Agreement guides culinary arts students from Kapiolani CC to Manoa

Kapi'olani student chefs at a regional competition.

Although the Spring semester has ended, Kapi‘olani Community College students with an interest in culinary arts will have a new opportunity awaiting them in Fall 2015. After two years of consultations and discussions, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Kapi‘olani CC has been approved by the leaders at both campuses.

This MOA aims to facilitate the transfer of students who earn an AS degree in Kapi‘olani’s Culinary Arts program with a concentration in Institutional Food Service Management into UHM’s BS program in Food Service and Human Nutrition (FSHN), with the Culinology option.

Culinology is a new and exciting field involving the blend of culinary arts and the science of food. The FSHN program is housed in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR).

Effective Fall 2015, the MOA lists the particular courses that must be completed at Kapi‘olani and UHM to achieve the BS degree. Kapi‘olani CC students must graduate with the identified AS degree and complete the Ka‘ie‘ie application process in order to be eligible under this agreement. Students who transfer to UHM without an AS degree may be required to complete additional coursework for the BS degree at UHM.

Ka‘ie‘ie is a degree pathway program between Honolulu, Kapi‘olani, Leeward and Windward community colleges and UHM. Ka‘ie‘ie is a dual-admission, dual-enrollment program for students who are pursuing a four-year undergraduate degree and who choose to begin their degrees at one of the four Oʻahu community college campuses.

The MOA will allow both UHM and Kapi‘olani CC to use resources more efficiently, smooth the transfer process, establish shared program responsibilities for student recruitment and academic advising, and increase student options for college success with a shared curriculum by expanding on-campus services between UHM and Kapi‘olani CC.

Said Leon Richards, Chancellor of Kapi‘olani Community College, “This 2+2 program opens up opportunities for students to seek high-paying professions, such as culinary scientist, research chef and culinologist. It is a forward-thinking program.”

Added Charles Kinoshita, CTHAR’s Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, “We are making a concerted effort to expand career opportunities with an adaptable curriculum, while enhancing student learning. I am pleased that the UH System is working to reshape itself for the benefit of students and to meet industry needs.”

For more information, visit: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu