Chancellor's Update
|
|
Aloha!
The beginning of the academic year is always a busy time, so I hope everyone is off to a great start. As we begin our second century, there is good news to report on our progress regarding facilities and academic issues, but there are also justified concerns about the current economic situation in our state and beyond. It is important that all of us have information about issues facing our campus, so this update is more extensive than usual.
First, through your efforts and energy, we are making real progress in addressing a number of issues critically important to our university. There truly are many folks at UH Manoa who are knocking the "t" off the word "can't" by developing new approaches and creative solutions to address opportunities and challenges—and that is critically important in moving forward and examples are provided in this update.
Like the entire nation, Hawai`i is facing a volatile financial situation, so our university will certainly be facing challenges as well. UH Manoa has been here 100 years and is a long term institution critical to the State of Hawai`i, so I am confident that our university will forge our way through difficult times and not only survive, but also thrive. However, we do need to make strategic decisions about our academic priorities so that our available resources support those priorities.
There are opportunities that emerge during such times as well. For example, this is a great moment to recruit more of Hawai`i’s accomplished students, because they and their families are examining the great value Manoa provides. Communicating that great value widely is a major activity for our campus and is critical to recruiting future students, as well as generating support from our alumni and friends. UH Manoa will do well—because of each of you. Mahalo for all that you do!
In this Update:
|
|
Campus Renewal
As you are aware, this last year I focused a good deal of effort and attention on our facilities issues and the need for resources to upgrade them, so UH Manoa can serve as a destination of choice—I refer to this effort as "polishing this intellectual jewel that has become badly tarnished." Thanks to support from the legislature and the hard work of our facilities folks, that polishing is underway—we are renewing and improving our learning environment by focusing on repair, renewal and replacement. There is clearly much work to do, but the efforts are starting to reap results.
Such improvements include major reconstruction, such as the basement at Hamilton Library and an adjacent new structure for utility equipment; and a construction crane is hovering over Sinclair Library this month to assist in its re-roofing. Substantial work began at the Music Complex over the summer, and Campus Center has a new look with more mall-level space where students can gather to study and to socialize. We are looking forward to additional major renovations there in the months ahead. The opening of Frear Hall, our new residence hall, was truly exciting and represents a great step forward—now we move onto the renovation of existing residence halls. So securing the facilities everyone here needs and deserves is underway.
While these larger projects continue, literally dozens of smaller but impacting projects are occurring as our facilities crews “take care of business”—in some cases, completing long-deferred projects, and in others, accelerating and increasing the kinds of cleaning and painting jobs that are beginning to put the sparkle back into our classrooms and labs. Learn more about these projects.
Cleaning all of the windows across campus is one of my favorites. The list I saw summarized more than 90 classroom cleaning and building washing projects to prepare the campus for students this semester. Our building and grounds crews are buffing, stripping, pressure washing, scrubbing, waxing, sealing, refinishing, painting! And the Landscaping Section has been busy with new monkey pod trees along Dole Street, planter beds at Hawai`i Hall, Hemenway, Andrews Outdoor Theatre, the new Lab School kindergarten playground, Keller Hall, the Mo`ili`ili Gateway and the list continues to grow.
Some of these improvements have been accomplished by our own campus faculty, staff and students by participating in Manoa Makeover projects. Visit Manoa Makeover to see their hard work and learn how you can help!
All of our renewal projects are wonderful in that they are much needed but also can create inconveniences as well, so your understanding is appreciated. Soon there will be signs to identify the specific projects to help everyone be aware of the objective and time frame of the construction projects. Our facilities folks have truly shown a lot of initiative, so I thank them and the leadership of Assistant Vice Chancellor Dave Hafner for their efforts.
|
|
Enhancing Student Success
A high priority for our campus is recruitment, retention and graduation of students—both for our academic accomplishments and our financial stability (tuition revenues are very important so the campus benefits greatly from those programs generating that revenue). Last year our campus graduated eight percent more students than ever before and that is due to your efforts—improving graduation rates is a critical goal.
