Ka Pe‘ahi Lono: Monthly Message for March

Date/Time sent: 03/01/2022 12:40 pm

Aloha mai kākou e UH West Oʻahu ʻOhana!

Hoʻokāhi ka ilau like ana (Wield the paddles together)

In February, faculty, staff, students, and visitors returned to campus. I realize that we’re all making sense of this new work environment and pandemic shifts! It is not easy but the transition, for the most part, is going well! It reminds me that, according to the Chinese Zodiac, we are in the year of the Water Tiger, which brings us the desire to open the flow of communications, to let things rise to the surface, and shift into higher gear. Your campus leadership is working diligently to open up more fluid channels of communications so that we can work collectively to focus our thoughts and consider new angles, points of view, and ideas.

To make magic happen in all our learning settings, the Water Tiger encourages us to bring a curious heart toward new things, learn and create together, and combine relationships together with achievement and determination. This is certainly the year to implement forward-looking actions that make learning and teaching, scholarship and engaged research, and community stewardship happen. It is our hope that the energy of Water + the animal energy of the Tiger gives us all the courage and energy to ride new waves and travel new roads!

Let us ensure that the brilliance of ALOHA continues to guide us throughout the year. See the Hana Lawelawe section to view our Water Tiger and click here to download your Water Tiger. A reminder of the energy and courage you bring to our endeavors.

Mahalo nūnui for taking the time to review this month’s Ka Peʻahi Lono.
E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor

Section divider made up of two canoe paddles.

REVITALIZING THE LIFE OF OUR CAMPUS

Campus Operations

YES! Our campus is open! Here are some reminders about campus services:

Update on bookstore hours: Bookstore will be open Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., special appointments on request.
Update on dining: The Dining Hall is open Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. for take-out only, indoor seating is closed this semester.
Update on the James & Abigail Campbell Library: The Library will be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Friday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. A librarian will be available via Chat Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. All visitors entering the library will need show their LumiSight “Green Go” screen and check in.

We will be on Spring Break from March 14 to 18, so please check for special break hours.

WSCUC Accreditation Visit

Revitalizing does mean we are getting back to “business as usual!” And, what better way to mark the “business” than our on-campus WASC Accreditation visit! Our weekly bulletin, Makahaiwa‘a has been sending information out for the last several weeks. You can learn more in these announcements: https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/makahaiwaa/accreditation-visit-march-2-to-4/

We hope you will attend the open forums for students and for faculty. Each forum will be held in Room C-225 in the Student Services Building and will also be broadcast over Zoom via the following links:

Open Forum for Staff and Faculty: Wednesday, March 2, 2 – 2:45 p.m.
https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/96684456558
Meeting ID: 966 8445 6558
Passcode: uhwopueo

Open Forum for Students: Thursday, March 3, 2 – 2:45 p.m.
https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/96996783395
Meeting ID: 969 9678 3395
Passcode: uhwopueo

You can also view the accreditation team’s exit presentation on Friday morning, although that session does not include dialogue or Q&A. Here is how you can view that meeting:

WSCUC Exit Meeting: Friday, March 4, 11:30 a.m.
https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/98109207407
Meeting ID: 981 0920 7407
Passcode: uhwopueo

A message from our campus accreditation team: Please consider attending one of these sessions and please encourage others to do so as well! You can learn more about the accreditation process through our new Accreditation 101 FAQ page and our campus accreditation website. This is the first time that a WSCUC evaluation team has visited UH West O‘ahu since 2014, and the team wants to hear your feedback directly. Those of you unable to attend your open forum are encouraged to avail yourselves of the opportunity to submit direct, confidential feedback to the WSCUC evaluation team at uhwo@wscuc.org (see campus email dated Feb. 9).

Revitalizing our campus, hosting more on-campus courses and events requires everyone, employees and vistors to provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test from a UH-recognized testing facility either through the LumiSight UH app or by showing their vaccination card or current valid negative COVID-19 test results. Please see our COVID-19 Updates and Resources page for more information regarding our in-person and online services.

