The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s doctoral program in (CSP) has been reaccredited by the (APA) through 2035. The 10-year period is the maximum term given by the association.

“Accreditation is a vital process in clinical psychology, and we are proud that our program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association for more than five decades,” said Associate Professor and Clinical Training Director Anthony Papa, who led the reaccreditation effort. “This recognition affirms that our program prepares clinical psychologists to excel at the highest standards of professional practice—in clinical care, administration, supervision, research and teaching—across the many public and private institutions that serve the people of �鶹��ý and beyond. APA accreditation also ensures that our graduates are qualified to pursue licensure in every state and to serve in the VA and other federal agencies nationwide.”

CSP is a full-time, 5-year program that integrates science and practice to enhance psychological knowledge, health and well-being. Its main goal is to equip graduates with skills to alleviate human suffering through an integrative psychological clinical science approach.

Since its establishment in the fall of 1970, CSP has graduated more than 200 clinical psychologists who have gone on to careers as clinicians, administrators and supervisors in hospitals, mental health centers, private practice and other health service settings, as well as teachers and researchers at universities and research hospitals in �鶹��ý and across the country. CSP, which has been accredited by APA since 1972, currently has 31 students enrolled.

The is housed in the (CSS).

See the on the CSS website.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (JABSOM) received full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the next eight years, the maximum period granted, following a review in January 2025.

“Accreditation is crucial for any medical school, and receiving the maximum accreditation period of eight years is a significant achievement for JABSOM,” said JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker. “The deeply rooted culture of �鶹��ý is woven into everything we teach, and this resounding recognition is just another confirmation that our unique approach to care works and cannot be replicated.”

LCME evaluation covered 12 standards and 93 elements, assessing curriculum quality, student support services, faculty credentials and clinical partnerships.

In preparation for LCME review, JABSOM conducted a self-study process, led by Associate Dean Lee Buenconsejo-Lum, which spanned three years and included more than 125 faculty, staff and partners. It involved submission of more than 1,000 pages of data and documentation, along with an anonymous independent student analysis completed by current medical students.

LCME praised JABSOM’s strong clinical partnerships, financial health, curricular improvements and mission-aligned teaching.

The next full review is scheduled for the 2032–33 academic year. JABSOM will continue evolving its curriculum to meet �鶹��ý’s healthcare needs.

Read more about the .

Students at the University of �鶹��ý at �ᾱ����’s (CoBE) are earning their degrees from one of the top business schools in the world.

The college was awarded extended accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), a distinction held by only 6% of business schools around the world.

The recognition means students can expect a world-class education backed by global standards. CoBE offers bachelor’s degrees in accounting and general business, with concentrations in finance, marketing, management, healthcare management, applied economics and professional studies.

“At a time when so many things are uncertain, it is reassuring to know that our students, faculty and staff have a solid foundation to work from,” said CoBE Director Todd Inouye. “Now our attention can be directed from building foundations to also growing our societal impact, enrollment and retention, including new initiatives at CoBE.”

High-quality education

UH �ᾱ����’s CoBE was first accredited in 2005 and remains one of only two AACSB-accredited business schools in �鶹��ý. The rigorous AACSB standards recognize schools that demonstrate high-quality teaching, innovation and continuous improvement.

“Thinking about how far we have come over the past three years makes me extremely proud to be a member of this college and university community,” said Inouye.

Six University of �鶹��ý Community Colleges are undergoing reaffirmation of accreditation this year by the (ACCJC).

The colleges under review are:

• �鶹��ý Community College
• Honolulu Community College
• Kapiʻolani Community College
• Kauaʻi Community College
• Leeward Community College
• Windward Community College

UH Maui College, accredited by the , is not part of this review cycle.

Public Encouraged to Participate

As part of the accreditation process, each college has published its Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) on its website. A peer review team is currently conducting an initial assessment, with an in-person evaluation visit scheduled for mid-September 2025.

The campus community and the public are invited to review each campus’ ISER and submit comments. This feedback provides valuable insights to the commission as it evaluates each institution’s reaffirmation of accreditation, a process that occurs every seven to eight years.

