Ho‘oulu Terrace, UH Hilo

Aloha Chair Lagareta, members of the Board of Regents, President McClain and colleagues. Welcome to UH Hilo.

Today I will highlight UH Hilo’s commitment to excellence.

It is a commitment to being both an institution of access and a destination-point institution. We are committed to offering high-quality programs to the citizens of our island, state, nation and world.

It is a commitment to our students to deliver the best quality education possible.

And it is a commitment to our island and state to help build strong communities, a thriving economy and professional workforce for the 21^st century.

UH Hilo is in the ideal position to build the professional workforce needed for our state’s rural communities.

National Science Board chairman Steven Beering said after his visit this summer:

“I commend the leadership at UH Hilo for their farsighted efforts and for embracing and integrating the concept of ‘ohana, or family, into the culture of the university.

“This creates a community where students, especially those from families experiencing hardships, are offered believable hope and a clear path to achieve their dreams and aspirations.”

Our excellence is also recognized by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through the ten-year accreditation we received. WASC commended us on our “bold vision of service to the Hawaiian community,” and our efforts to “transform from a liberal arts college to a comprehensive university that serves the workforce needs of Hawai‘i.”

We will have a special WASC visit this March.

We see this transformation in our stellar programs and colleges. Our university now offers 36 baccalaureate degrees, six master degrees and two doctorates at our six colleges:

• Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management
• Arts and Sciences
• Business and Economics
• Continuing Education and Community Service
• Hawaiian Language
• and our newest, the College of Pharmacy.

Our College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management is addressing the need to diversify the economy by preparing students for worldwide aquaculture and agriculture industries, working with farmers on the global marketplace, and researching sustainable energy.

The College of Arts and Sciences is answering our state’s professional workforce needs.

For example, our Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission. We have six new nursing faculty and now can graduate more nurses specializing in rural health care.

Our teacher education program is accredited by the Hawai‘i Teacher’s Standard Board and has added new faculty and leadership. We are producing highly skilled teachers for our state.

UH Hilo is also answering the nation’s need for more scientists.

Our College of Business and Economics is one of only 35 undergraduate business programs in the nation to earn accreditation from AACSB-International, the highest standard for business schools worldwide.

Our College of Continuing Education and Community Service runs UH Hilo’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and other outreach programs in Hilo, Pahoa, Volcano and Hamakua.

Our College of Hawaiian Language is revitalizing Native Hawaiian and other indigenous cultures around the world. It is the first Ph.D. program at UH Hilo (first cohort pictured here, currently in second year), the first doctoral in Hawaiian language in the world, the first in any Native American language, and the first specifically addressing indigenous language revitalization!

Our new College of Pharmacy has started its inaugural class of 91, and received pre-candidate status by ACPE, the accreditation body. Before our college opened, there were only four states in whole country without a pharmacy school. UH Hilo is answering our state’s need for more health care professionals.

Yes, UH Hilo seeks academic programs that align with the state’s socio-economic and cultural needs for the 21st century. Our living laboratory is one of the most inspirational places on Earth for learning and research.

Teaching and research grants increase every year, and now top $20 million, which is a dramatic increase from about $3 million in 1998. Funding sources include NASA, NIH, NSF, USDA and others.

Many grants focus on health, and on the environmental biology of our island, and improving our local community.

UH Hilo is also developing innovative programs in science, technology, engineering and math-called STEM programs. Here are some of our STEM programs that respond to county, state and national workforce shortages.

This is a photo from our Keaholoa program, a $2.5 million NSF grant to inspire Native Hawaiian students in STEM fields. Many students go on to graduate school.

UH Hilo also excels at community outreach. We build strong partnerships with community, county, state, federal and international stakeholders.

One example is UH Hilo’s ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, inspiring Hawai‘i’s youth to explore modern science and ancient Hawaiian culture.

So, how do we know we are on the right track with our teaching, research and community outreach? Because our enrollment has been increasing steadily every year for ten years. We are the only campus in the UH system with sustained enrollment growth.

Our recent enrollment gains are mainly due to local students, especially Native Hawaiians, who make up 20% of our student body.

US News and World Report ranks us the most diverse public liberal arts university in the nation.

Our steady enrollment growth shows that we are the perfect campus to help our state build a professional workforce.

Did you know that U.S. Census data released this month shows Hawai‘i County is the fastest growing county in the state? The census shows our residents are more likely to live in poverty than elsewhere in the state. And we have fewer people than O‘ahu with a Bachelor’s degree.

UH Hilo has solutions to these problems.

We produce a professional workforce. We help our citizens secure a living wage and an excellent quality of life, which in turn strengthens the overall economic and social condition of the state.

We often use the word “transformation” when describing what our students experience at UH Hilo. Our students reach their fullest potential as critical thinkers, entrepreneurs, lifelong learners and contributing members of local AND global society.

The UH Board of Regents has worked together with us and plays a critical role in fueling our transformation.

In summary, an investment in UH Hilo is an investment in Hawai‘i’s future!

UH Hilo is truly the economic engine of the Big Island, generating $190 million. We are the second largest single employer in East Hawai‘i. We indirectly create 3,523 jobs, or about 1 job for every student. For every dollar UH Hilo receives from the state, we generate another $2.38 in direct expenditures.

UH Hilo is increasing the state’s education capital, building a professional workforce, strengthening the economy, addressing underserved populations and revitalizing Native Hawaiian culture.

Thank you, Chair Lagareta, members of the Board, President McClain and other colleagues for your kind attention. It is through your support that we continue our momentum to create exciting education and economic opportunities for our students and our state.

The future is UH Hilo!

Mahalo and aloha.

(Editor’s note: Select photos from Chancellor’s PowerPoint presentation by William Ing. Nursing photo and graphs courtesy of UH Hilo Graphics Services. Fit for Life poster reproduction courtesy of the College of Continuing Education and Community Service. STEM program photo courtesy of UH Hilo’s Keaholoa STEM program.)