President made his report to the at their meeting on November 16, 2017.

Highlights include:

• ()
• Congressional visits ()
• Tax reform and higher education ()
• Programs serving Native Hawaiian and underrepresented students ()
• Defense-related programs ()
• ()
• ()
• Green-tariff initiative with HECO ()
• UH places third in cybersecurity competition ()
• Leeward CC‘s Waiʻanae Moku ()
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• Agriculture grants ()
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• UH Strategic Directions ()
• �鶹��ý Graduation Initiative ()
• �鶹��ý Innovation Initiative ()
• 21st Century Facilities ()
• High Performance Mission-Driven System ()
• Strengthen relationship with UH Foundation ()
• Indigenous-serving institution ()
• Sustainability initiatives ()
• UH Strategic Directions ()
• William “Billy” Richardson ()

View previous reports to the board.

, UH vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the 2017 legislative session to date.

The is now entering its final month for 2017, and in the next few weeks both the and the will be meeting in joint conference committee to deliberate their disagreements with each other’s draft of the state budget and to eventually settle on appropriation decisions for every state department and agency.

The deliberations will be watched by all state agencies including the . Prior to the beginning of the legislative session, UH submitted a very lean request for additional general fund support of $28,700,000 in FY18 and $29,600,000 in FY19. All requests aligned with the four strategic directions which include: , , and .

The Governor’s Executive Budget, which was submitted in December 2016, included a total of $21,900,372 for FY18 and $21,834,372 for FY19 for UH. However in early February, the governor sent down a message significantly reducing his December budget request due to the Council of Revenue’s downward forecast, and the only item which remained was $5,000,000 in each year for the .

In March of 2017, the House draft of the state budget only provided six school psychologists for a total of $600,000 appropriation, but transferred four extension agents from UH Mānoa to the State Department of Agriculture for a total of $330,000, which provided UH with a net gain of $270,000.

At the beginning of April, the Senate passed its version of the budget, which provided $3,000,000 in each year for the UH Cancer Center; $350,000 for concussion awareness; $240,800 for Heʻeia Reserve; $1,290,000 for Title IX compliance; $400,000 for positions to help with the management of UH’s capital projects; and $1,829,000 for the �鶹��ý Promise Program.

With uncertainty in the trajectory of state tax revenues and pressure from on-going collective bargaining negotiations, it is likely that very few additional requests will be funded by the Legislature.

Since the conference committee meetings on the budget will begin shortly, below is a synopsis of how UH has fared this session.

Much of the university’s request is not included in either the House or Senate version of the budget—although, it appears the Senate was marginally more supportive of the university’s overall request than the House.

For the capital improvement projects budget, the initial UH request was for $452.6 million over the two-year biennium. That amount was reduced by the governor to $150 million in his request submitted to the Legislature in December 2016. The House draft of the budget provided $150.5 million, although that was separated into 50+ individual line itemed projects. The Senate draft provided only $62.8 million for capital projects.

The following table shows the four main categories:

• Major projects: Whole building renovations or new structures
• Minor projects: A only category that focuses on smaller improvements
• Renew, improve and modernize (RIM): Projects that prioritize classrooms, laboratories and student spaces centered around improving the learning environment; and
• Planning: Initiatives that support or deliver long-term development plans that strategically align with the core mission of the campus.

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Once the conference committee meetings start, much will need to be discussed, and we will need to wait for the end of session to see how the university fared. The �鶹��ý State Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 4, 2017.

Editor’s note, November 30, 2016: This message has been updated to include Board of Regents approval.

, University of �鶹��ý vice president for and chief financial officer, shares the University of �鶹��ý biennium budget request approved by the Board of Regents at its November 17 meeting.

The UH biennium budget submitted to the governor and the legislature requests $28,700,000 in the next fiscal year (FY2018) and $29,600,000 in FY2019 in additional general funds. The University of �鶹��ý currently receives about $432.9 million in state general funds as part of its over $1.2 billion operating budget.

The budget requests are organized to fund initiatives in a number of themes that will advance the university’s four strategic directions: , , and . The (PDF).

The capital budget will request $216.6 million for FY2018 and $236.1 million for FY2019 to address capital renewal, progress on deferred maintenance and funding for projects to modernize each of the campuses within the UH System.

The governor considers requests from all state departments as part of the executive branch proposed budget submittal for the upcoming biennium to the legislature which convenes in mid-January. The biennium budget will be for the fiscal year July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 and for the fiscal year July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.

