Connecting Learning, Life and Aloha
‘O ka ‘imi na‘auao, ke ola a me ke aloha kā kākou e huliāmahi ai

UH Hilo 2002-2010 Strategic Plan

Goals, Objectives, and Strategies - UH Hilo 2002-2010 Strategic Plan

I. Maintain a well-rounded mix of liberal arts and professional programs, while distinguishing ourselves by taking full advantage of the extraordinary natural environment and cultural diversity afforded by our island setting.

As a comprehensive, state-supported, regional university, UH Hilo helps ensure that the people of Hawaiʻi have access to opportunities for personal growth and career advance-ment through programs of higher education appropriate to our unique location.

A. Objectives

  1. Emphasize studies of the environment, cultures, and societies of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and East Asia and make full use of Hawaiʻi Island, from the tops of the mountains to the bottom of the ocean, for hands-on learning and as a research laboratory.
  2. Emphasize programs that help meet the needs of the island and state for professional and pre-professional studies.
  3. Offer selected graduate programs in areas with sustainable student and job market demand and where UH Hilo has strong expertise.
  4. Excel at using research and other scholarly endeavors to provide learning opportunities for students, enabling them to use the knowledge gained in the classroom and apply the methods and tools of the disciplines.
  5. Support knowledge creation and transfer in both theoretical and applied research, with special emphasis on studies that advance knowledge of the island, the state, the Pacific, and East Asia.

B. Strategies

  1. Establish a stronger process for approval of new programs, with clear requirements for demand analysis, budget plans, and relevance to the university mission and strategic plan goals, but flexible enough to allow UH Hilo to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. (Obj. I.A.1-3)
  2. Create opportunities for students to showcase their research. (Obj. I.A.4)
  3. Establish a system for encouraging, rewarding, and tracking faculty research projects involving students as researchers as well as senior-level courses requiring student research projects. (Obj. I.A.4)
  4. Make more space available to support the integration of teaching and research. (Obj. I.A.4)
  5. Resolve liability issues regarding student participation in fieldwork. (Obj. I.A.4)
  6. Establish a system for encouraging and tracking faculty grants, publica-tions, and conference presentations that involve studies of the environ-ment, cultures, and societies in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and East Asia. (Obj. I.A.5)

II. Continue to refine and strengthen efforts to fulfill our primary mission to offer high quality undergraduate liberal arts and professional programs.

The quality of our programs is reflected in the knowledge and skills of our graduates. Our goals are to enable the student to become broadly educated with the skills for continuing self-education, to take ownership of a body of knowledge in an academic discipline, and to freely explore academic areas outside the major.

A. Objectives

  1. Strengthen the commitment of every facet of UH Hilo to foster in our students the qualities that distinguish educated people in the 21st century.
  2. Continue the dialogue within the university community as to what these qualities are and how best to develop them, recognizing that the answers to these questions are and should remain dynamic. This dialogue should be an ongoing aspect of life at UH Hilo.
  3. Ensure that the general education curriculum prescribed for students offers them the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills expected of an educated person.
  4. Continue to raise the level of academic challenge in courses and programs, in order to improve the quality of the educational experience and the value of our graduates to graduate programs, their professions, and communities.
  5. Develop a "culture of effectiveness" by making assessment of program quality part of the regular functioning of the university and using the results of assessment to improve our programs.