Also, we need to effectively recruit and retain our students. I want to mention a tremendous improvement in the recruitment area related to student-parent orientations and residence hall move-ins since last year. At that time, I went through all orientations for students and families and I quickly realized we had a lot of work to do in welcoming them in a better way. Well, the folks here came up with new ideas, worked together, and truly provided a wonderful experience this year for our new and returning students—and that is based on the feedback of the participants themselves. The students and families appreciated the orientation, the welcome events, the smooth move-in, as well as being excited about our first year freshman seminars and learning communities, the student success center at Sinclair Library, improved advising services, and the list goes on. Such advances are a great help in making us a destination of choice. |
|
Changing Financial Environment
The next proposed biennium budget focuses on repair, renewal and replacement—definitely needed for UH Manoa, and sustainability is a critical part of that effort. For example, in roof repairs, we are seeking to add energy advances, such as photovoltaics, to increase energy resources. On the operational side, our focus is student success, workforce development in fields unique to UH Manoa and technology transfer.
Most of us have heard much about the State budget situation with impending restrictions, freezes, etc. During the summer, Manoa received a budget reduction from the State Legislature and a restriction from the Governor which amounted to a two percent reduction. This level of reduction was shared by the whole campus with the exception of Facilities Management which was spared the cut because of its high priority and the focus on repair, renewal and replacement.
All of us are concerned about the current situation because it is highly likely there will be additional restrictions/reductions. I do believe that the Governor and Legislature are supportive of our efforts, but the reality of significantly lower state revenues intrudes, and we will not be totally exempt from the challenge of fewer resources. We can't do more with less but, by thinking creatively and working efficiently, we can develop new approaches that enable us to do better with less.
Most recently, our UH Manoa campus and UH System have been working on necessary restrictions going forward at this time in consideration of the state’s budget situation. These restrictions focus on the use of general funds—such as not using general funds for out-of-state travel (but UH Manoa has already been doing that), limits of $10,000 for equipment per purchase order, limits of $10,000 for certain personal services contracts, and review of all hires of faculty and staff. In this case, we are also reviewing such hires regardless of the fund source to better understand potential impact on personnel resources for UH Manoa programs at faculty and staff levels.
Any exceptions to those restrictions will need to be approved at the campus level after review by the dean, vice Chancellor, and then myself. So we are currently implementing a review process to move requests for exceptions to these restrictions through in a timely manner on the campus, and we know there will be some tough decisions to make. UH Manoa will also monitor requests that are held at the various review levels to understand the overall impact on the UH Manoa campus.
There is an even greater need for our campus—a process that will assist us in defining academic priorities and also direct appropriate resources to accomplish those priorities which involves investment of new resources as well as reallocation of existing resources. We do need a way to do that and UH Manoa hasn’t previously had a process in place, so I have asked a campus committee to assist us in this endeavor. |
|
Communicating about UH Manoa
Communication with internal and external communities is key to people recognizing and valuing the excellence of our academic programs and campus achievements. In addition, internal coordination of our efforts in many areas will ensure that we get the biggest impact with our resources. We have made progress in many areas of communications, such as an enhanced UH Manoa website, more advertisements and UH Manoa spotlights using various media, a newsletter and enhanced programs for high school counselors, letters to alumni, and new program highlights and public stories about what we contribute, including impressive student, faculty and staff accomplishments. I believe "to know us is to love us," thereby generating more excitement and support for what Manoa contributes. We appreciate hearing the great stories about your successes so please share them with us by sending them to Gregg Takayama at greggt@hawaii.edu.
|
|
Homecoming: Mark Your Calendar!