Anyone—including students, faculty, staff and community members—, available on each college’s accreditation website or the ACCJC website. To ensure consideration, comments must be submitted at least five weeks before the scheduled peer review visit in September 2025. Institutions will have the opportunity to review applicable third-party comments.

“Accreditation is a critical process that ensures our community colleges continue to meet high standards of educational quality and student support,” said Della Teraoka, interim vice president for UH Community Colleges. “Community feedback plays an essential role in this process, providing valuable perspectives that help us assess our strengths and identify areas for improvement. We encourage students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to review our self-evaluation reports and share their input. Your voice helps shape the future of our institutions and enhances the success of our students.”

For more information and to access the accreditation reports, visit the respective college accreditation pages:

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s (OPHS) has achieved a seven-year re-accreditation, through 2030, from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This marks the first accreditation renewal since OPHS became part of the in 2016.

“The accreditation is a testament to what we are doing and the quality of all of our programs,” said Eric Hurwitz, OPHS director.

The accreditation process required OPHS to conduct a thorough self-study, starting in 2021, with the collaboration of faculty, staff, students and community partners. In March 2023, a CEPH team visited the campus to review the report and meet with various stakeholders.

OPHS serves more than 270 students across its programs, including a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health, Masters in Public Health in four specializations (health policy and management, epidemiology, social and behavioral health sciences, and Native Hawaiian and Indigenous health), Masters in Science (epidemiology), and two PhDs (community-based and translational research and epidemiology).

“We’re thrilled to have met the criteria, solidifying our place as a beacon of quality in public health education,” Hurwitz added. “We look forward to continuing our work on creating a positive impact on our community!”

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Library and Information Science (LIS) program has earned full continued accreditation from the American Library Association (ALA) for the maximum seven years. As the only accredited professional school for librarians and archivists in the state, this marks the program’s first accreditation since merging into the School of Communication and Information in 2022.

“Full accreditation is a reflection of the quality of the program and the dedication of the faculty to our students and our community,” said UH Manoa Provost Michael Bruno.

As one of the smallest accredited programs, the UH ����ԴDz� LIS program emphasizes the importance of relationships (pilina) among students, staff, faculty and the professional community. There are currently 54 graduate students enrolled in the program.

The ALA accreditation, which was first obtained in 1967 and most recently in 2016, holds significance as most libraries and archives prefer hiring graduates from accredited programs. UH ����ԴDz� is among 64 accredited LIS programs in North America.

Unanimous praise from students and alumni

The re-accreditation process involved:

• LIS faculty submitted a comprehensive 178-page self study to the ALA Committee on Accreditation in August 2023 addressing systemic planning, curriculum, faculty, students, and administration, finances and resources.
• An External Review Panel (ERP) composed of library professionals from the U.S. and Canada visited the LIS program in October 2023.
• The team assessed internal documents, observed classes and interviewed various stakeholders, including faculty, staff, alumni, current students, community librarians and UH ����ԴDz� administration.

The ERP reported unanimous praise from students and alumni for the program’s administrative policies and consistent support.

“We are very grateful that our community helped us tell our story, and demonstrated to the review team how we address the accreditation standards in our own unique ways,” said LIS Program Director Rich Gazan.

An inaugural open house for the School of Communication and Information is scheduled for April 5, 2024.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (DPS) recently achieved re-accreditation through the , Inc. (CALEA®) in July 2023. In 2019, DPS was the first college campus security agency to receive CALEA accreditation in the state, and just the second in the nation. Currently, DPS is also one of six nationwide agencies to receive the CALEA Campus Security Advanced Accreditation.

“Maintaining our CALEA accreditation is a testimonial to the professionalism that our officers and employees demonstrate at UH ����ԴDz� on a daily basis,” said DPS Chief Andrew Black. “I am very proud of the women and men of DPS and their dedication to making the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� a safe place to learn, work and visit.”

In order to achieve accredited status, DPS must comply with 293 standards and maintain continued compliance in order to keep their status. Accreditation lasts four years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports and participate in annual web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. At the end of the cycle, peer assessors conduct a site-based review which includes interviewing various students, faculty, staff and community members. Once the review is completed, DPS sends representatives to attend a public hearing before the commission and is awarded re-accreditation.

Community involvement

The CALEA accreditation process is an ongoing effort, and initially involved more than three years of policy development and training, to align the department with industry best practices. Over the past four years, DPS has focused on strengthening department operations and policies even more, in order to receive the Advanced Accreditation status. The program focuses on the safety and security of students and employees, and applies standards that require organizations to consider critical issues such as facility risks, regulatory reporting, technology-based security monitoring, preventative patrol and a host of other issues that provide comprehensive service delivery. These concepts center on the community-oriented policing model, which seeks to involve the community in crime prevention and education.

Community-oriented policing provides a framework in which public safety agencies and citizens can work in partnership to prevent and control challenges confronting our communities and provides clear direction about community expectations. Accreditation serves to give an agency a proven management system of written directives, sound training, clearly defined lines of authority, and routine reports that support decision-making and resource allocation.

“We appreciate the UH ����ԴDz� community’s continued support in our efforts to ensure a safe and secure campus for our students, employees, and visitors,” Black said.

After an exhaustive two-year application and evaluation process, the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s Bachelor of Science program in (GES) recently became the world’s first environmental science program to be awarded by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology ().

“Our GES Program combines a rigorous academic curriculum with meaningful, hands-on research experiences to prepare our graduates to address our state’s environmental issues,” said Margaret McManus, chairwoman of the , which administers the GES program, in the UH Mānoa (SOEST).

Michael Guidry, the GES program director, stated, “H���ɲ���ʻ�� faces future uncertainty and challenges related to the impacts of climate and environmental change along with pollution and degradation. Our GES faculty have developed a curriculum that prepares students with the knowledge, training and skills to successfully address �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s and the world’s environment-related challenges. The strength of the program has been acknowledged by becoming the first accredited environmental science program in the world.”

GES graduates are well-prepared to successfully go on to professional careers in public and private-sectors related to the environmental sciences; professional schools in engineering, law, and medicine; graduate school programs in biology, chemistry, geography, and environmental, oceanographic, geological and atmospheric sciences; and graduate school programs in the social sciences such as urban and regional planning and public health, or in business such as finance.

“As an indicator of the program’s rigor, within a year of their graduation more than 90% of GES graduates are either employed or in graduate studies,” noted McManus. “Our graduates are prepared to help the state deal with a myriad of environment-related issues such as invasive species, coastline usage and change, coral reef health, marine and freshwater pollution, environmental planning, public health, and many other areas of need.”

Alumni experiences

GES alumni Leon Geschwind, currently employed with NOAA in �鶹��ý, noted how GES prepared him for the workforce, “The GES program not only provided me with a holistic understanding of the Earth system but also gave me the skills necessary to communicate complex scientific topics to a wide range of audiences. From developing climate change teacher workshops to mentoring the next generation of students, the GES program laid a strong foundation for my future careers impacting the State of �鶹��ý, first at Bishop Museum and now at NOAA. Twenty years after I graduated from the program, I had the privilege of paying it forward by mentoring a GES student through a NOAA summer internship program.”

�鶹��ý born and raised GES alumnae Amanda Wong and Kealohi Sabate are now in graduate school at the University of California at Davis. Both applied for, and were awarded, support for their graduate studies from the competitive and prestigious .

Guidry, in conclusion, stated, “Achieving ABET accreditation is a significant accomplishment for the program with broader implications for UH Mānoa and the State of �鶹��ý. It recognizes the program’s quality, places it among the best in the world, and provides students with the training to successfully address our state’s current and future environmental issues.”

