North Hawaiʻi Education and Research Center (NHERC)
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In 2001, House Concurrent Resolution 186 and House Resolution 161, requested that the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) explore the feasibility of establishing an education and research center of UH Hilo in the old Honokaʻa Hospital.
Subsequently, discussions conducted by a committee of community and university leaders resulted in a proposal to establish NHERC with a fivefold mission, a mission revolving around NHERC's role as an educational and community center for the North Hawaiʻi region. The UH Hilo's Strategic Plan provides the basis for the first four missions while the fifth mission addresses the specific needs of the community. The five core missions of NHERC include:
- Serving as a distance learning center for UH Hilo programs
- Providing higher education outreach services to the North Hawaiʻi region
- Providing lifelong learning opportunities to the North Hawaiʻi region
- Serving as a base station for field research in the North Hawaiʻi region
- Serving as a community center
NHERC serves as an outreach arm of CCECS for continuing education and community service programs and as a depot for providing student services to distance learning students. In the latter role, NHERC will operate as a base station for distance learning courses, providing regional access for residents seeking undergraduate, graduate, non-credit, and continuing education courses. NHERC is equipped to serve as the originating source as well as the receiving site for distance education curricula. In the future NHERC will also serve as a base station for field research in the region by providing office/work space and temporary storage of equipment and supplies.