Campus Spotlight

Supporting the Arts at Windward CC

When you think of Windward Oʻahu, the beautiful beaches and breezy tradewinds likely come to mind. But think again as Windward Community College is making a name for itself with the new Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts (HCPA).

HCPA offers aspiring performers in Hawaiʻi an opportunity to receive the same quality training as in top-tier conservatories with a mission to spotlight local stories and Native Hawaiian content through original productions written and performed by Hawaiʻi artists.

The inaugural Foundation in Acting cohort started this semester. Anyone can audition for this intensive training over one academic year, and the program is offered tuition-free to Hawaiʻi high school seniors who graduated in spring 2023.

The program fulfills the first year of an associate degree in liberal arts with a concentration in theatre at Windward CC, and is recognized by London’s East 15 Acting School, the top-ranking conservatory in the United Kingdom (UK), as the equivalent of their own Foundation in Theatre training. Additionally, the new Certificate in Achievement in Foundation in Acting prepares performers intending to pursue a career in the entertainment industry as an actor on stage or screen.

The capstone Study Abroad program to the UK gives actors the chance to train with some of the best in the business, collaborate with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as provides opportunities to audition for top tier drama schools in London.

In February 2023, Windward CC’s program received a Gold Medallion from Region 8 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, recognized as one of the highest honors in theatre education.

Mark Your Calendars!

OVPCC Campus Visits

Mike Unebasami and I are looking forward to visiting the colleges this fall semester. At this meeting, we are returning to our previous schedule of sharing data on campus outcomes from the previous academic year. I am also planning to include some Q&A time at each campus. Please fill out this short, OVPCC Campus Visit Survey to share topics and questions you have for the OVPCC. See you soon (if we haven’t already)!

System Initiatives: What you need to know

Cross-Campus Course Sharing (C3S)

The University of Hawaiʻi is currently engaged in a project called Cross-Campus Course Sharing, or C3S. This project is directly related to UH’s participation in a NASH (National Association of System Heads) Improvement Community (NIC) focusing on curricular flexibility, as discussed in this December 2022 Inside Higher Ed story.

Although UH Mānoa, UH West O‘ahu, and Leeward Community College are the three UH institutions that have executed formal agreements to participate in the NIC, the UH System intends to scale this initiative and make C3S available to students across the ten UH campuses. This project thus aligns closely with the objectives of the UH Strategic Plan Student Success Imperative, as C3S is designed to increase student access to innovative learning opportunities by removing barriers that hinder cross-campus enrollment.

The primary objective of C3S is to increase the educational opportunities available to all UH students, by leveraging the University’s full academic portfolio. This will, in turn, facilitate students’ timely graduation while supporting UH transfer pathways. Although students have been able to register for courses across the UHCC campuses for many years, multiple barriers currently prevent UH students from taking courses at four-year campuses (other than their home campus).

The barriers include the need to (1) apply for separate admission and pay application fees, (2) pay higher tuition rates or additional tuition beyond their home campus tuition, and (3) pay additional student fees at the other campus(es). For these reasons, it has been extremely difficult and rare for students at any UH campus to cross-register at one of the four-year campuses. Furthermore, C3S can offer the additional benefit of increasing the University’s operational efficiency by providing students with access to class “seats” in under-enrolled classes that would otherwise go unclaimed.

UHCC Systemwide Team Spotlight

Program Coordinating Councils

All Career and Technical Education (CTE) program faculty from academic programs that are offered on multiple campuses are encouraged to participate in Program Coordinating Councils (PCCs) at least once a year. A PCC meeting is an opportunity for program faculty to discuss issues that impact all of the college programs.

PCCs are recommending bodies that help UHCC systemwide programs align program curricula as per UHCCP 5.300 Course Numbering Convention, UHCCP 5.301 Common Course Numbering, and UHCCP 9.237 Teaching Equivalencies and their associated guidelines. As agreements are made for course and program alignment, the program faculty are responsible for implementing the recommendations through the colleges’ curriculum approval process. With the large number of students taking courses from multiple campuses, course alignment is critical in supporting our students’ successful completion.

PCCs are also the venues for program faculty to explore and discuss other topics such as common CIP/SOC, effective instructional strategies and pedagogy, equipment needs, professional development opportunities, and campus concerns.

UHCC System Updates

Annual Report of Program Data (ARPD)

The Annual Report of Program Data is a key planning tool used by all of the community colleges. University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges (UHCC) Policy 5.202 – Review of Established Programs outlines the requirement for regular evaluation of academic programs, academic support services, and student affairs activities. A comprehensive evaluation process is required to be conducted every five years for the community colleges as per UHCCP 5.202 and Executive Policy 5.202 – Review of Established Programs. UHCCP 5.202 also specifies an annual report of program data be published and analyzed each year. The UHCC System Office facilitates the publication of program data through the use of the ARPD website.

