Meeting Minutes
March 1, 2024

I. Opening Protocol

Mele Honouliuli (all via video)

Land Acknowledgement (Sen. Joy Mariko, Program Review Committee)

II. Approval of Faculty Senate Minutes

Approved as circulated.

III. Administrative Reports

1. Office of the Chancellor (Chancellor Maenette Benham)
   1. Spring 2024 commencement at Stan Sheriff on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
      Commencement now being organized through the Chancellor’s Office and one work group is focused on faculty participation under Camonia Graham-Tutt, Clinton Nishida, Terri Ota. We want to increase faculty participation in commencement.
   2. We will again host the Boy Scouts of America Onizuka Day of Exploration on our campus this year (close to 5000 people came to our campus during last year’s event). UHWO is also represented at this event with admissions information. Looking at closer to 6000 people coming this year on Saturday April 6. Two or three helicopters will land on the Great Lawn.
   3. Variety of enrollment opportunities. All units are working on strengthening current educational `auwai, especially Early College. Garry Roy? and Camonia Graham-Tutt will be sharing information about pathways into our programs. Working also with Kapolei Chamber of Commerce so that our pathways are connected to careers.
2. Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Administration (Vice-Chancellor David McDonald)
   1. Update on search for Associate Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs – finishing zoom interview of semi-finalists this week and hope to have finalists for position between March 25 and April 5, with multiple opportunities for faculty to engage with finalists: presentation, talk story sessions. Excited about the candidates and looking for the right fit.
   2. Budget: As a campus we have been thoughtful about our expenses and we are a little below what we anticipated. Maui fire expenses are higher than anticipated at the State Level. The Chair of State Ways and Means Committee has asked for what 10% and 15% cuts will look like. Expect we will be reequired to give something back, probably less than 15%.
   3. Legislature is in full force, beginning budget discussions on House side next week. We will soon have an idea of what they are thinking; then it goes to the Senate.
3. Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (Vice-Chancellor Dee Uwono)
   1. Congratulate Martin Motooka, recently hired as Director of Admissions. He will be hiring another recruiter to help.
   2. Loea Akiona organized a career fair that was successful, and the employers like coming here because of our students, who they perceive as hard workers and high quality. Loea has had to turn down some employers because it’s becoming so popular.
   3. Student event Pueo Pilina yesterday. Students are super active. Faculty encouraged to stop by any events hosted by the students.
   4. Admitted student reception February 29. Most of the students seem to be planning to attend UHWO in Fall. Some scholarships were awarded.
   5. Upcoming event: The Na`ulu Center is planning We Go West on April 11, 2024. Faculty encouraged to attend this event for specific local feeder schools’ accepted students who will be bussed in for “Senior Skip Day” to spend it on campus. Ending with a concert.
   6. May: we will have a registration event for accepted students.
   7. July: Lā Pūnua Orientation Day.
   8. Note that nationally financial aid has been behind with the new federal system. UH System offices have already sent students emails about the current status of waiting for info from DOE. We cannot process the applications until the US DOE gets things in place. This is especially of concern for incoming students.
4. Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs (Vice-Chancellor Harald Barkhoff)
   1. Last week, Friday February 23, there was a 3-hour Division Chair retreat, very successful. Scheduled another one for the summer. Also included the budget and scheduling team.
   2. VCAA Barkhoff and and acting AVCAA Camonia Graham-Tutt are hosting a faculty talk-story April 10, 11:30-12:30, B-233, a faculty meet and greet. Watch for a more detailed announcement. More events will follow.

