Ka Pe‘ahi Lono: Monthly Message for June
Date/Time sent: 06/01/2021 8:00 amAloha mai kākou e UH West Oʻahu ʻOhana!
The struggle for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voice and sovereignty in U.S. history has been hard fought. A little history lesson — on October 5, 1978, a joint resolution was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Jimmy Carter to designate one week in May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.” This observance was expanded to a month in 1990, and in 1992, Congress passed a law to annually designate the entire month of May. It wasnʻt until April 30, 2021, that President Joseph Biden explicitly recognized Native Hawaiians and proclaimed May as Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month. According to the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau, 57.3% of Hawaiʻi’s population is Asian and 27% identified as Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander.
Just as we celebrated our indigenous roots and the diversity of Hawaiʻi in May – we must now look forward to the month of June and remember and embrace the history of struggle as we speak-out against oppression and speak-up for education. Juneteenth, Saturday June 19, celebrates the emancipation for those who were enslaved. To learn why we should observe this important event, see this YouTube video Why All Americans Should Honor Juneteenth? In the fall of 2020, many voices across Hawaiʻi pressed our Hawaiʻi State leaders to pass legislation to commemorate this important event in U.S. history. During this past legislative session, the Hawaii State Legislature passed SB 939 to establish June 19th of each year as a day of observance. It was presented to Governor Ige for his signature. In an Essence article (4.30.2021), Akiemi Glenn, founder and executive director of the Pōpolo Project, said the signed bill is a way of honoring the ancestors of Hawaii’s Black people. “There’s a recognition that we’re here and that we’re part of Hawaii.”
In this month’s Ka Peʻahi Lono, listen and read about the good works of colleagues and refresh your memory regarding the Pueo Planning Process.
As we begin preparing for a full return to campus in the fall please take a moment to review our COVID-19 (updated) Guidelines. And, if you havenʻt had a chance to view the UH System Employee Safety Training videos, there are three short, informational videos. When completed, print your completion certificate and provide a copy to your supervisor. This was shared with all employees Fall 2020, so, some of the guidance has changed but the information is still relevant.
Mahalo nūnui for your attention! E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor
A Celebration of Good Works: Kūlia i ka nuʻu (Reach for the Summit!)
Take a moment to listen to Dr. Louis Herman’s interview on HPR during which he talks about his experience with the Oscar winning documentary, My Octopus Teacher. It does give one pause when eating that tako poke.
Dr. Michael Mina with colleagues recently published an article with colleagues entitled, What Do We Need to Do to Get Ready for the Next Global Pandemic? He was interviewed by the Harvard Gazette.
Take a look at the good works of our faculty, staff, students and alumni!
- UH West Oʻahu graduate says it’s ‘never too late’ to better yourself
- Pro surfer first to receive UH West Oʻahu’s Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing degree
- Faculty and staff receive top honors for dedication in and out of classroom
- Timely texts can improve vaccination rates, according to study co-authored by UH West Oʻahu faculty
- National award for commitment to indigenous students given to UH West Oʻahu’s Kahumoku
- UH West Oʻahu’s Foumai behind ‘unprecedented’ performances with Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra
- Making history as UH West Oʻahu Alumni awardee
Hana Lawelawe: On Leadership
The Pueo Planning Process: Work Groups
Our work groups have taken a summer break, however, hereʻs a reminder of our efforts this past year. This summer, your executive team and the UH West Oʻahu Federal Funding Campus Advisory Council is working to seed/pilot initiatives proposed by faculty/staff that operationalize recommendations from the work force groups. Our Pueo Planning Process webpage documents and provides information.
Here is an overview of each of the Work Groups that also includes their tasks and membership.
Business Model and Mindset
Purpose: To develop a renewed budget model and mindset.
Explanation: Given that much of the cost of higher education is fixed—particularly in personnel, operations—when a reduction in state funding occurs an institution like UHWO must develop a Business Model and operational mindset that ensures its financial solvency and ability to be partially self-sustaining. This group will revisit and renew the current Business Model articulated in the campus’ Strategic Action Plan (2018) through thoughtful, intentional conversations that will help UHWO pivot from high dependency on state coffers to a status that blends existing funding with solid revenue generation.
