University of Hawaii at Hilo

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Motto Pulelo haʻaheo ke ahi a nā lehua aʻo Hilo
(Hawaiian)
Motto in English
 The flame of Hilo's lehua blossoms leaps triumphantly with pride
Type Public university
State
Established 1941 (as Hawaiʻi College)
1947 (as UH Hilo)[1]
1970 (as a four-year institution)
Endowment $180 million[2]
Chancellor Donald O. Straney
President David Lassner
Academic staff
 297
Students 3,974 (Fall 2009)
Undergraduates 3,396
Postgraduates 454
Location Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.
19°41′59″N 155°04′54″W / 19.6996°N 155.0816°W / 19.6996; -155.0816Coordinates: 19°41′59″N 155°04′54″W / 19.6996°N 155.0816°W / 19.6996; -155.0816
Campus 755 acres (3.1 km2)
Colors Red and Black[3]
         
Athletics NCAA Division II – PacWest
Nickname Vulcans
Affiliations UH System
Website hilo.hawaii.edu

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo or UH Hilo is a public co-educational university in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, United States.[4] It is one of ten branches of the University of Hawaiʻi system. It was founded as Hawaiʻi Vocational College (Hawaiʻi College) in 1941. In 1970 it was reorganized by an act of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.

The university has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1976.[5] It offers thirty-three undergraduate and three graduate degree programs, and has about 3000 students; most are residents of Hawaiʻi, but there are many international students too.

Academics

The university specializes in marine biology, volcanology, astronomy, and Hawaiian studies. The Masters of Arts program in Hawaiian Language and Literature was the first in the United States to focus on an indigenous language.[6]

Colleges

Undergraduate

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo offers BA, BBA, BS, and BSN degrees in addition to certificates. Students can also choose minors in some programs.

Athletics

Vulcans banner

Until 1994 UH Hilo belonged to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA. Since 2004 it has been a member of the NCAA Division II, Pacific West Conference. It fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The team name for the school is the Vulcans.[7]

Chancellors

Shared with UH West Oʻahu 1976–1997.

"Hawaiʻi State University?"

There has been a growing movement throughout the last decade to separate the Hilo campus from the University of Hawaiʻi system, creating a "Hawaiʻi State University". Supporters of the separation argue that the growing Hilo campus is "shortchanged" by its sister campus in Mānoa and that being independent of the system would allow the college to grow faster, better serve the community, and draw in more money from independent sources. Opponents argue that the state is too small for competing university systems and that financial divisions between Mānoa and Hilo are fair, given that Mānoa places emphasis on research and Hilo places emphasis on teaching. There are also concerns that this movement will hurt relationships between the Hilo campus and the rest of the University of Hawaiʻi system.

A bill was introduced in the 2005 session of the House of Representatives of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to draft legislation to spin off the Hilo campus as the independent Hawaiʻi State University. The bill was approved by the House Higher Education Committee but no hearing on the bill was planned by the House Finance Committee, effectively killing it. [8]

Points of interest at UH Hilo

University Park

Main Campus

See also

Alumni

References

  1. ↑ "University of Hawaii at Hilo campus overview - University of Hawaii System".
  2. ↑ Overview of Private Fundraising at UH Hilo
  3. ↑ UH Hilo Vulcan Athletics Quick Facts page
  4. ↑ "Hilo CDP, Hawaii." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009.
  5. ↑ Statement of Accreditation Status: University of Hawaii at Hilo. WASC Senior College and University Commission. Accessed April 2015.
  6. ↑ "KHUOK Home - Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani". Kualono.
  7. ↑ "The University of Hawaii at Hilo".
  8. ↑ "Clamor increases to spin off UH-Hilo - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper".
  9. ↑ UH Hilo Main Campus map
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