As the University’s centennial commemoration comes to an end, we are inviting alumni and the community to join us in this year’s UH Manoa Homecoming Celebration. Events are scheduled from October 2 through 12 and include opportunities for alums to reconnect with the College of Engineering, the Richardson School of Law, and the Shidler College of Business. And, of course, we celebrate success in athletics, too. The highlight events include a UH Alumni Association golf tournament (October 8), Friday afternoon (October 10) rally with UH Manoa students on the front lawn at Bachman Hall leading up to an evening Rainbow Wahine Volleyball match, and an alumni tailgate gathering at Aloha Stadium prior to the homecoming football game with our Warrior Football team versus the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (October 11). Please join us; for details, visit:
www.manoa.hawaii.edu/homecoming
|
|
Reaching out to Prospective Students and their Families
My number one goal remains to make UH Manoa the destination of choice for Hawai`i’s great students—a place that changes lives and shapes futures. Earlier this month, in a collaborative project with the Honolulu Advertiser, we published a UH Manoa College Planning Guide that includes information Hawai`i’s high school juniors and seniors will want as they prepare their college applications. The Planning Guide will be distributed widely at this fall’s college fairs and at our own Manoa Experience campus-wide open house on Saturday, November 15. All of our UH Manoa colleges & schools have pledged to participate in this first-ever event.
For more information or to learn how you and your department or group can contribute to this exciting event, call 808-956-7137 or visit Manoa Experience.
Download the College Planning Guide (PDF) |
|
UH Manoa Welcomes
As the new dean of the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, Maenette Benham brings distinction and unique opportunities for instruction and scholarship in Hawai`ian language and culture. Read more
Peter Quigley serves as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, assisting with accreditation preparation and strategic planning. Read more
|
|
Congratulations to...
- Jeff Taylor, Planetary Scientist at the Hawai`i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, was named the 2008 recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science. Read more
- College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources plant pathologist John Cho and his research team received the Editor’s Choice Medal of Excellence for breeding and innovation in developing ornamental elephant ears. Read more
- School of Travel Industry Management specialist Ramsay Taum was honored as top Individual Educator and the Richardson School of Law was honored as a Non-profit Resource in the 2008 Who’s Keeping Hawai`i Green awards sponsored by Honolulu Magazine and Hawai`i Business Magazine. Read more
- Art & Art History lecturer Laura Ruby coordinated the efforts of a team to paint the walls of the H-1 Freeway underpass along University Avenue with a lighter, brighter, university friendly design
- The SEED office for receiving a $5 million grant to provide college awareness services and information to students attending Waipahu High School. This 6-year grant will allow us to increase the number of students from that area that attend a university.
- Our UH Manoa recipients of teaching, research, and service awards. Read more
- The American Studies department secretary Sandra Enoki and CTAHR County Extension Agent Wayne Nishijima for being the University’s respective nominees for Governor’s Awards for Distinguished State Service and Manager of the year. Read more
Here are some other success stories that caught the public’s attention recently:
- The Waikiki Aquarium was honored with a 2008 Hawai`i Tourism Authority Keep it Hawai`i Lehua Maka Noe Award. Read more
- Philanthropists Barry and Virginia Weinman donated $3 million to the John A. Burns School of Medicine to support the Dean's Chair in Medicine. Read more
- University of Hawai`i researchers sailed on the UH vessel Kilo Moana for a 12-day exploration of the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" between Hawai`i and California. Read more
- Security at UH Manoa has been enhanced with two personal electric vehicles that can ride in almost a foot of water, on handicap-accessible ramps, and in elevators. Read more
- Current and former UH athletes brought home 10 medals from the Beijing Olympics, including a gold medal in men's volleyball. Read more
- U.S.News & World Report ranked undergraduate programs at the Shidler College of Business in the top 20 nationwide and 13th among public institutions. Read more
- The School of Social Work has been renamed as the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work in honor of our distinguished alumnus Myron "Pinky" Thompson. Read more
The beginning of every academic year brings the optimism of new beginnings and the excitement of great possibilities and the reminder that the work we do together changes lives and shapes futures. Mahalo for all that you contribute!
Return to top |
|
|
|