B. Strategies

  1. Evaluate every decision made in the university against the effect that particular decision will have on the core function of the university, the delivery to our students of the highest quality educational experience possible. (Obj. II.A.1)
  2. Provide faculty development opportunities that promote the improvement of student learning as well as opportunities for faculty and staff to discuss questions related to the education of our students. (Obj. II.A.1-3)
  3. Continue to discuss and refine our general education goals and infuse them throughout the university curriculum, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to develop the abilities described in those goals (Obj. II.A.3)
  4. Develop and foster partnerships with secondary schools on Hawaiʻi Island to help refine and communicate expectations for high school graduates with ambitions to attend college. (Obj. II.A.4)
  5. At the department level, regularly review course content in existing courses and grading standards to ensure that stated expectations for student learning determine the criteria for evaluating student work. (Obj. II.A.4)
  6. For all educational programs, including general education, explicitly state our educational intentions, set standards for student achievement, and present evidence that these standards have been attained. Assessment results will figure in improvement efforts and budget decisions throughout the campus. (Obj. II.A.5)
  7. Perform regular program reviews, involving outside evaluators where appropriate and including a prominent component on student learning, as well as the program's continuing impact on the university's primary mission. Link results to planning and budgeting. (Obj. II.A.5)
  8. Use such assessment means as the National Survey of Student Engage-ment, professional credentialing examinations, Graduate Record Examinations, student satisfaction surveys, graduate school admission rates, etc., to compare our educational practices and outcomes against those of similar institutions and use the results to inform improvement efforts. (Obj. II.A.5)
  9. Share results of institutional research with the campus in a systematic way, so that accessing and using the results of institutional assessment is common practice. (Obj. II.A.5)

III. Build a learning environment that facilitates student development and success.

We will design our services so that all our students - residential, commuting, and distance learners - may take maximum advantage of a learning environment truly conducive to educational effectiveness.

A. Objectives

  1. Add residential capacity adequate to meet demand and better serve our student body.
  2. Develop a campus atmosphere that cultivates lasting intellectual, aesthetic, and recreational interests.
  3. Increase our capacity to serve commuting students, non-traditional students, and distance learners.
  4. Improve crucial services for all students, especially those that affect student learning and the successful transition to life after college.
  5. Create a positive, healthful, resource efficient, and sustainable physical environment on the campus.
  6. Maintain a multicultural campus community characterized by respect and an appreciation of differences of all types and create educational opportunity for students from underrepresented groups.
  7. Improve our freshman-to-sophomore retention rate and our six-year graduation rate.
  8. Deliver selected, high quality distance learning programs to improve access to higher education statewide and beyond, where UH Hilo can provide unique expertise.
  9. Make careful and effective use of technology and adopt new technologies where they enable us to improve teaching effectiveness, extend programs beyond East Hawaiʻi, or otherwise achieve our mission.

B. Strategies

  1. Pursue state funding and private partnerships in order to increase the housing inventory on and near campus. This includes partnering with nearby apartment owners so that sufficient residential space is available in safe, accessible, and well-maintained apartment complexes. (Obj. III.A.1)
  2. Increase the number of cultural, social, and athletic events on campus as well as the rate of student attendance at such events. (Obj. III.A.2)
  3. Provide access to intramural athletic opportunities, facilities, and equipment to enable students to acquire habits and skills conducive to lifelong health. (Obj. III.A.2)
  4. Assess the special needs of our commuting students, non-traditional students, and distance learners and make plans to address these needs. (Obj. III.A.3)
  5. Improve course availability through careful review of enrollment patterns and increased staffing in high demand areas. (Obj. III.A.4)
  6.   Ensure that the library holds, or provides access to, sufficient information resources to support the university curriculum and faculty scholarship. (Obj. III.A.4)
  7. Establish a mechanism to contact students after graduation, using it to track employment rates of graduates and job placements through University Career Services. (Obj. III.A.4)
  8. Improve advising with respect to graduate and professional schools, and increase opportunities for test preparation. (Obj. III.A.4)
  9. Maintain campus facilities to ensure the safety of the people who use them. (Obj. III.A.5)
    1. Ensure a campus atmosphere conducive to education by promptly addressing instances of substance abuse, excessive noise, etc., in the dormitories and around the campus (Obj. III.A.5)
    2. Make campus beautification and building and grounds maintenance a priority (Obj. III.A.5)
    3. Develop a sustainability plan for the campus that will lead to the careful stewardship of resources and enhance the campus experience (Obj. III.A.5)
    4. Strive to maintain an extremely diverse student body. (Obj. III.A.6)
    5. Continue through the Office of Student Affairs to provide support for student groups likely to need special services in order to achieve their educational objectives. (Obj. III.A.6)
    6. Analyze the factors affecting student retention to obtain a better understanding of how we can meet the varying needs and expectations of our student body and use this analysis as the basis for sustained and coordinated action involving every venue across the university. (Obj. III.A.7)
    7. Develop satellite facilities on the island of Hawaiʻi to receive programs and serve as base facilities for research. (Obj. III.A.8)
    8. Provide programs using such delivery modes as the Web, interactive television, and streaming video, throughout the state and beyond, in response to demand or where the university has unique programs to offer. (Obj. III.A.8)
    9. Explore with the UH system models that will allow us to cover the costs of distance education programs with revenue generated by the programs themselves. (Obj. III.A.8)
    10. Incorporate assessment of distance learning programs into the regular evaluative processes of the university. (Obj. III.A.8)
    11. Update and implement the campus technology plan, ensuring that adequate resources are put into hardware and software upgrades, maintenance, and training. (Obj. III.A.9)

IV. Obtain sufficient resources to support enrollment growth, high quality programs, and enhanced services.

Enrollment and student body composition at UH Hilo must be consistent with our mission, campus size and infrastructure, and revenues from the state general fund and tuition. We recognize the optimal size for an institution such as ours is probably about 5,000. If carefully planned and supported with resources, growing to such a size will enable the University to diversify its programs so as to offer more choice to our students.

A. Objectives

  1. Work with the UH system to place UH Hilo on a sound financial footing, where both revenues and expenditures per FTE student will rise to the average of our peer institutions (with additions for services to Hawaiʻi Community College and cost of living in Hawaiʻi).
  2. Address deficiencies in our level of support staff and resources for service units.
  3. Aim for continued growth in student numbers, always consistent with resources available, while maintaining the "caring, personalized" aspect of our mission.
  4. Increase recruitment of students from Hawaiʻi Island and the state, who are at the core of our mission.
  5. Maintain the percentage of students from the Pacific islands and recruit students from other indigenous groups.
  6. Aim for the maximum proportion of out-of-state enrollment allowable by BOR policy, using recruitment to maximize tuition revenues.

B. Strategies

  1. Much is expected from the restructuring of the UH system as a whole as new sources of funding are identified and a more equitable allocation of general funds is developed under President Evan Dobelle's stewardship. (Obj. IV.A.1)
  2. Expand our resource base through increased external funding − endowment drives, private gifts, federal government support, corporate gifts, foundation grants, and research grants − as well as through tuition increases. (Obj. IV.A.1)
  3. Explore with the UH system and state legislature the possibility of establishing a state scholarship program for students in lieu of the university tuition waivers now in use. (Obj. IV.A.1)
  4. Assess the need for and begin to add support staff and resources. (Obj. III.A.2)
  5. Continue to grow in enrollment while ensuring that our class sizes continue to allow for a caring and personalized education. (Obj. IV.A.3)
  6. Increase recruitment activities in Hawaiʻi high schools and take full advantage of programs that allow qualified high school students to enroll in college classes. (Obj. IV.A.4)
  7. Recruit in the Pacific islands and the Pacific Rim and identify indigenous groups who would be served by our programs. (IV.A.5)
  8. Analyze the flow of out-of-state, tuition-exempt, and exchange students and use the information to design a recruitment program that will enhance tuition revenues. (Obj. IV.A.6)
  9. Recruit out-of-state students who will pay full non-resident tuition and explore with the UH system the desirability of raising the ceiling on non-resident enrollment. (Obj. IV.A.6)

V. Embrace opportunities for dynamic community involvement.

UH Hilo exists in an island ecosystem, with an island's interconnected web of close social relationships, economic pressures, and natural forces. Beyond providing education to our students, we hope to help build a community offering economic and cultural opportunities to residents, as well as opportunities for lifelong intellectual development.

A. Objectives

  1. Develop community service opportunities that help students attain new knowledge and skills.
  2. Provide services to the people of the island and state that are natural products of our educational and research programs.
  3. Use community partnerships to encourage "college-town" development, high-quality residential areas for students near campus, enriched educational opportunities for our students, and economic development on the island of Hawaiʻi.
  4. Connect university and community with continuing-education course offerings.
  5. Develop certificate and training programs to address the professional development needs of the community.

B. Strategies

  1. Increase internships related to academic disciplines to provide students with practical job experience in community-based organizations, government offices, educational and scientific institutions, and private enterprise. (Obj. V.A.1)
  2. Continue to develop our service learning component to meet specific needs of the community while, at the same time, providing students with opportunities to use the knowledge and skills they gain at the university in real-life situations. (Obj. V.A.1)
  3. Increase recognition for faculty service to the community in their field of expertise by increasing recognition in promotion/merit raise decisions. (Obj. V.A.2)
  4. Continue to reach out to the community to attract housing and businesses that will cater to students. (Obj. V.A.3)
  5. Utilize the facilities in the University Park of Science and Technology to enhance UH Hilo's academic programs.
  6. Continue to develop community partnerships designed to foster local economic development. (Obj. V.A.3)
  7. Track the growth and impact of continuing education opportunities sponsored by the university. (Obj. V.A.4)
  8. Explore possibilities for entrepreneurial, fee-based certificate and training programs. (Obj. V.A.5)

VI. Establish a more effective organization and invest in human capital.

In order to shape our future and sustain the changes to come, UH Hilo needs the contributions of many people in different capacities: administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, fellow educators, and well-wishers in the community. The university will fully engage the energies of our constituencies in the service of our mission by maintaining an open, inclusive, and supportive work environment, developing clear priorities, directing resources appropriately, and regularly charting progress toward university goals.

A. Objectives

  1. Improve organizational communication, trust, and understanding.
  2. Within the principles of shared governance, develop transparent and consultative planning and budgeting processes, with clear and consistent linkages between the two.
  3. Use performance data to guide decision-making, including resource allocation.
  4. Promote faculty and staff development in ways that support the achievement of our mission.
  5. Ensure that administrators, faculty, and staff are satisfied with the university as a workplace.
  6. Clearly delineate and publicize the roles of administrators and governance bodies.
  7. Develop a closer relationship with Hawaiʻi Community College to ensure coordinated and seamless higher education services on Hawaiʻi Island.

B. Strategies

  1. Use the university Web site as the central campus information vehicle for communication among administration, faculty, and staff − where the results of planning and budgeting are reported and where policies, procedures, plans, and forms are available. (Obj. VI.A.1)
  2. Increase recognition for faculty service to the university in promotion/ merit raise decisions. (Obj. VI.A.1)
  3. Hold open budget hearings annually to explain current resources and to receive input on future budget priorities. (Obj. VI.A.1 and 2)
  4. Convene planning and budgeting meetings of administrators and members of the UH Hilo Congress's Budget Committee to discuss priorities and consult on campus-wide budget requests. (Obj. VI.A.2)
  5. Establish a tracking system that measures mission performance indicators, regularly publicize progress toward these goals, and use the data to inform planning and budgeting decisions. (Obj. VI.A.3)
  6. Develop as part of the budget process an allocation for faculty, staff, and administrator development and establish a clear and well-publicized procedure whereby faculty, staff, and administrators can request and receive funding for professional development and training. (Obj. VI.A.4)
  7. Periodically survey members of the university community about workplace satisfaction and make improvements where warranted. (Obj. VI.A.5)
  8. Maintain Web sites describing each administrator's duties as well as the functional areas for which they are responsible. These Web sites should provide links to key plans, policies, forms, and other useful documents. The UH Hilo Congress should also maintain an informative Web site. (Obj. VI.A.6)
  9. The Committee on the Future of Higher Education on the Big Island will make recommendations to the campus as to changes in the relationship with Hawaiʻi Community College. (Obj. VI.A.7)

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