UH Board of Regents Approves College of Pharmacy at UH Hilo

First doctoral degree to be offered at UH Hilo campus also approved

At its monthly meeting held today at Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo, the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) approved in concept the proposed College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

The BOR also approved the recruitment of a dean for the College of Pharmacy. When a candidate for the position is submitted to the BOR for approval, the UH administration will provide the BOR with an update on the financial status of the College of Pharmacy.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has estimated an unmet need for pharmacists nationwide of 157,000 by 2020 if the need is not addressed by the creation of more pharmacy education programs. The pharmacist shortage has made it extremely difficult for Hawaiʻi students to gain admission to state pharmacy colleges on the mainland, and the proposed College of Pharmacy will help meet this need as well as Hawaiʻi‘s particular need for pharmacists in rural communities.

The BOR also approved in concept the establishment of an integrated program at UH Hilo providing a Doctorate in Hawaiian and Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization, a Certificate in Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization, and a Master of Arts in Indigenous Language and Culture Education. This program addresses the last remaining milestone for the Hilo campus‘ Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language—the offering of a doctorate degree.

It also builds upon the existing post-baccalaureate programs of the College—the Master of Arts in Hawaiian Language and Literature and the Kahuawaiola Teacher Education Program—and the Hawaiian language-focused Bachelor of Arts in Hawaiian Studies with its preschool through grade 12 Hawaiian language medium laboratory school program. These existing programs are not only unique in the UH system, but they are the leading programs in indigenous language and culture revitalization in the United States.

In other action, the BOR approved a proposal from the UH Mānoa Athletics Department to sell tickets for courtside seating at UH Mānoa men‘s basketball games. The department developed the proposal to add courtside seats on the floor of the Stan Sheriff Center in an effort to better utilize the courtside area during games, offer more seating options for high end donors and sponsors, and increase revenue for the program.

The plan adds two rows of courtside seats with 44 seats in the front row and 24 seats in the second row. The proposed costs for two seats are within the range of $2,000 to $8,000, depending on economic conditions, supply and demand, etc. The revenue from these seats would support the men‘s basketball program and the Athletics department budget. The cost includes two seats in the first row for the entire men‘s basketball season, parking, food concessions, and tax donation. Other amenities may be included as the package is developed. The second row of seating would include the same benefits and would be sold at a lesser cost than the first row.

Other items approved by the BOR include a revised lease agreement with Kenneth A. Bansemer and Patricia A. Bansemer for space in Kealakekua Shopping Center for the University of Hawaiʻi Center, West Hawaiʻi, and an agreement between UH Mānoa and Blackwell‘s Book Services to provide monographic publications for the UH Mānoa Libraries.

The BOR also voted to approve a consultant‘s report provided to the BOR‘s Task Group on the Kakaʻako Biomedical Research Center, referring the report to the UH administration for review and consultation with the various constituents involved with the Kakaʻako Biomedical Research Center. The BOR requested that the president report back to the BOR in January 2005 with a recommendation on the report.

A number of personnel appointments were approved by the BOR, including the reappointments of John Nelson as head coach of the UH Mānoa men‘s tennis team, Pinsoom Tenzing as head coach of the UH Mānoa women‘s soccer team, and David Shoji as head coach of the UH Mānoa women‘s volleyball team.

The BOR also approved the appointment of Gary Ostrander as Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education at UH Mānoa and the appointment of David McClain as interim president of the UH system. Separate news releases with details on these appointments will be distributed.