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

There was much to celebrate in February! HULO Dr. Albie Miles and Mahalo nūnui to librarians Alphie Garcia and Carina Chernisky for hosting the very successful Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibit!

It is not too late to visit the exhibit! You could also attend the closing event this Saturday, March 5, Quartet for the End of Time, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Guests will be able to experience the power and indomitability of the human spirit through music that was composed and performed in the horrific conditions of Stalag VIII-A, a German camp. This special performance, by professional musicians from Chamber Music Hawaiʻi, will feature French composer Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time). Messiaen joined the French Army in 1939 to fight alongside the Allies during WWII. In May 1940 he was captured at Verdun by the Germans, and became a prisoner-of-war in Stalag VIII-A, a German camp. A sympathetic German prison guard helped him obtain music manuscript paper and pencils, and encouraged him to compose. In January 1941, under freezing conditions, fellow prisoners of war musicians joined Messiaen to perform the new work for an audience of fellow prisoners and prison guards. The story of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps would become famous as an act of defiance and bravery in the face of powerful oppression.

Contact Alphie Garcia or Carina Chernisky to register.

HANA LAWELAWE: ON LEADERSHIP

Pūpūkahi i Holomua (Unite to Move Forward)!

Illustration of what a Water Tiger may look like.

Water is calm and restorative. The tiger encourages us to be curious, creative, and brave.

Important Announcements

Regarding COVID-19

Our Revised COVID Guidelines are now posted. We encourage you to get your booster shot, to check in daily on LumiSight UH, and to follow all campus safety precautions. You can now upload your booster to LumiSight UH:

To upload your Covid-19 Booster shot to Lumisight you may login to: https://uh.campus.lumisight.com/
Then go to Vaccine > add Vaccination Booster shot > then fill in your information > and Submit.
Note that the option to upload a booster shot is only available should your vaccination information already be uploaded and approved

We appear to be in a period of transition. To help you understand what we know go to this CDC Link. While this provides information regarding community-level prevention strategies (what we continue to study for our UH community), if you scroll down toward the bottom of the CDC page, “COVID-19 Community Level and COVID-10 Prevention” you will see fairly clear guidance on what people should do as individuals.

Download and Use LumiSight. Must show verification.
Students, employees, and visitors it is essential that you download LumiSight UH to your smartphone. Register and upload all relevant COVID-19 information. Prior to coming to campus please check-in using your LumiSight APP remembering to respond to all health questions. BE PREPARED TO SHOW YOUR “GO GREEN” SCREEN at our campus verification stations. If for some reason you forgot to sign-in, please do so before entering campus or see our friendly student assistants at any of the verification sites. They will assist you with signing in or getting a day pass. NOTE: you must have proof of COVID vaccination or negative COVID test to retrieve a day pass. Welina mai – Welcome to campus!

Travel protocol reminder:
Note that this might change after publication of this newsletter, so, keep your eye on the news. Currently, here is our travel protocol:

To mitigate the risk of introducing post-travel infections onto our campus, leadership is strongly recommending that all students and employees, vaccinated and unvaccinated, who are returning from out-of-state travel, business or personal, upload to LumiSight UH proof of a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus. For your safety, health and well-being please follow all State of Hawaiʻi Safe Travel guidelines and UH COVID-19 Guidelines, including being cleared by the LumiSight UH daily health check app to be on campus and wearing face masks indoors when on campus.

For employees and students who are reporting to work/to classes immediately after returning from out-of-state travel, it is strongly recommended that you obtain two negative COVID-19 test results: the first should be obtained within 24 hours of your return and before returning to campus, and the second should be obtained within three-to-five days of returning from travel.

Let’s be mindful, respectful, and responsible of and to our campus community as we celebrate family, holidays, commencement, and continued good news in the upcoming months.

If you have any questions, please email covid19@hawaii.edu.