There is a new innovation zone in Sakamaki Hall on the campus that includes three new classroom spaces—and these are not your mom and dad’s college classrooms.

They feature easy-to-move, comfortable, flexible furniture that allows for multiple seating and standing options; walls and walls of white boards and sliding plexiglass surfaces to write on; the latest technologies for content display and sharing; bright rooms filled with natural light, ample outlets and a lot of space to move around.

“It’s really a different kind of space in which you are invited to participate, you’re invited to be active and the old classroom has really been turned inside out,” said Reed Dasenbrock, the vice chancellor of academic affairs at UH Mānoa.

Thanks to the faculty driven designs, the active teacher, passive student model—a professor lecturing to students seated in rows of fixed seats—is gone.

“The design of this classroom, which is so different, is intended to model what learning really is like,” added Dasenbrock. “Learning does not take place by sitting and listening to the professor but by the professor designing an environment in which students have to do things.”

Rod Labrador, an ethnic studies professor at UH Mānoa, agrees. “It forces me to be a little more creative in what I am doing,” explains Labrador. “It forces me to come up with activities that utilize the space. It really forces me to—to be all clichéd—think outside of the box.”

The classrooms are designed to easily incorporate group work and collaboration that can be quickly shared and discussed with the entire class.

“Working together and using it in class would lead to more of their own grasping and ownership of the material,” said Kaliko Baker, a UH Mānoa Hawaiian language instructor.

Students say the new environment fosters better learning.

“Personally, I feel like I learn more from discussion and other students’ perspectives,” said student Ānuenue Purcell.

“I learn better talking through things, which this space gives that opportunity,” added fellow student Ruben Campos.

That’s why the new classroom spaces were designed with comfort and agility in mind: to be more like a living room or café instead of a classroom from the 1960s.

“The chairs, you can actually sit on the back of the chair,” said Campos.

“Everyone is a little bit more comfortable and relaxed,” said Purcell.

“The circular chairs are nice for getting different people to actually speak up in class,” said Campos.

“They’re sitting on the ground, others are standing up,” said Labrador. “It allows them a certain amount of freedom.”

It’s all part of UH Mānoa’s movement towards agility in education to create more engaged opportunities to teach and learn. It also advances the larger UH System initiative to develop 21st century facilities across the 10 campuses.

The recently granted the University of �鶹��ý Maui College’s an award of $187,000. Funds will be used to support the program’s mission to provide scholarships and services to non-traditional Native Hawaiian students who aspire to attain a college degree throughout �鶹��ý and the U.S.

Since 2003, Liko Aʻe has disbursed over 3,000 scholarship awards to Native Hawaiian students in a diverse range of degree programs. Liko Aʻe also offers mentoring programs focused on community service projects and online community building.

“I’m filled with pride to see that a program based at will continue to receive support in the form of this funding from OHA,” said Carmen Hulu Lindsey, Maui trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. “It is part of OHA’s responsibility to encourage among our beneficiaries the aspiration to become as educated as possible, whatever their chosen discipline. Through this program, students not only receive financial assistance, but also academic support, cultural experience and growth and leadership opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom. Making sure people push themselves to their fullest potential and get the highest education possible is the best thing we can do for the lāhui.”

“We would like to mahalo Maui Trustee Hulu Lindsey for her unwavering support of our program,” said Kahealani Naeʻole, Liko Aʻe’s Interim project director. “With this funding we will be able to offer about 90–100 scholarships as well as wrap-around services to non-traditional Native Hawaiian students who aspire to attain higher education.”

An important mission of the University of �鶹��ý is to nuture and educate physicians of Native Hawaiian ancestry, because their ranks are small compared to the Native Hawaiian population in the state.

New Native Hawaiian students graduating from the School of Medicine—Akolea Ioane, Sara Kuʻulei Miles and Kenneth Ortiz—were celebrated at a kīhei ceremony, held in June at the medical school’s Healing Garden, in honor of their journey into medicine.

Like the white coat which physicians wear, the kīhei, a cloth draped across one shoulder, is a symbol of responsibility, virtue, teamwork and dedication. Each kīhei was printed using Native Hawaiian techniques and images which are intended to tell the story of each individual’s voyage to healing.

• PHOTOS: Go to the for more photos from the event

During the ceremony, each kauka ʻopio (young doctor) was presented their kīhei by Native Hawaiian physicians from the organization ʻAhahui o nā Kauka and the John A. Burns School of Medicine .