Quantitative data are reviewed annually by program faculty and staff based on measures to support alignment of learning or service outcomes, program assessment, and action plans. The ARPD provides common data for campus planning, reflection and action, as well as public reporting.

Key dates for the 2023 ARPD process are:

• August 15: Preliminary program data is posted in downloadable, tabular format.
• October 15: Program data are finalized.
• December 15: All programs and support services analyses should be uploaded to the website and will be publicly viewable.

Improvements

Each year an assessment of the ARPD is conducted, and several adjustments have been made this year.

1. The academic program template is shorter and reports should be limited to 3-5 pages in length. Annual reports should refer back to improvement/changes since the last comprehensive review.
2. Any current comprehensive reviews can be uploaded in lieu of completing an annual report.
3. The website will be moving to display 5 years of trend data.
4. Arrows indicating the direction of movement have been added to key metrics.
5. Health calls have been reduced in size to de-emphasize their importance. Some colleges have requested that health calls remain as one indicator of program health.
6. Executive Summaries of all program analyses will not be required of each college.
7. Program Coordinating Councils (PCCs) are requested to review the CIP to SOC alignment and make recommended changes to reflect appropriate curriculum to job alignment.
8. The Student Affairs and Academic Support templates will be revised this academic year.

Industry-Recognized Certifications

In July 2021, ACT 163 was passed by the state legislature in order to track the number of industry-recognized credentials being earned in the state of Hawaiʻi. It requires the state board of CTE to provide an annual report to the governor and legislature on students’ attainment of industry-recognized credentials. In order to complete this requirement, the UHCC must collect student level data on earned industry-recognized credentials by UHCC students.

These credentials are important because:

• They teach the specific skills required for an occupation or industry.
• Full-time employees with industry credentials earn more than their uncredentialed counterparts.
• The state has a critical shortage of qualified and credentialed workers in sectors including healthcare, education, air travel, and technology.

The first report is due in January 2024, and a compilation of current data is being finalized this month. The ACT 163 Industry Recognized Credential plan provides more information on the timeline and plan. Please email Josh Kaakua if you have credential data to report.

Helpful Resources and Articles

• October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In honor of NDEAM, the UH Systemwide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Offices are pleased to announce an upcoming webinar series on various topics related to disability employment, reasonable accommodation, and digital accessibility. View more details, and register for sessions at 2023 UH NDEAM Webinar Series.
  • Accommodations for Pregnancy and Domestic Violence: Perspectives from the EEOC and the HCRC Tuesday, October 17: 10:30 am-12:00 pm
  • Digital Accessibility and Useful Resources Tuesday, October 24: 11:30 am-12:30 pm
  • Navigating ADA and Pregnancy Accommodations at UH Wednesday, October 25: 1:30-3:00 pm
  • Disability and Diversity Friday, October 27: 10:30 am-12:00 pm
• AI Guidance for Faculty and Staff
  • Guidance on AI, which addresses academic integrity, assignment and assessment redesign, UH system resources and related policies, from the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
  • UHOIC webinars via Zoom
    • Generative AI in the Classroom: Practical Uses and Lessons Learned from Faculty and Student Perspectives Thursday, October 19: 10:00-11:15 am
    • Innovation Playground: Text-to-Multimedia Generative AI Tools Friday, October 27: 10:00-10:50 am
• Innovative Educators’ Go2Knowledge
  • We have purchased a CC systemwide Go2Knowledge membership for all CC campuses to use. Contact: uhccids@hawaii.edu
  • Innovative Educators’ Go2Knowledge offers training on a wide range of topics that are timely, practical, and relevant for higher education. The format includes both live webinars and a digital library for on-demand access. Sign up for a UHCC Go2Knowledge account (or log in if you had an account with a CC campus before), and take advantage of quality professional development from anywhere. Here are a few samples of upcoming live webinars. Recordings can be viewed on demand later:
    • DEI & Academic Coaching: Integrating Cultural Sensitivity To Empower Student Success Live: Tuesday, October 17: 9:00-10:00am HST
    • Orientation Renewed: A Collaborative Student Panel On Crafting, Connecting & Belonging Through Peer-Driven Content Live: Monday, October 23: 9:00-10:00am HST
    • Transformative Teaching: How To Use ChatGPT To Create Innovative & Engaging Assignments Live: Tuesday, October 24: 7:00-8:00am HST
    • Teach Students How To Learn 2.0: Maximizing the Metacognition Intervention Live: Thursday, October 26: 9:00-10:00 am HST
• The Missed Opportunity of Office Hours This article discusses how important office hours are for students, but students rarely attend them. It suggests renaming “office hours” to “student hours” or creating an Instagram account to share with students so that they have an easier time connecting with faculty on a platform that they are comfortable using.