Chelsea (l) and Mylia Briggs

UH West Oʻahu students Chelsea and Mylia Briggs were born two years apart, yet are almost mirror images of each other when it comes to motivation and desire to achieve.

Both plan to obtain double majors and both have their career paths set (FBI agent and entrepreneur, respectively). Both have enjoyed success at an early age, and feel obligated through their volunteer work to help others not so fortunate.

“Chelsea and I always work very hard towards our education and anything we set our minds to,” wrote Mylia in an email. That mindset is backed an understanding that the sisters are there for one another and for their family and they will be there to support and help through any hardship.

Chelsea Briggs

The philosophy is shared by Chelsea and appears to be one of the underlying reasons for the Chelsea’s and Mylia’s notable record of accomplishments and feats. To doubt the Briggs sisters’ intense focus is to ignore this long list. Earlier this year, Chelsea, 20, became a pageant contestant for the first time by entering the 66th Cherry Blossom Festival competition, becoming a Cherry Blossom Princess. She was one of the first princesses from Kapolei. In typical fashion, Chelsea recounts how she has benefitted, reeling off personal growth, increased knowledge of Japanese culture and mannerisms, and becoming a better public speaker as being among the dividends.

Mylia, who was Kapolei High School’s 2017-18 Outstanding Student of the Year, was one of 161 high school seniors recognized nationally as a U.S. Presidential Scholar. She was the only Hawaiʻi public school student selected this year. As part of the honor, Mylia traveled to Washington, D.C. with other talented Presidential Scholars, tour the White House and met the President.

“I would not say that there is a competition between us,” wrote Chelsea responded to question inquiring whether a friendly sibling rivalry existed with Mylia. “We are very close and we help each other because there is no better bond that we could have with anyone else.”

Staff Sergeant Raymond Briggs

The strength of the bond was hardened as the family pulled together after their father, Air Force Staff Sergeant Raymond Briggs, passed away in an accident seven years ago. As the sisters’ explain it, the family had lived the itinerant life of a military family due to Staff Sgt. Briggs’ Army, National Guard, and Air Force service, moving every few years to homes in Japan, Arizona, and Ohio. It was their father’s dream to retire in Hawaiʻi and their mother, Tia, decided to move the sisters and their brother Kai here from Japan after Staff Sgt. Briggs passed away.

Chelsea said settling in Kapolei was a new experience — it was the first time she had attended a school from start to finish in one location and that she now identifies Kapolei as her hometown. Mylia also expresses similar sentiments; and she notes the Hawaiʻi helped her deal with her grief.

“I decided to got to UH West Oʻahu because I wanted to stay at home with my family,” Mylia said. “Hawaiʻi is the first place that I have ever been able to settle and call home. It is where I grew the most physically, emotionally, and intellectually.”

Chelsea articulates similar reasons for attending UH West Oʻahu and notes she is grateful the University of Hawaiʻi System opened a campus in Leeward Oʻahu. “It is very helpful to have a campus I can go to which is very close to home with a comfortable atmosphere where I can study.” The 2016 Kapolei High School graduate likes being part of a young campus poised for growth and having professors who she says are friendly and make an effort to know their students.

Being close to home and having nurturing faculty will help as Chelsea pursues dual degree concentrations in Finance and Political Science. Currently a junior, she plans on going to graduate school to further her education in Military and Veterans’ Affairs and ultimately follow her father’s dream of working in law enforcement. She says she is determined to fulfill her father’s legacy by applying to become a FBI agent.

Mylia Briggs

As a freshman, Mylia, 18, is pursuing a degree concentrations in Business Management and Economics, with an eye toward adding to Hawaiʻi’s economy by opening a coffee shop named “Sergeant Briggs Coffee” in honor of her father. She even has framed shop’s conceptual plan: It would brew coffee from Hawaiian coffee beans grown locally and support local businesses. “There are many organizations that have helped me get through losing my father so now I would like to give back to the local community and the people who helped me through the hardest time of my life.”

