| University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu | |
|---|---|
Seal of the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu |
|
| Established | 1976 |
| Type | Public, Co-ed State university system |
| Chancellor | Gene I. Awakuni, Ph.D. [1] |
| President | M. R. C. Greenwood, Ph.D. [2] |
| Academic staff | 104 [3] |
| Students | 1,278 (as of Spring 2010) [4] |
| Location | Pearl City, Hawaiʻi, USA |
| Colors | Red and Black |
| Affiliations | WASC UH System |
| Website | http://uhwo.hawaii.edu |
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu, UHWO, or UH West Oʻahu, is one of ten branches of the University of Hawaiʻi system and is a public, co-ed, state university with the main campus located at 96-129 Ala ʻIke, adjacent to Leeward Community College and the Pearl City CDP in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.[5]
Officially opened in January 1976, the school has been fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1981.[6] The school originally only offered upper division courses (third & fourth year studies) up until the Fall of 2007 when the school began offering courses across all four years of studies.[7]
As the only public four-year university located in the leeward Oʻahu area, UH West Oʻahu is committed to the continuing development of the region through both innovative educational offerings and public service activities.
A new campus scheduled for completion in 2012 will relocate the school from its current location adjacent to Leeward Community College, to a location just over 5 miles (8.0 km) to the west-southwest in Kapolei, northeast of the Kapolei Golf Course.[8]
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu offers a Bachelor of Arts or (B.A.) degree with four possible majors and 18 different areas of concentration.[9] A Bachelor of Education or (B.Ed.) is offered in Elementary Education, (K-6). A Bachelor of Applied Science is offered with three possible majors. Additionally, four certificate programs are offered.[10]
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu's curriculum offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with four possible majors:
Each major requires students to choose a concentration, or area of study.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree programs, the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu is separated into three divisions which offer students 18 different areas of concentration.
The Division of Humanities provides students with the option of concentrating in four different areas:
All areas will lead to a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities.[11]
To complement the concentration, students must take courses in one additional Humanities concentration. The major in the Humanities also requires that basic courses be taken. Basic courses are designed to introduce the student to the broad concepts and ideas explored in the Humanities. Skills courses, which offer the student an opportunity to improve skills such as communication, research and analyses associated with study in the Humanities, may be taken as electives.[12]
The Division of Professional Studies provides students with the option of earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration (BABA) or in Public Administration (BAPA). Students pursuing a major in Business Administration may concentrate in:
Students pursuing a major in Public Administration may concentrate in:
A Certificate in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and a Certificate in Health Care Administration are also available.[13]
Students pursuing either the BABA or BAPA must take core courses in their area of study, including an experiential learning course and courses in their respective areas of concentration.[14]
The Division of Social Sciences offers students an option to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. The Division focuses on the systematic and objective study of human behavior in social situations (Sociology); in individuals (Psychology); in the development of children and early learning (Early Childhood Education); in the political setting (Political Science); in resource allocation decision-making (Economics & Finance); and in the context of physical, social, and cultural development (Anthropology). Each field has important contributions to make in seeking solutions to complex social problems. Social Sciences students may concentrate in:
All areas of study will lead to a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences.[15]
Students majoring in the Social Sciences must take a minimum of nine credits in Basic and Skills courses. Basic courses are designed to introduce the student to the concepts guiding the evolution of the Social Sciences and recent developments which are likely to determine future directions. Students are encouraged to develop competence in the areas of research and methods analysis, statistics and report writing. Courses which emphasize the skills associated with the Social Sciences offer the student the opportunity to improve skills in areas such as communications, statistical analysis, utilizing the computer effectively, and critical thinking.[16]
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu offers a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree with a concentration in Elementary Education. This program prepares teachers with knowledge and skills which support standards-based education, student-centered teaching and learning, and an orientation to social justice. Studies encompass an innovative, field-based teacher preparation program, as well as public service activities that support West Oʻahu communities. Students participate in over 200 hours of field-based coursework; ranging from the early field experience, to service learning, and through four, developmentally delivered methods courses.
The program culminates in a 15-week, full-time professional student teaching semester. Field placements occur at elementary schools in Central, Leeward, and Windward Oʻahu. Graduates are recommended by UH West Oʻahu for Elementary Education (K-6) teaching licensure by the State of Hawaiʻi. Courses are taught in-class and through distance learning instruction. [17]
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu's offers a Bachelor of Applied Science degree with a concentration in Computing, Electronics and Networking Technology (CENT), in partnership with Honolulu Community College's associate's degree program. The coursework is designed to provide graduates with the management background and technical skills needed to be successful in the workforce. Students may attend both programs simultaneously or sequentially and can receive both an associate's degree from Honolulu Community College and a bachelor's degree from UH West Oʻahu. Courses at UH West Oʻahu are offered in-class and through distance learning instruction.[18]
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu offers a Bachelor of Applied Science degree with a concentration in Culinary Management. The program is designed to provide culinary students, and those already working in the industry, the strong business background needed to excel in the workforce. Students develop an understanding of the management, marketing, ethical and legal aspects of running a food service operation. They also learn valuable communication and leadership skills that are essential for higher-level management positions. The business curriculum at UH West Oʻahu is designed to supplement Kapiʻolani Community College's (KCC) award-winning Culinary Arts associate's degree program where students learn the technical skills of the trade. UH West Oʻahu courses are delivered through in-class and distance learning instruction. Kapiʻolani Community College includes 10 modern kitchens, a 130-seat culinary demonstration auditorium, on-campus restaurants and banquet rooms.