—The video, provided by the School of Medicine, was produced by UH medical student journalists Deborah Manog and Amanda Shell.

—By Tina Shelton

The exceptional construction processes and technology systems integrated into the University of �鶹��ý Information Technology Center on the UH Mānoa campus continue to receive recognition—most recently when the center was chosen as a finalist in several innovation award categories among entrants from seven countries in the June 16–18 in Las Vegas. The Information Technology Center received the first ever Automated Memory eXtra (AMX) People’s Choice Innovation award as the “best example of the most relevant automation and control solution” for creating a solution for integrated control of multiple devices into a single automated touch screen interface. UBTech is an annual national summit focusing on advancements of technology and leadership in higher education.

The audio-visual team, led by Video Operations Manager Royd Liu, worked in conjunction with the locally owned to design and install state-of-the-art AMX hardware and software equipment into the center allowing Information Technology Services to maximize sustainability and effectively expand information technology support statewide throughout the 10-campus University of �鶹��ý System.

It was this work that led attendees at UBTech 2014 to single out the Information Technology Center with their votes to win the People’s Choice award. The design of the audio visual system in the building helps to improve campus experience by enhancing the way faculty teach and create digital content for students to learn, reducing support costs, facilitating collaboration and increasing energy efficiency.

“It’s important and appropriate for a state of the art IT building to have state of the art AV,” said Steve Smith, interim vice president for information technology and chief information officer for UH. “Not just high tech for high tech’s sake but appropriate technology to help us work together better. That is what we have and we are honored and happy to have this recognition.”

Read the for more about the Information Technology Center.

More on the Information Technology Center

• More recognition:
• �鶹��ýNews video:

Former Vice President Al Gore brought his message about the dangers of climate change to the on the evening of April 15, 2014. He spoke before a crowd of nearly 7,000 people—more than half of them students—at UH’s Stan Sheriff Center.

“If we act together, there is absolutely no question that we will solve this,” said Gore. “�鶹��ý is very impressively playing an inspiring leadership role.”

Gore’s speech was the capstone event of Ascent, a one day conference on clean energy and a sustainable future hosted by the , UH Mānoa Chancellor Tom Apple and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of �鶹��ý. His message was crystal clear.

“Our way of life is at stake,” he said raising voice and waving his arms. “Our grandchildren are at stake. The future of human civilization is at stake. Somebody says, don’t tell people about that. I’m sorry but I cannot but tell people what is at stake. We got to rally on this and we got to understand what’s at risk.”

Those who attended say they were impressed.

“It was really exciting to see energy and passion, to support the knowledge and facts that he had to bring to us,” said UH student Clarice Schafer.

“It was really interesting to see that we had that sort of connection with getting someone as famous as president, Vice President Al Gore, to come down here and talk about it,” said Levi Viloria, who also attends UH.

The started in the morning with an opening speech by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer of California at UH Mānoa’s Orvis Auditorium. She was also very passionate as she addressed the audience on climate change.

• VIDEO:

“Clean energy is good for our lungs, energy efficiency is good for our pocket book, both create good paying jobs that can’t be outsourced,” said Boxer. “And as we move forward, we will make sure consumers are protected. That is the right thing to do and that is the moral thing to do. �鶹��ý gets it.”

Boxer’s speech was followed by a roundtable discussion with respected community and business leaders from �鶹��ý and the continental United States. The focus was on water and energy sustainability.

The discussion continued in the afternoon during breakout sessions at the East-West Center on the Mānoa campus with experts from the public and private sectors who are on the front lines of sustainability efforts.

“What they bring up is just how difficult decisions are that they have to make on a day-to-day basis dealing with costs when it comes to strategies and the challenges. And then, how do you deal with that in terms with moving forward and making the best decisions,” said Daniele Spirandelli, a UH Mānoa professor.

The University of �鶹��ý Ascent conference addressed key underlying issues of sustainability and demonstrated the role UH plays.

“This university has been fantastic and hosting this conference is a very big, big move because it captures people’s interest,” said Boxer.

“We can attract the quality of people like Senator Boxer and Vice President Gore, who are the major thinkers in these areas, not only in the nation but across the world,” said event organizer Gordon Grau, the director of the UH Sea Grant College Program. “So it is very, very important and it shows the importance of the university, not just locally, but nationally and internationally.”