IV. Faculty Senate Chair Reports

1. ASUHWO Updates (Lindsey Millerd, president)
   1. February 29, good turnout for Pueo Pilina. We gave out T-shirts designed for that event, and included some bigger things to entice students to attend. 18 student groups had tables.
   2. Last month student leaders were at a statewide conference. Next week, students who attended that event will be presenting their experience.
   3. Trying to get more involved in the Legislative session, had some workshops about submitting testimony.
   4. Working on increasing student engagement and student input. Possibly putting anonymous drop boxes around campus, considering alternatives to attending ASUHWO meetings.
   5. From Ka’iu: Lindsey Millerd has been nominated to serve on the Presidential Search committee. Mahalo for your hard work in building an engaged student body.
2. ACCFSC Updates
   1. Links are provided for ongoing issues.ACCFSC Presentation to BOR on February 16, 20242022 Quality of Worklife SurveyPeople are interested in how the results have been applied. Morale has been consistently low for 12 years
   2. New LMS is D2L Brightspace : UH LMS ReviewGloria Niles is heading this at UH System, rollout in Fall 2024, implemented by Spring 2025.
3.  Legislative updates
   1. Graduate Students : Collective Bargaining Rights BU16 or merge with BU7
   2. Hawaii Promise : Include 4 year campuses as the last tuition dollars. Important to advocate for this to be expanded to four-year campuses because their financial aid really changes from free tuition at community colleges.
   3. Summer Tuition: Level tuition costs with Academic Year – already in place at UHWO.
   4. GenEd: BOR Policy regarding GenEd – BOR is still interested in creating policies, although not in the way that came down, but they still want an update. Just came through on Wednesday when BOR had a hearing to confirm BOR nominees from the governor.
   5. Two governor nominees were recommended and one was not. Two BOR regents were recommended, Lauren Akitake and Neil Abercrombie, and current BOR vice-chair Alapaki Nahale-a was not recommended.
4. BOR Updates
   1. Presidential SearchSearch Firm will be announced at the next BOR Meeting. Feedback Survey received more than 2000 responsesPossible Emergency Meeting in the future. Neil Abercrombie called an executive session and meeting ended with no resolution.
   2. Sen. Mironesco (new business) – The existing process for the presidential search was scrapped with feedback from the survey. No faculty were on the search committee. Faculty should be on the search committee, so we will have to see what surfaces with the next version of the search committee. Other faculty senates are discussing this.Chair Akamine: We need to stay vigilant about this issue.BOR meeting recording 2/16/2024
      BOR Agenda, Materials, Testimony 2/16/2024
5. Campus Updates
   1. UHPA NominationsGratitude and Looking Forward (Sen. Alphie Garcia)Alphie Garcia’s term as Board Member representing UHWO at UHPA. There is a nomination process, with also the ability to do write-in candidates. A good opportunity to learn more about UHPA and how it advocates for UH faculty. The commitment is a meeting once a month and some executive meetings as needed. You are welcome to contact Alphie directly for information.Chair Akamine: Mahalo to Alphie for his service.
6. Spring Commencement : 5/04/2024Encouraging more faculty participation and involvement.