Kapiʻolani Community College is one of many accredited two-year Respiratory Therapy programs across the nation. Through programs like these, students learn the technical training needed to work in the field and are well-prepared to earn certification as a Certified Respiratory Therapist or (CRT). University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu's Bachelor of Applied Science degree, with a concentration in Respiratory Care, is designed to supplement the technical training that a student receives at an accredited Respiratory Therapy program. Students develop job skills that are needed to excel in the industry, such as critical thinking and communication skills. The bachelor's degree program also exposes students to the historical, cultural, and social context of the profession. UH West Oʻahu's Respiratory Care courses are delivered both on campus and through distance learning instruction.
UH West Oʻahu offers five Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees and three certificate programs through distance learning:[19]
In addition to classes held at its Pearl City campus, the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu (UHWO) has a Distance Learning program with courses offered through various modalities: • Online Courses: Courses are taught completely online over the Internet. Students access course material from their personal computers. Most online courses use Laulima, the course management and collaboration system for the University of Hawai‘i.
Priority for seats in most online courses are given to neighbor island students because the current degree and certificate programs using the Internet are designed primarily for neighbor island students. Some seats are made available to students on O‘ahu.
• Interactive Television - Some UH West O‘ahu courses are taught for residents of the neighbor islands through Interactive Television (ITV), using classroom facilities provided by Kaua‘i Community College, Maui Community College, and the University Education Centers at Lana‘i, Moloka‘i, and West Hawai‘i. Students meet at the ITV receive sites to participate in classes.
• Off-Site Courses: On occasion, some UH West O‘ahu courses are taught in-person on the neighbor islands..[20]
Students may choose one of two themes for the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA): Accounting or General Business Administration. Courses for the degree program are offered in a three-year plan, through a combination of ITV and online courses. Students enrolled in this program will be assigned faculty or staff advisors to help with academic planning.
The Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences is offered only to students on the neighbor islands. Students in this program take courses in three study themes: Human Development, Health, and Healing; Culture and Environment; and Economy and Society. Courses for the degree program are offered in a three-year plan, primarily online, and on occasion in-person courses. Students enrolled in this program will be assigned faculty or staff advisors to help with academic planning.
Courses for a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Political Science are offered solely online.
Courses for a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Early Childhood Education are offered primarily online with occasional in-person courses. Students enrolled in this program will be assigned to a faculty advisor or staff advisors to help with academic planning. O‘ahu students in this program are required to attend in-person classes once a month.
The Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration (BAPA) prepares students for supervisory and management roles in the public sector. The concentration in Health Care Administration provides students with a broad range of administrative skills and knowledge needed in the dynamic and growing health care field. Courses for the degree are offered solely online. A Certificate in Health Care Administration is also available (see below).
The Certificate in Substance Abuse and Addictions Studies (CSAAS) is designed to help students meet the State education requirements for certification as substance abuse counselors and to provide continuing education opportunities for professionals in the addictions field. Students will receive a strong theoretical foundation in substance use disorders and exposure to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as the basis for effective treatment of substance-related problems. Completion of the certificate satisfies current state education requirements for substance abuse counselors. [21]
The Certificate in Health Care Administration provides students and health care practitioners with a broad range of administrative skills and knowledge needed in the dynamic and growing health care field. The Certificate can be earned as a self-standing credential and may also be used as part of a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu. Completion of 18 specific upper-division credits will lead to the Certificate in Health Care Administration. These courses have been selected because they are ideally suited to meet the critical needs of health care administrators. Students have the option of completing this Certificate fully online or on campus through evening or weekend classes.
The Certificate in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (DPEM) provides students and practitioners in the field of disaster preparedness and emergency management with a broad range of administrative skills and knowledge required in the growing and challenging areas of disaster preparedness, emergency management, and homeland security. The Certificate can be earned as a self-standing credential and may also be used as a part of a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu. The Bachelor's degree includes on-campus classes. Completion of 18 specific upper division credits will lead to the Certificate in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (DPEM). These courses have been selected because they are ideally suited to meet the critical needs of disaster and emergency managers. Students have the option of completing the program fully online or on campus through evening or day classes. The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu DPEM courses meet the requirements of Federal Emergency Management Institute's Higher Education Project, and this certificate is approved by FEMA within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Hawaiʻi State Board of Regents.
