Kapiʻolani Community College MOU

Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Kapiʻolani Community College on a Degree Pathways Partnership Program

This memorandum of understanding (MOU) summarizes agreements between the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) and Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) to cooperatively promote successful undergraduate educational experiences for students who attend both institutions through curricular and advising pathways. We are entering into this Degree Pathways Partnership Program (DPPP) to better serve students and to mutually benefit our institutions. The following understandings will guide this effort, until modified or amended.

1. Purpose and goals

   Through the Degree Pathways Partnership Program, UH Hilo and KCC will cooperate to promote successful undergraduate educational experiences for students who wish to follow curricular pathways established at KCC and completed a UH Hilo.

   The goals of this partnership are to:

   • Enable students to be jointly admitted to UH Hilo while completing program requirements at KCC
   • Improve student access, success, and 4-year degree completion
   • Expand student options for college-level services and curriculum
   • Improve academic program articulation
   • Use resources at both institutions more efficiently and effectively

2. Program Identification

   Representatives from the Offices of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UH Hilo and Kapiʻolani Community College

   • Identify programs on each campus that might benefit from an articulation agreement and work with faculty in these programs to develop curricular pathways and advising materials to facilitate transfer between the two institutions.
   • Identify faculty members in each program on each campus who will coordinate the joint program and serve as advisors to students in the program.

3. Recruitment and Admissions

   • Once program articulation has been completed, students in the selected Kapiʻolani Community College program will be eligible for provisional admission to the selected UH Hilo program upon the completion of 30 credits with a G.P.A. to be determined by the admitting program, with the understanding that students under the articulation agreement will remain at Kapiʻolani Community College until the completion of the A.A. or A.S. degree and any agreed upon set of lower division courses required for General Education or pre-requisites for upper-division courses. These students’ admission to UH Hilo will be future dated to the semester when the student will begin taking UH Hilo courses and final admission will be subject to confirmation upon review of each student’s transcript at the time of transfer.
   • Recruitment of students will be the responsibility of both institutions.
   • Students will be eligible to graduate under the UH Hilo catalog in force in the semester in which they are accepted by the baccalaureate articulated program, the catalog in force when they formally transfer to UH Hilo or the catalog in force when the student graduates from UH Hilo.

4. Program Articulation and Advising

   • The management of the Degree Pathways Partnership Program and resulting articulation agreement between the two institutions will be coordinated through the Chief Academic Officers or their designees at each institution.
   • Students admitted under the Degree Pathways Partnership Program will be offered advising by the faculty member identified as responsible for coordinating the joint program on the KCC campus so that they can design a course of study to complete the agreed upon pre-requisites prior to transfer to UH Hilo.
   • Issues related to articulation, class content, or other curricular matters will be resolved by the Chief Academic Officers or their designee at each institution.
   • Students admitted under this Degree Pathways Partnership will be afforded e-mail access to the faculty member coordinating the joint program on the UH Hilo campus.
   • Students admitted under this Degree Pathways Partnership will be able to register via the MyUH Portal for UH Hilo courses during UH Hilo’s early registration period prior to the student’s first semester at UH Hilo.
   • Students admitted under this Degree Pathways Partnership Program will be flagged in Banner by the UH Hilo Chief Academic Officer or her/his designee to facilitate the tracking and monitoring of these students as they progress through their KCC program.

5. Program Incentives

   • Students admitted under the Degree Pathways Partnership Program will be eligible upon admission to apply for scholarships offered to UH Hilo students as long as they meet the established criteria.
   • Students admitted under the Degree Pathways Partnership Program will be eligible for tuition waivers upon admission as long as they meet the established criteria.
   • Students admitted under the Degree Pathways Partnership Program will be given preference for housing in the UH Hilo dormitories.

6. Marketing

   Promotional plans and materials will be subject to approval by each institution.

7. Terms and Termination

   • This agreement shall not create any rights in any third parties, specifically any students participating in the program. The only parties to this agreement are UH Hilo and KCC.
   • Amendments to this agreement must be in writing and approved by the designated representatives of each institution.
   • Either party may terminate this agreement for cause by giving written notice to the designated representative at least 90 days prior to the commencement of a new academic term.

8. Signatures

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Rose Tseng
Chancellor

Kapiʻolani Community College
Leon Richards
Acting Chancellor

Signed May 2006