Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Program (NHSI)
Principal Investigator and Program Director:
Email: loorache@hawaii.edu
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has been a designated U.S. Department of Education Title III Native Hawaiian Serving Institution (NHSI) since 2000. Title III funding have been successful in increasing Native Hawaiian student access to UH Hilo, and in increasing their retention and graduation rates. In addition, the funds have expanded Native Hawaiian student access to and competency in technology, developed and improve academic curricula to incorporate a Hawaiian foundation and perspective, established a professional development program to increase faculty and staff knowledge and awareness of Hawaiian perspectives, and increased access to Hawaiian language resource materials.
Funding is currently being used to strengthen Hawaiian student leadership development, enhance Hawaiian language learning and teaching and facilitate student engagement through applied learning experiences and living learning communities linked to the establishment of the Hale Kanilehua Living-Learning Center within university housing. A Title III Cooperative Grant with Hawaiʻi Community College I Ola Hāloa Hawaiʻi Life Styles Program is being used to develop inter-collegial degree pathways and bridge teaching and learning between both campuses.