Papa Hana Hoʻolālā Hikiāloa: 2025-2035
Long-Range Strategic Plan: 2025-2035
Vision
To be a model university and community, seamlessly woven together (hilo), where higher education is inspired by our beloved Hawaiʻi Island environment—rich in Hawaiian values, language, and culture—and empowers learners from any place to discover purpose, foster well-being, and leave the world a better place.
Mission
To cultivate a vibrant, inclusive community through education that honors Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous people, deepens understanding of our local and global connections, and inspires exploration of Hawaiʻi Island’s distinct cultures and natural ecosystems.
Who We Are: Working with, in and for the community
At UH Hilo, we recognize that a strong connection with our community is essential for fostering a vibrant and sustainable future. Our commitment to being an impactful, Indigenous-serving, and community-minded institution drives us to create a transformative space for discovery, innovation, well-being, and meaningful contributions. Our community is our history, our future and our university is inclusive and immersive.
Our Guiding Values
Haumāna
Student Access and Success
ʻĀina and Kānaka:
ʻĀina-based and Community-based Education
Kākou
Vibrant Campus and Community ʻOhana
Value-Based Goals
Goal 1:
Demonstrate that UH Hilo is a Native Hawaiian place of learning, deeply connected to the history of Hawaiʻi Island’s diverse communities.
This goal seeks to solidify UH Hilo as a Native Hawaiian-centered institution deeply rooted in the history and cultural fabric of Hawaiʻi Island. UH Hilo integrates these elements into its academic, administrative, and community practices by honoring the Hawaiian language, culture, and values, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. Central to this effort is collaboration with local Native Hawaiian communities and the broader Indigenous world, ensuring the preservation, revitalization, and growth of Hawaiian knowledge and cultural heritage. These actions reflect the strategic importance of the Hawaiʻi Island community, UH Hilo, and specifically Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani (KHʻUOK), in the revitalization and preservation of Hawaiian language and culture.
Goal 2:
Address Equity Gaps for Vulnerable Communities to Overcome Barriers to Higher Education.
This goal focuses on creating opportunities and reducing obstacles for historically marginalized and socioeconomically vulnerable communities, ensuring equitable access and success in higher education.
Goal 3:
Empower Learners with Up-to-Date and Relevant Knowledge to Contribute to Healthy, Vibrant, Sustainable, Flourishing Communities on Hawaiʻi Island and Around the World.
This goal aims to integrate education with community engagement, workforce development, and interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing learners to make meaningful contributions locally and globally.
Goal 4:
Advance and Disseminate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities that Address Local Priorities and Have Global Relevance
This goal focuses on fostering impactful research, scholarship, and creative endeavors by engaging community partners, enhancing faculty support, and prioritizing collaborations with local and global significance.
Goal 5:
Develop a More Resilient, Adaptive, Student- and Community-Centered, Future-Focused Organization
This goal aims to ensure UH Hilo’s operational infrastructure, workplace culture, facilities, and strategic priorities are resilient and adaptable to evolving student and community needs, while proactively addressing future demands.