The Center for Labor Education & Research (CLEAR) was established in 1976 by State Law, HRS §304-34 (Act 202). Part of the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu, CLEAR is designed to provide labor education, research and labor-related programs to workers, their organizations and the general public through a variety of methods including classroom instruction, seminars, workshops, publications and the use of the public media.
Located at the western end of the Leeward Community College/UH West Oʻahu campus, CLEAR is an endowed outreach program providing educational programs on a non-profit basis to the labor community, university students, and the general public. CLEAR maintains a labor research web site with an online newsletter and publishes a variety of books and handbooks, including a guide to Hawaiʻi Labor History. When funds are available, CLEAR also produces the public television program, Rice & Roses.
Other publications include individualized workshop packets designed to accompany the Center's classes, such as programs on Labor History, Workers' Compensation, Grievance Handling, Labor Law, Collective Bargaining, Preventing Employment Discrimination, and Conflict Resolution and Leadership Skills. Like its research projects, the Center's seminars and educational programs are all designed to be of practical application to workers, their organizations and policy-makers.
To complement each of these primary activities of the Center, CLEAR maintains the following:
The labor history archive contains a clipping file on local unions in Hawaiʻi as well as an ever-growing collection of contracts, union newsletters, books and pamphlets focusing on Hawaiʻi's labor history.
The research library contains the basic BNA loose-leaf services as well as many supplemental materials. Most of the videotapes may be viewed at the Center or borrowed, but access to the special collections is by appointment only and must be arranged in advance.
Among the most highly prized components of this special collection are: the old "day-books" of the Hawaiʻi Carpenters' Union, Prof. Beechert's Hawaiʻi sugar plantation files, The Honolulu Record, videotapes and transcripts of interviews, documents and photographs of over 90 informants involved in the Great Hawaiʻi Sugar Strike of 1946; the correspondence file of the Hawaiʻi office of the AFL-CIO from 1940 to 1982; the files of the Honolulu Central Labor Council; production files and interview tapes from its many Rice & Roses research projects; and authors' notes and research files for CLEAR's labor history publications.[22]
The University of Hawaiʻi offers instruction in Aerospace Studies and Military Science for students interested in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs of the Air Force and Army. Further information regarding either program may be obtained from the UHM Aerospace Studies department at (808) 956-7734 or the UHM Military Science department at (808) 956-7744, or at www.goarmy.com .[23]
While the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu does not offer either program, students may register in Aerospace Studies and Military Science courses at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu and attend classes at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). Credits for these courses will be granted by the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu and may be used as electives for the baccalaureate degree.[24]
In 2002, the State of Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources (Land Board), as a condition of other land transactions between the State of Hawaiʻi and the James Campbell estate, deeded an area of land just over 500 acres (2.0 km2) with the sole purpose of constructing a new campus for the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu in Kapolei.
The University of Hawaiʻi has entered into an agreement with Hunt Building Corporation and Hawaii Renaissance Builders LLC, (collectively Hunt), under which Hunt has agreed to purchase approximately 298 acres (1.21 km2) of the deeded 500 acres (2.0 km2) for $100 million. The proceeds of the sale are to be used to finance the development and construction of the infrastructure and facilities for the new UH-West Oʻahu campus in Kapolei. This leaves the University of Hawaiʻi with around 200 acres (0.81 km2) remaining for the West Oʻahu campus.[25]
The full-fledged campus is expected to serve about 7,500 students with around 1,000 faculty and staff, and is expected to alleviate traffic into downtown Honolulu and Mānoa where the flagship campus is located.[7]
After 35 years without a permanent campus, Hawaiʻi Governor Linda Lingle released $48-million dollars on July 2, 2010. These funds will go toward construction of a new University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu campus in Kapolei. Construction is set to begin in August 2010 and is supposed to be completed in time for classes in the fall of 2012.
This new campus was under a tight deadline. The James Campbell Company, who owned the land, gave it to the state for one purpose only. It was to build a university, with construction to begin no later than December 31 of 2011. If not, the state would be forced to return the parcel where the campus is to be located.
Of the $48-million in construction money, nearly two-thirds of it or $31-million, is apportioned toward building classroom, laboratory and maintenance buildings. The remainder is expected to fund a parking lot, sewer and water lines, driveways, electric power lines and other infrastructure. The multi-phase project will eventually house more than 7,500 students. [26]
The University of Hawaii has sold a portion of its campus for dedicated facilities for Hawaii Tokai International College. The two institutions will also share dormitory space. [27]
The University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu was included on the 2010 List of Military Friendly Schools, recognizing the "top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students."[28]
In 2009 the school was awarded a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a recovery center and service learning programs in the Leeward community of Waiʻanae.[29]
In the same year UHWO faculty received a grant from the National Park Service to conduct research on the World War II-era Honouliuli internment site in west Oʻahu.[30]
| UH | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mānoa • Hilo • Kahului • West Oʻahu | Universities | |
| Hawaiʻi • Honolulu • Kapiʻolani • Kauaʻi • Leeward • Windward | Community Colleges | |
| Burns School of Medicine • Richardson School of Law • Hamilton Library | Schools and Departments | |
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