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The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� has been recognized for its efforts to engage the campus community and partnerships with off-campus groups with the 2023 Western Region Engaged Campus Award from the Western Region Continuums of Service Consortium (WRCOS). The consortium cited UH ����ԴDz�’s dedication to campus civic and community engagement, educational equity and strengthening communities through public scholarship and collaborative partnerships. The award is one of seven being presented to WRCOS member institutions at the to be held in Honolulu in March.

WRCOS is a coalition of higher education organizations that are state affiliate members from Oregon, California, Montana, Washington and �鶹��ý, as well as American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that work to enhance the links between their respective colleges and universities and their local communities. Through the UH ����ԴDz� , the connects students and faculty with community organizations in �鶹��ý and across the Pacific to help them meet their missions.

“This award is a great achievement for UH ����ԴDz�, a longtime active partner in the Western Region of the Campus Compact. Our studies have clearly shown the positive impact of civic engagement on student success, as well as the reciprocal relationships between UH ����ԴDz� and the community. We will strive to live up to our national leadership responsibility to reach the aspirational, yet achievable, transformational goals for the future,” said UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno.

Building on opportunities

UH ����ԴDz� is recognized for its deep commitment in its role as a Native Hawaiian place of learning, while supporting leaders in civic and community engagement, as well as the many community partners, faculty, students and staff whose work is aligned with both institutional identity and campus vision and mission.

Nearly 90 departments are involved with civic engagement in their program learning objectives, and nearly 250 courses include some form of civic engagement in their course description. UH ����ԴDz� staff and faculty are employing the guiding framework of the Carnegie Elective Community Engagement Classification to transform the institution.

In the nomination letter to WRCOS, Bruno stated, “UH ����ԴDz�’s recent reaffirmation of accreditation with the Senior College & University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges gave us a unique opportunity to gather information about the impact of our work in the field of civic and community engagement. The accomplishments achieved in this area through consistent work over three decades became a central factor in our institution achieving full accreditation for the longest possible period, 10 years.”

2023 Continuums of Service Conference

The �鶹��ý Pacific Island Campus Compact and the Western Region Consortium will host the 2023 Continuums of Service Conference, “Turning the Tides, Renewing our Energy,” to be held March 14—17 in Honolulu.

Attendees will participate in conference sessions, which center around local and Indigenous knowledge and embrace transformational campus-community partnerships with opportunities for direct engagement. Sessions will be co-hosted with community and non-profit organizations.

For registration information, visit the .

Engineering programs at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� have been accredited by the (ABET), confirming that they meet standards essential to prepare graduates to enter STEM fields in the global workforce.

The following programs are accredited:

• , (CTAHR)
• ,
• , College of Engineering
• , College of Engineering
• , College of Engineering
• , (SOEST)

In addition, , which was launched in fall 2019 by the College of Engineering, retroactively earned accreditation from October 2019.

“We are extremely excited about our accreditation renewals as well as our newest accredited degree program in construction engineering,” College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka said. “This is a clear indication of the confidence ABET has in the hard work by our faculty and staff in providing the kind of educational experience and development of professional skills our students will need to be productive and highly skilled engineers and leaders upon graduation.”

SOEST Interim Dean Chip Fletcher added, “These programs have been accredited because they are readily accessible to �鶹��ý’s high school graduates, provide excellent education opportunities, and are globally recognized for cutting-edge research on issues that matter to the people of �鶹��ý.”

“The rigorous ABET accreditation process ensures the quality of our biological engineering degree program, which is a critical component of CTAHR’s transdisciplinary approach to deliver sustainable food systems and ecosystem health solutions to the people of �鶹��ý,” CTAHR Interim Dean Ania Wieczorek said. “I thank the biological engineering students, faculty, alumni, industry partners, and the UH ����ԴDz� ABET team for their work to achieve this result.”

For the accreditation process, UH ����ԴDz� faculty and staff completed an extensive self-study and hosted a site visit with an ABET accreditation team in November 2021.

According to ABET, “graduates from an ABET-accredited program have a solid educational foundation and are capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies, and in anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.” To date, ABET has accredited 4,361 programs at 850 colleges and universities in 41 countries.

For more about ABET and its accreditation criteria, visit .