American Samoa CC & UH Hilo Pre-Pharmacy

Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and American Samoa Community College

This memorandum of understanding (MOU) summarizes agreements between the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) and American Samoa Community College (ASCC) to cooperatively promote successful educational experiences for students from both institutions and to promote the academic success of ASCC students who wish to participate in the Pacific Pre-Pharmacy Program toward successful admission to the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy. UH Hilo regards students from the Pacific region as an important population and recognizes the mutual benefits of the articulation and transfer of courses with ASCC. ASCC regards UH Hilo as an important partner in offering programs to island students that are unavailable on the ASCC campus and recognizes the benefits of collaboration on articulation and transfer of courses with UH Hilo. The following understandings will guide this effort, until modified or amended.

Purpose and Goals:

• Encourage and improve articulation between academic programs and courses at both institutions.
• Facilitate successful completion by ASCC students of the Pacific Pre-Pharmacy Program requirements.
• Provide mentoring and advising from faculty and staff on both campuses to facilitate successful application to the College of Pharmacy at UH Hilo.

Terms of the Agreement:

Admission requirements:

• Regular Baccalaureate Degree Programs: ASCC students transferring to UH Hilo must meet the following requirements to be admitted to a regular degree program at UH Hilo:

  1. Complete at least 24 transferable credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0. If students apply before completing 24 transferable credits, they must meet the admission requirements for high school students. Admission of high school students is based on a recalculated GPA of 3.0 in 17 academic units and SAT or ACT scores. Students with less than a 3.0 may be considered for admission on a sliding scale in relation to their SAT or ACT test scores.
  2. Non-native speakers of English must also score at least 500 on the TOEFL or complete ASCC ENG 251 with a grade of C or above.

• English Language Institute: Non-native speakers of English who have not taken English EN 251 or have not scored at least 500 on the TOEFL will be considered for admission to UH Hilo’s English Language Institute (ELI). The ELI program is a non-credit intensive English language program in which students improve their English reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Students admitted to the ELI program take an English Proficiency Test upon arrival in Hilo and are required to successfully complete certain English courses before beginning their studies in a regular baccalaureate degree program.

Program Articulation and Advising:

• UH Hilo will provide a complete transfer table, listing the ASCC courses that transfer to UH Hilo and the course equivalent at UH Hilo. The transfer table will be posted on the UH Hilo Admissions website.

• The UH Hilo Pre-pharmacy program will assist with advising and with the application process, will provide an academic plan for individual students participating in the Pre-pharmacy program. The academic plan details the courses required for admission to the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy, along with the courses that may be taken at ASCC to fulfill those requirements. It is intended to assist ASCC students who wish to transfer to UH Hilo, and will help students take courses at ASCC that will apply toward Pre-pharmacy Program requirements. Not all Pre-pharmacy course requirements are offered at ASCC (i.e. Organic Chemistry), students will need to take this course at another institution. Attachment 1 includes the academic courses available at both institutions which are required for the completion of Pre-pharmacy Program. The UH Hilo Pre-pharmacy Orientation course (IS 201) will be made available to ASCC students through distance learning. Completion of the course material reflected in the Pre-pharmacy Program is necessary as a minimum requirement for admission to the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy. Importantly, however, admission is a competitive process that requires a separate application, and completion of the Pre-pharmacy Program does not guarantee admission into the College of Pharmacy (CoP) at UH Hilo, although every attempt will be made through advising and coursework to assure that students from ASCC are competitive in the admissions process.

Support Services:

• UH Hilo is committed to providing support services that promote and facilitate the success of students. Students who transfer to UH Hilo from ASCC will be eligible for all support services on campus, including tutoring, mentoring, advising, and counseling. The Director of the Pre-pharmacy Program and two UH Hilo-CoP Pre-pharmacy faculty serve as primary advisors for all students participating in the Pre-pharmacy program with assistance from the Pre-pharmacy Program Advising Specialist.

Administration and Management:

• The management of this agreement will be coordinated through the Chief Academic Officers, Director(s) of the Pre-pharmacy Program or their designees at each institution. Changes in the courses, programs, or policies at either institutions should be communicated to the Chief Academic Officers or their designees at each institution, which may result in modifications or amendments to the terms of the agreement.

• This agreement will be in effect from the date signed below and will continue thereafter for a period of five years, at which time the agreement may be reviewed and revised or reissued as agreed upon by both parties. The agreement may be terminated by either party at any time provided that the other party is given prior written notification of at least one semester to ensure students are accommodated.

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Signed May 2010

American Samoa Community College

Signed July 2010