This would be atop the other charitable work the sisters have already done.  Mylia has volunteered at the Army Survivor Outreach Services at Schofield Barracks, Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi, and tutoring students in Japanese language at Kapolei High School, where she, like Chelsea before her, was president of the school’s National Honor Society and headed the school’s Sakurakai club (Japanese club).

Chelsea also served as a volunteer at Army Survivor Outreach Services and Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi. She was a peer mentor with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors for those who lost an active duty parent. As a Cherry Blossom Princess she also has participated in a number of community events, traveled, and met the Japanese Imperial family.

“I am motivated by wanting to be a positive role for both my little sister and brother,” said Chelsea. “By working hard, always getting up, and never giving up I can show my little brother and sister to continue to persevere through any hardship as we stay strong as a family.”  

Said Mylia, “We both take what we have learned from our dad to heart as we go through each day and that is what drives us to achieve new things and reach the goals that we set out for ourselves.”

Are you looking for a job, internship, practicum, or other career-related experience? UH West Oʻahu Career Services is presenting a Career & Internship Fair to help students find work opportunities, internships, or career-related experiences.

The Career & Internship Fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10 in C208. Interested students should register online and checking in at the event to receive an event name tag and extra drawing entry for door prizes valued at more than $400.  

Students planning to attend are advised to dress in a conservative and professional manner and bring copies of their résumé, a pen, notepad and positive attitude. They should also practice their “elevator pitch,” a 30 to 60-second pitch where someone introduces themselves, explains who they are and details their expertise. It also should include your prior work experience or desired work, special strengths, and an inquiry, whether it be for contact information or information about vacancies. All this should be delivered with confidence and passion, while looking the person in the eyes and smiling.

Career Services also has a list of recommendations for students who plan to attend.  Besides dressing conservatively and professionally and having your résumé, a list of references and positive attitude, it advises:

• Research companies that will be participating;
• Preparing a list of questions to ask company representatives;
• Preparing an opening statement or greeting;
• Review your résumé to reacquaint yourself with your education and work history
• Being confident and focused in meetings, make eye contact;
• Being courteous and respectful of the privacy of other candidates when approaching an employer;
• Visiting with many employers to gather information about them, career fields and opportunities;
• Asking for a business card when meetings end, write notes on what was discussed on the back; and,
• Following up on leads after the fair, including sending thank-you notes to recruiters.

More than two dozen companies and organizations are participating, including the Queenʻs Health Systems, Marriottʻs Ko Olina Beach Club, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives.

Refreshments will be be served. Besides registering online, attendees may also enter the door prize giveaway by dropping off a copy of their résumé at check-in; completing the event passport; completing the event survey; re-posting one of @uhwocarers event flyers on your IG and tag us; and volunteering.

Free yoga sessions are back for the 2018 Fall Semester, with a weekly class scheduled every Tuesday at Hale Kūahuokalā in the Student Organic Garden. 

The all-level sessions are open to students, faculty, and staff. Emily Yamamoto will serve as instructor of the sessions from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. All Level Yoga is designed to improve the health, performance, and mental acuity of athletes or individuals interested in improving their level of fitness.

The sessions are sponsored by the UH West Oʻahu PIKO Project. Questions? Contact tasiay@hawaii.edu.

2018-2019 PUEO Leaders/Mentors

The 2018 Fall Semester is less than two weeks old, but 16 UH West Oʻahu students have been hard at work for weeks. There’s been training and then five Freshman and New Student Orientation sessions along with being present for La Punua, a two-day affair where they established relationships with incoming students they’ll mentor this academic year.

And that’s not all. During the first week of school they donned their uniform – a red and white three-quarter length raglan sleeve t-shirt with ”PUEO 2018” emblazoned on the front — to help with the Office of Student Life’s Welcome Week festivities, including staffing tables set up with refreshments and student treats.

