{"id":215729,"date":"2025-05-12T15:59:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T01:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=215729"},"modified":"2025-05-12T16:00:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T02:00:32","slug":"aloha-spirit-educational-leaders-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/12\/aloha-spirit-educational-leaders-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges showcase Aloha spirit at an educational leaders conference"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"People
Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> faculty and staff welcome conference attendees with a k\u012bpaepae ceremony<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community Colleges served as hosts for the 2025 Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO<\/abbr>) Annual Conference May 4–7 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Kona, welcoming more than 700 higher education professionals from 14 states, Guam and the Marshall Islands.<\/p>\n

Throughout the event, attendees were introduced to Hawaiian culture through meaningful traditions. The conference opened with a traditional k\u012bpaepae (welcome) ceremony by Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community College faculty and staff, grounding the event in Hawaiian protocol and cultural respect. Attendees were further immersed in local traditions through mele (songs) and moʻolelo<\/span> (stories) shared by the Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society, offering a heartfelt tribute to the history and spirit of the land.<\/p>\n

“This conference was a meaningful opportunity to show how we do business here in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>—with heart, connection and culture,” said Della Teraoka, interim vice president of UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges. “We\u2019re honored to host our peers from across the region and share the unique values that guide higher education in our islands.”<\/p>\n

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From left: Mike Miyahira, Mike Unebasami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Retired UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges associate vice president for administrative services Mike Unebasami served as conference host, with UH<\/abbr> Regent Mike Miyahira welcoming participants on behalf of the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Attendees participated in engaging sessions, workshops,and panel discussions, sharing best practices and strengthening connections across the Western Region focused on innovation, partnerships, and collaboration in higher education.<\/p>\n

As part of its commitment to community engagement, WACUBO<\/abbr> also partnered with Kanu o ka ʻ\u0100ina New Century Public Charter School, a bilingual, Hawaiian-focused K–12 school in Waimea. Conference attendees supported the school\u2019s cultural and environmental programs through donations via an Amazon Wish List, helping to enhance hands-on, ʻ\u0101ina (land)-based learning experiences for their students.<\/p>\n

WACUBO<\/abbr>, established in 1937, supports professional development and knowledge-sharing among college and university business officers across the West and Pacific Rim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Higher ed professionals gather in Kona for a conference rich in culture and connection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[61,62,63,64,65,71,60,947,66],"class_list":["post-215729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-kauai-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-maui-college","tag-uh-system","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t