V. Committee Reports

1. Academic Affairs and Planning – (Sen. Katie Landgraf)
   1. Focused on I2 and I3 promotion process and what that could look like, what is already in place at UHWO and through UHPA. What is EP5.221; what Hilo has. Conversation continuing. Trying to make sure the document that will be presented to Faculty Senate is thorough.
   2. Collaborated with Student Affairs about how faculty can interact more with students in an informal way.
2. Budget and Resources – (Sen. Thomas Scheiding)
   1. Reviewed 24 awards in the total amount of $36.056. All applicants will receive memo from BRC Chair Scheiding regarding status of award.Third call for funding proposals with priority to first and second applications, possibly third applications. Deadline April 15, final call for funding. Even if you have not yet applied yet, consider creating an application. If you are considering something, contact Adrian Lee and Michelle Ferguson ASAP.Report presented. No debate. No objections. Report adopted.
3. Curriculum (Sen. Carina Chernisky)
   1. Approved several proposals.
   2. Working on a handbook that committee hopes to publish this semester.Report presented. No debate. No objections. Report adopted.
4. Distance Education – (Sen. Lynette Williamson)
   1. Main focus was on 26 course proposals and 3 curriculum modifications.
   2. Mahalo to committee members for quick turn around time and ability to present these courses for final approval.Report presented. No debate. No objections. Report adopted.
5. General Education – (Sen. Cathy Ikeda)
   1. Sen. Ikeda not present at time of report. Approval Based on circulated report only.Report presented. No debate. No objections. Report adopted.
6. Program Review –  (Sen.Joy Mahiko)
   1. Main topic of discussion was 7-year Program Review schedule. Concerns in the past about delays between Divisions and Academic Affairs and Action Plans, completed after the review. Committee is striving to provide clarity. Cycle will begin as of the date that the Review is completed, not based on signatures.
   2. Looking at who is coming up for review according to this schedule, so committee is reaching out to divisions about when Action Plans were submitted so that the schedule can be accurate based on current information.
   3. 2023 Program Handbook. Template is being revised.Report presented. No debate. No objections. Report adopted.
7. Student Affairs – (Sen. Keʻalohi Perry)
   1. Highlight that we have a draft Academic Forgiveness policy that will be shared through Divisions. From there, we hope to create faculty senate resolution for May meeting. See report for sample from Hilo about how this work on a transcript.
8. Sustainability  (Sen. Rouel Velasco)
   1. Urge faculty to complete survey on solar panels.
   2. Continue to think about applying for sustainability designment in fall for Spring 2025.
   3. Considering a microsite focused on sustainability plans at UHWO. System level of Sustainability Council – looking at campuses that have websites for sustainability microsite to align with this.
   4. Earth Day on-campus event – Monday, April 8 (coordinated by SAFB)
      1. get involved, host a booth, share info and conduct activities relating to sustainability (e-mail rouel@hawaii.edu) for info.
   5. Work days on Mala. Harvest days but you can also bring your own bags and harvest in coordination with Mala staff.Report presented. No debate. No objections. Report adopted.
9. Special Committee on Charter Review Updates from Ka`iu Akamine
   1. Note that there has not been an approval vote by the committee. This is an update.
      1. 1. Meeting since February 2023. Update on what is happening. This has been going on even since 2019 under Chair Hirsbrunner. Link to that record is included.Presiding officer is Monique Mironesco. Lisa Spencer takes notes. Convener is Sen. Rebecca Carino. See report for committee members.Points 1 through 5 are carried over from 2019 committee final report.1. Is the FS too large? Considering a reduction of senators, changing the ratio of representation. That issue has been dropped because physical space is no longer an issue. Committee voted that this is no longer relevant (at the committee level).2.     Should lecturers be considered a constituency? UHPA sent information about the correlation with the Charter. Discussions are ongoing.3.    Should committee membership language [be] standardized?
            i. 15/15 Yes votes. 0/15 No votes. (4/14/23)

            4.     How to break ties in elections?

            5.     Should bylaws or Special Rules of Order require that proposed amendments to the Charter, Bylaws, and previously adopted documents be submitted with a separate attachment on one color (not track changes), that show all proposed changes in Ramseyer format (i.e. the word(s) to be deleted show in brackets and struck out, while the word(s) to be added or inserted be underlined)?
            i. Vote: 13/13 Yes, 0/13 No (3/9/23)

            6.     New issue – added by this February 2023 committee.

            Status of the FS Chair. Should the qualifier include tenure. The committee unanimously voted that this would be a good idea. Also considering the vice chair and committee chairs. The chair and vice chair would be good but maybe not standing committee chairs. This is an update not a proposal at this time.

            7.     New issue – added by this February 2023 committee.

            Should there be two senates:  Instructional Faculty and Specialist Faculty

             

            Committee has been meeting monthly and trying to work through these issues.

VI. New Business

1. Presidential Search Committee Concerns – Monique Mironesco (see above)
2. Basic Needs Syllabus Statement – Sen. Loe’a Akiona
   Committee made up of representatives from each department and division as well as student representatives. Committee convened by the Chancellor. Mahalo to everyone who has participated in supporting programs.See Basic Needs Master PlanOne item is to include a statement of Basic Needs in all syllabi, included in the official UHWO syllabus template.

VII. Announcements

None

VIII. Adjourn 12:50pm

No executive session.