Meeting Minutes
October 3, 2025

I. Opening Protocol

1. Call to Order: 11:30am
2. Mele Honouliuli:  Senator Ke‘alohi Perry
3. Land Acknowledgement: Faculty Senate Chair Stan Orr

II. Action Items

1. Quorum was confirmed by Parliamentarian Puett and Vice Chair Katherine Aumer.
2. Chair Orr welcomed new senators and confirmed the appointment of three lecturers : Rebecca Arechiga, Timothy Kwock, Stephen Litschauer as voting members for one-year terms, pursuant to Article II of the UHWO Faculty Senate Charter.
3. Minutes from the May 2 and September 5 meetings were approved as distributed.
4. Committee Reports:
   1. Curriculum Committee (CC) Report, CC Vice Chair Robyn Tasaka presented the CC report from the September 12 meeting. The committee moved to adopt all recommendations contained in the report. The motion passed without objection.
   2. Distance Education (DE) Committee Report, DE Chair Katherine Aumer presented the Distance Education Committee report. The committee established workflow processes and moved to adopt its recommendations, which passed without objection.
   3. General Education (GE) Committee Report, GE Chair Megan Ross presented the GE Committee report. Course title corrections were noted for BUSA 435 (Strategic Management) and MGT 301 (Business Ethics). All recommendations with stated corrections were adopted without objection.

III. Administrative Reports

1. Office of the Chancellor (Chancellor Maenette Benham)
   1. Chancellor Maenette Benham introduced Interim Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza, who will begin serving as Interim Chancellor for both UH West O‘ahu and Leeward Community College on January 1, 2026. Peñaloza shared his background and emphasized that the integration discussions between the two campuses are exploratory in nature, with no pre-set blueprint. An open forum with Peñaloza and President Hensel was announced for Friday, October 10, from 3–4 p.m. in C208.
2. Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Administration (Vice-Chancellor David McDonald)
   1. Vice Chancellor for Administration David McDonald announced that “The Wall That Heals” Vietnam Memorial Exhibit will be displayed on the Great Lawn from January 13–20, 2026. Faculty are encouraged to engage students through curricular activities during the exhibit.
3. Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (Vice-Chancellor Dee Uwono- Presented by Leslie Opulauoho)
   1. Leslie, reporting for Student Affairs, noted a 3% increase in fall enrollment and shared engagement data for the EdSites (Pueo AI Bot) platform. The E Ala Pono progress Update #2 will take place October 13–22, aligning with the EdSites Week 8 wellness check. Mid-year commencement is scheduled for December 13, 2025.
4. Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs (Vice-Chancellor Harald Barkhoff)
   1. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Harald Barkhoff reported that the Creative Media BA program was approved by the BOR Student Success Committee to move from provisional to established status, pending full Board approval. DPC memos have been distributed, and workshops on candidate preparation and mentorship were well received.

IV. Additional Committee Reports

1. 1. Academic Affairs and Planning (Sen. Katie Landgraf)
   2. Budget and Resources (Sen. Brenda Machosky)
      1. The Budget and Resources Committee reported a 25% budget reduction, with a total of $75,000 available for the year. Despite the reduction, the committee increased the maximum award from $2,200 to $2,500. The application deadline is October 20, with submissions through Google Classroom.
   3. Program Review (Sen. Joy Mahiko)
      1. The Program Review Committee shared a DIY workshop resource and announced an in-person workshop scheduled for October 17 in D104.
   4. Sustainability (Sen. Rouel Velasco) 
      1. The Sustainability Committee emphasized formal reporting and encouraged faculty to submit abstracts for the student pitch and present competition (due October 24). Upcoming campus events include the Mala Student Organic Garden community workday (October 4), Pasteles Workshop (October 6), and Uluniu Workday (October 25).
   5. Student Affairs (Sen. Ke’alohi Perry)
      1. Student Affairs Committee is partnering with ASUHWO to advocate for increased in-person class offerings. The committee is developing a white paper outlining the benefits and challenges of in-person instruction, with a target release date in late fall or early spring semester. Members continue to gather student feedback on hybrid and in-person experiences and are supporting initiatives designed to enhance campus engagement and student success. The committee will share findings and recommendations with the Faculty Senate upon completion of the report.

V. Faculty Senate Chair Reports

1. ASUHWO Update (Pres. Rigoberto Gomez)
   1. Reported that surveys have been conducted and highlighted the topics of student concern, but did not present specific findings or results at the October Faculty Senate meeting. Announced the upcoming launch of the new “Pueo Podcast,” which will highlight student perspectives and campus news. Special elections are scheduled for October 7–10, and the next ASUHWO General Senate meeting will convene the following week. The student government continues to prioritize communication with faculty and advocacy for improved student resources and campus engagement opportunities.
2. UBAC Update (Sen. Tom Scheiding)
   1. Reported that system-wide enrollment trends remain largely positive, though campus experienced a slight decline in overall enrollment. Efforts are being directed toward strengthening first-year and transfer student recruitment, and the committee reviewed upcoming legislative budget priorities.
3. Faculty Senate Chair Report (FS Chair Stan Orr)
   1.  Senate to form a special committee on the UH System Research Misconduct Policy consultation; grants/financial policy referred to BRC.

VI. Faculty Discussion in Executive Session

An executive session was held.

Adjourn: 2:00pm