmastime with us.
    Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/91499916950
    Password: ukana

This month’s newsletter includes a message from the Office of our Vice Chancellor for Academics (contribution from AVCAA Alan Rosenfeld) and reminders from our Business Office.

Hauʻoli Lonoikamakahiki!

E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor

Pueo Planning Process: Ensuring responsible stewardship through a budget process that enables the campus to address multi-year financial implications and achieve operating efficiency

Stay informed about our campus efforts to address the multi-year financial implications of the pandemic. This site provides you with up-to-date information about our campus process, the campus task force activities, an archive of information and communications, and a calendar of activities. There is also a link where you can send your thoughts and questions.

The role of the campus task force is to explore, discuss, and make recommendations to campus leadership regarding Cost Efficiencies [CE] and Revenue Generating Investments [RGI].  On November 18, your campus task force presented campus leadership with a set of cost efficiency recommendations to consider for Fiscal Year 2021 (July 2020 to June 2021). You can access their recommendations under the Task Force tab. Decisions regarding this cluster of recommendations will be forwarded to the Task Force by Friday December 4 and provided to the campus via the website and the Weekly Bulletin (Monday December 7).

Currently, the members of the Task Force are preparing to survey the campus community regarding their recommendations for FY’s 22, 23, and 24 Cost Efficiencies [CE] and Revenue Generating Investments [RGI]. The survey will assist the Taskforce to complete their final recommendations. A note from the Taskforce: Due to the projected budget shortfalls expected in each year (FY22, 23, and 24) of $2.7-2.8 million, the campus leadership may institute a list of their own CE and RGI recommendations to ensure that UH West Oʻahu is prepared for the upcoming system budget discussions.

Task Force membership: Kaʻiu Akamine, Loea Akiona, Kapono Apao (HGEA), Alison Badua-Bohner (HGEA), Michelle Cohen, Ross Cordy, Lori Foo, Alphie Garcia, Mary Heller, Louis Herman, James Kardash (UHPA), Edward Keaunui, Frank Kudo, Caton Liang (ASUHWO), Jenna Marie Marcos (ASUHWO), Monique Mironesco, John Murakami, Therese Nakadomari, Princess Soares, Marnelli Joy Ulep, Reed Young.

Support Staff: Walter Kahumoku (Facilitator), VCAA Jeffrey Moniz, VCSA Javinar, Chris Neves (Recorder).

Hana Lawelawe: On Leadership

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Alan Rosenfeld, AVCAA

As we enter the holiday season and approach the end of one of the most challenging years we will (hopefully) ever know, let us acknowledge how fortunate we are to work at UH West O‘ahu and recall what makes our institution so special. Dispersed by the necessary precautions taken to alleviate coronavirus spread, let us not forget that UH West O‘ahu was created as a gathering place for the people of Leeward O‘ahu. Our interactions with students restricted to Zoom sessions filtered through a screen, let us remember that we are an academic institution dedicated to providing an accessible and affordable college education to the historically underserved communities of Hawai‘i.

The diversity of our campus ‘ohana is truly remarkable. The Chronicle for Higher Education has identified UH West O‘ahu as having the fourth-most (racially and ethnically) diverse student body of more than 700 public four-year colleges in the country; and we all know that our students are also diverse in terms of their ages, socio-economic backgrounds, and life experiences. The Chronicle for Higher Education also recognized UH West O‘ahuʻs faculty as having the highest level of (racial and ethnic) diversity of any faculty at any four-year institution—public or private—in the nation.

Of course, our faculty body is more than diverse. It is composed of expert and dedicated educators committed to student success. Their combination of grit, passion, and compassion in these most trying of circumstances has helped to navigate our students through an arduous experiment in emergency remote instruction over these past nine months. As 2020 rolls to its (thankful) conclusion, let us pause to mahalo and celebrate all of our instructors for providing our students with a shining example of leadership in the face of adversity.

A Celebration of Good Works: Kūlia i ka nuʻu (Reach for the Summit!)

News Events that highlights the work of our students and faculty!

Announcements

Please refer to our weekly bulletins or our news site Ka Puna O Kaloʻi for more information, updates, news, and announcements.

Announcements from UHWO Business Office

Requirement to Enroll in Direct Deposit:

During October 2020, the University System announced a goal of 100% employee direct deposit participation by December 31, 2020 to assist with curtailing expenses related to the production and distribution of physical paper checks.  To enroll, go to the Hawaiʻi Informational Portal, the State of Hawaiʻi’s online payroll system: https://hihpsso.hip.hawaii.gov.  A UH username and password will be required to sign-up for direct deposit.

Employees who wish to continue to receive a paper paycheck must request for an exception via the Direct Deposit Exception Request form located at http://www.fmo.hawaii.edu/payroll/.  All exceptions will require the approval of Chancellor Benham and President Lassner.

Check Printing Schedule Change:

Due to significant budget restrictions and to take advantage of efficiencies gained by electronic payments, effective October 1, 2020, the Disbursing Office is only issuing paper checks twice a month (generally, the 15thof the month and the last business day of the month).  However, electronic payments to students, employees and vendors will continue to be processed on a daily basis.

Students, employees, and vendors are encouraged to sign-up for digital delivery of payments via eRefunds, ePayment, or Vendor ACH Payments.  The following links have been provided to give you more information to assist you with signing up for electronic payments:

University of Hawaiʻi Foundation (UHF) – Rollout of Concur

UHF has recently rolled out Concur to allow for the automated processing of procurement transactions.  The “Check Request Form” and the “Requisition for Purchase Order” is now completed through Concur.  All active Account Administrators and Support Staff were automatically granted access to Concur and offered training through UHF a few weeks ago.  The Business Office will also be issuing campus guidance shortly.

Reminders:

As we are approaching the holiday season and calendar year-end, here are a few reminders: