Vision and Mission - UH Hilo 2002-2010 Strategic Plan
The Vision and Ultimate Goal
Over the next eight years, the ultimate goal for the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is to become the premier residential campus in Hawaiʻi, while also providing an exemplary education, with aloha, to commuting students, non-traditional students, and distance learners. Already known for our success in Hawaiian language revitalization and for using the island as a learning and research laboratory, UH Hilo will become noted for:
- Academic excellence in liberal arts, professional, and agricultural programs
- A vibrant, enriched campus life
- Leadership in studies of Hawaiian, East Asian, Pacific, and indigenous cultures
- Leadership in studies of the tropical environment
- Active learning in research, internships, and community service
- Scholarship in theoretical and applied areas
- Commitment to community development
The Mission
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is a comprehensive, primarily baccalaureate institution on the island of Hawaiʻi, offering a rigorous education in a caring, personalized atmosphere. As a regional, state-supported university, UH Hilo serves students from Hawaiʻi Island and from around the state. Additionally, UH Hilo enrolls students from the U.S. mainland and from many other nations, especially from Asia and the Pacific islands.
The primary mission of UH Hilo is to offer high quality undergraduate liberal arts and professional programs. Selected graduate degree programs are also offered where need warrants and the university has strong expertise. UH Hilo offers "hands-on" learning, service, and leadership opportunities and especially encourages close student-faculty interaction and collaboration on research projects. The university encourages theoretical and applied research, and benefits Hawaiʻi Island and the state through resource centers, community partnerships, continuing education, and distance learning programs.
Hawaiʻi's incomparable natural and cultural environment serves as a learning laboratory, the setting for many teaching, research, and service activities. The university also offers unusually rich opportunities for intercultural exchange, since we are located in the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. and attract students from around the world. Providing an environment that is responsive to the needs of a diverse student population is central to the UH Hilo philosophy. As the university's housing capacity grows, increasing numbers of students will benefit from immersion in our stimulating, diverse, and supportive residential environment.