Group members: Walter Kahumoku (facilitator), Ed Keaunui (facilitator), Camonia Graham-Tutt, Suzy Johnson (student), Frank Kudo, Adrian Lee, Leslie Lopez, Leslie Rush, Linda Saiki, Keith Sakuda, and Eli Tsukuyama.
Student Recruitment & Student Retention
Purposes: (1) To strengthen recruitment of current student populations as well as targeting new student populations. (2) To increase retention by providing programs for new markets and providing new approaches to improve wellbeing.
Explanation: By bolstering access to current and “new” student markets through digital tools and other strategies, UHWO will seek to increase the number of traditional freshmen as well as non-traditional learners to our programs. A second and equally important part of this group’s work will be to recommend retention efforts that combine the expertise of Student Affairs and Academics to increase student success. Initiatives will look to improve student time management, career possibilities, financial literacy, engagement, wellbeing as well as academic expertise and career readiness.
Group members: Jan Javinar (facilitator), Reed Young (facilitator), Loea Akiona, Sarah Chase, Michelle Cohen, Ken Inouye, Lelemia Irvine, Holly Itoga, Laurie James, Dylan Keaweehu, Loke Kenolio, Nalo “Shu” Lago (student), Katie Landgraf, Caton Liang (student), Veny Liu, Joe Mareko, Nicholas Mitchell, Leslie Opulauoho, James Oshiro, Ryan Perreira, Kealohi Perry, and Lynette Williamson.
Student Learning
Purpose: To build and strengthen mission and post-pandemic critical academic programs by balancing costs, enrollment patterns, student interests, diverse delivery platforms, industry trends, and innovation.
Explanation: To generate a set of robust investment initiatives this group will first be introduced to an in-depth analysis of the costs associated with personnel and academic programming. This will provide a more accurate/data-based understanding of workload, instructional costs, enrollment patterns, programs that generate revenues and programs that don’t, identification of mission critical programs, and the efficacy of different delivery platforms. Other key data points include operational costs, student interest, current and future job markets and industry trends, successful and innovative programs employed at other campuses, and others. Such data will form the foundation for a revised academic plan.
Group members: Jeff Moniz (facilitator), Mary Heller (facilitator), Kaʻiulani Akamine, Kaui Baumhofer, Rebecca Carino-Augustin, Matt Chapman, Michael Furuto, Sharla Hanaoka, Michael Hayes, Louis Herman, Cathy Ikeda, Michiko Joseph, Stephanie Kamai, Kristina Lu, Jon Magnussen, Therese Nakadomari, Christine Park (student), Princess Soares, Robyn Tasaka, Kaylee Torres (student), Rouel Velasco, and Marnelli Ulep.
Campus Efficiencies
Purpose: Strategize to build a more strategic workforce to maximize our skill and talent base is focused where it can have the greatest impact in the near and long-term.
Explanation: The focus is to generate efficiency recommendations that will increase effective, efficient operations across the campus—Academics, Administration, and Student Affairs.
Group members: Kevin Ishida (facilitator), Katherine Aumer, Sheri Ching, Michelle Ferguson, Lori Foo, Daphne Fox (student), Kelly Fujino, Brient Hutchinson (student), Kay Nagata, Donna Shaver, Lisa Spencer, Nancy Nakasone, and Esther Widiasih.
Mahalo to all our work group volunteers!
How does that work? Messages From Across Our Campus
Regarding FERPA – What you should know:
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:
- Inspect and review their education records;
- Have some control over the disclosure of information from their education records;
- Seek to amend incorrect education records;
- 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: http://datagov.intranet.
If you and your students use third party online platforms, please keep in mind these best practices:
- 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.
Important Announcements
Refer to our weekly bulletins or our news site Ka Puna O Kaloʻi for more information, updates, news, and announcements.