Aloha and Welcome to Fall 2003. The opening of an academic year is truly a celebration. It marks new beginnings for all of us — students, faculty and staff — and new beginnings bring excitement and optimism.

At University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, our tradition is to celebrate the opening of the academic year with Fall Convocation. Convocation is my opportunity to say “Thank you” to everyone at our University for their commitment and dedication to make University of Hawai‘i at Hilo a very special place. It is also a time to welcome newcomers to our ‘ohana.

Our enrollment has continued to increase over the years, and although it is too early for me to report any official enrollment figures for fall 2003, I am very pleased and proud to say that we foresee continued growth. Our present student count shows an increase of over 9 percent from fall 2002, and a total of over 25 percent growth since 1997. Without a doubt, more and more students are selecting UH Hilo as their university of choice.

Another area of continued growth is in our grant dollars. In 1998, we had $3 million in grants, and for 2002, we recorded $14.7 million. We have established partnerships with business leaders, elected officials, and public and private organizations on the county, state, federal and international level. These partnerships enable us to pool resources to expand existing programs, build new facilities, and create exciting education and economic opportunities for our students and our community.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) has completed the first phase of their two-part accreditation process. In their review of UH Hilo, the Commission noted that “compared to what the visiting teams found in 1994 and 1997, we found an empowered university, full of activity and people excited about what they were accomplishing.” This is a strong indication that we are focusing our energy in the right direction.

Outside magazine, a national lifestyle publication, has named the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo one of the 40 best colleges in its September 2003 issue. UH Hilo, the only Hawai‘i school to make the honor roll, ranked No. 19 among “the coolest places to work, play, study, party and live.” Of course, we have known for a long time what a special atmosphere we have here….and now the secret’s out!

As always, I wish to recognize and applaud the outstanding work of our faculty, staff and students. We are also grateful and say thank you to the Big Island community for their generous and steadfast support of our University. Together we are creating an exciting and bright future for UH Hilo, the Big Island and the state of Hawai‘i.

Aloha,

Rose Tseng
Chancellor
UH Hilo