All of the speakers waived their fees, including Gore, who ended the conference by imploring the audience to think about future generations.

“I want them to look back at us, at our time, and ask, how did you find the moral courage to stand up and do the right thing, and turn the tide?” said Gore. “And part of the answer is that the state of �鶹��ý provided leadership and the United States finally listened. Always remember, that the only thing we need is political will and political will is a renewable resource!”

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s Ascent conference address

The movement to preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian language—that started decades ago—took another step forward in 2014 with the opening of �Ჹ����ʻō�������, the University of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� at Hilo’s .

Previously, the college’s programs and operations were scattered throughout the campus.

“Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani has now a honua, an environment where language, Hawaiian language, can sustain and be used, at all times,” said Keiki �����ɲ���ʻ����ʻ��, the College of Hawaiian Language director.

The $21 million dollar, two story, 36,000 square foot complex features a performing arts auditorium, classrooms, library, media resource room, computer lab, meeting rooms and offices.

“A lot of my teachers have been fighting for this, for years, years and years, decades, way before I was even thought of,” said UH Hilo student ʻĀ�����첹 Guerrero. “So to be a part of it, this new building, I mean it is a victory, not only for me, but my parents, my grandparents, and my kids to come, my grandkids.”

The �Ჹ����ʻō������� blessing and grand opening was steeped in Hawaiian tradition with a ʻ���쾱 Piko ceremony, symbolizing the severing of the umbilical cord and the start of the building’s new life; heahea, or calls of welcome and singing of traditional Hawaiian songs.

The festivities then moved to the college’s new auditorium for hula performances and speeches.

“This building represents, to the members of UH Hilo, our dedication to being a Hawaiian university and all of the meanings of those words,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney. “A university where you learn all subjects in Hawaiian, a university where Hawaiian language and values inform what we do.”

“This is a beautiful and spectacular building and traditional building,” said UH System Interim President David Lassner. “And it is also a modern building. This is a building that will connect �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��, Hawaiians and Hawaiian language to the world.”

The College of Hawaiian Language is already internationally recognized for its undergraduate, master’s and PhD programs; indigenous teacher training, distance learning programs and .

Alongside the Hawaiian curriculum work and the Hale ���ܲ�����ʻ�� Hawaiian Language Center, the college serves as an important example for other indigenous language efforts around the world.

�Ჹ����ʻō������� provides needed state-of-the-art infrastructure that will allow the college to grow, develop and expand and further perpetuate the Hawaiian language and culture.

“It is a huge contribution into moving us to that that next level,” said �����ɲ���ʻ����ʻ��.

Adjusting to college life can be difficult. Fortunately for students at the , there is the .

“It’s open to all students but the focus of Kealaikahiki is to provide these services in a Hawaiian setting, in a Hawaiian environment,” said Keolamālie McComber, the Kealaikahiki program coordinator.

Kealaikahiki offers tutoring in math, science, Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies.

“I used it for math, economics and then I send my papers in to the online program,” said UH West Oʻahu student Kasandra Puahala.

“Even if I had homework or projects to do, they’ll help me, if I needed materials like computers,” said Rollin Nahulu.

Kealaikahiki also sponsors and assist in events like freshman camp.

“It’s just like a day for freshman to come and have fun,” said Kristen Maeno, a UH West Oʻahu freshman who participated in the camp.

A key part of the program is monitoring the progress of incoming students and offering them things like peer mentoring.

“Coming to a new school, you are the new kid on the block,” said Kealaikahiki administrator Heather Kapua Kalua. “So having this program kind of eases the transition for students, current and prospective, to build relationships, build rapport, not only with students but with faculty.”

The federally funded program was created by students, for students, to provide them with a service on campus, not only to get help, but to also be a part of a support network made up of their peers. Kealaikahiki also stresses community outreach.

“So not only do we have a presence on campus, but in the community, because with Hawaiians, we believe you always give back to where you come from,” said Kalua. “Don’t forget where you come from.”

“It is important to recognize our identity and place here in this sphere of education within the university and at this level and at this setting, to empower the native people, which in turn, empowers everybody else, including other minorities,” said McComber.

“I feel it gave me a renewed sense of identity with my Native Hawaiian people,” said Michael Lee, who utilized the program when he first enrolled at UH West Oʻahu and is now a Kealaikahiki student assistant.

“Well, I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into, in my first year so they really helped me with everything,” said Nahulu.