Meet the Pueo Leaders, a select group of students tabbed as a vital part of the Peer Undergraduate Engagement and Orientation (PUEO) Leadership Program. It’s a program that’s designed to make new students feel comfortable with their new academic home.  The program is part of UH West Oʻahu’s Student Success Initiatives to promote academic success and degree completion and ultimately increase student retention and graduation.

PUEO Team Leaders in their ‘uniforms’

Through the program new students are connected with a support group of fellow students as well as the PUEO Leaders who help the students make the jump from high school to college and adjust to the social, personal and academic changes presented them. According to Rouel Velasco, head of UH West Oʻahu’s Office of Student Life, the PUEO team’s work will extend throughout the year.

“They will be remaining in contact with the first-year students, emailing and calling them to check-in to see their progress and transition, engage them in student events and activities, and will be assisting them with course registration for the next semester,” Velasco said. “They will be planning an end of the first-semester event for all first-year students to celebrate their first semester.” Katrina Abes, Academic Advisor, continues on, “In addition, the PUEO mentors wants to create an environment where the students feel a belonging to each other and to the campus.”

The peer mentor-leaders will guide all first-year students throughout the first and second semester to assist with their transition to the academic and social atmosphere at UH West Oʻahu. This includes meeting with first-year students individually, encouraging them to get involved, assisting them with course registration, providing workshops and attending events together.

Officially, the PUEO Leaders/Mentors are to:

• Coordinate and invite freshman and transfer students to activities on and off campus, offering opportunities to meet other students and make friends.
• Stay in contact with student mentees (face-to-face, one-on-one, or in a group; as well as via email, text or Facebook) providing information about academic resources, personal resources, university policies, and reminding them of important deadlines.
• Share their knowledge and experience about how to be a successful college student.

Velasco said mentor-leader mantra for this year is “open mind, willing heart,” which was developed by the Program Team of PUEO Leadership Program, and sets the tone of attitude of service and willingness to first-year students. The Program Team also guides the peer mentor-leaders and conducts meetings and assists in program planning for the peer mentor-leaders.

To become a PUEO leader, students must possess a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and be a full-time student in good economic standing; possess a positive attitude, demonstrate enthusiasm to improve and meet other requirements. Those that become PUEO Leaders receive a stipend plus other benefits, including UH West Oʻahu items.

The 16 PUEO leaders were selected through a three-phase process – application/resume/short answer, group process, and individual interview. The peer mentors then participated in an overnight team bonding experience called Night OWL (Opportunities With Leaders), HiLAMA (mentoring institute that brought together different on-campus mentor programs), and an upper division three-credit writing intensive peer leadership education and mentoring course. These experiences help prepare the students for their roles as orientation leaders for the Freshman New Student Orientation  sessions and the year-round mentoring of first-year students.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to partake in the UH West Oʻahu māla’s (garden) bounty every Tuesday during the 2018 Fall Semester.

That’s when a weekly harvest occurs from 9 to 11 a.m.  Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for harvesting in the sun. Participants may take home harvested fruits and vegetables from the māla, which is located between the Classroom and Laboratory buildings on the West Oʻahu campus.

The 2018 Spring Research Symposium included a display of student research posters.

UH West Oʻahu’s Fall 2018 Student Research Symposium is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 19, in Campus Center (room C208).

The symposium’s primary aim is to provide an opportunity for practice-based education through presentations on a variety of research topics, including: research methods, education, justice and STEM-related fields. Ultimately, the goal of this symposium is to increase the number of UH West O’ahu students with research presentation experience while demonstrating diversity in the field of research.

Undergraduate research has been increasing at UH West Oʻahu, in part because of funding from grants that contribute to the building of undergraduate research opportunities.

The Pili ʻĀina Huakaʻi Series will offer faculty and staff members a chance to visit three notable cultural sites and speak with cultural practitioners during the 2018 Fall Semester.

The Pili ʻĀina Huakaʻi program offers faculty and staff a way to gain a deeper understanding about wahi-pana (sacred and significant places) and the natural environment of Honouliuli. During the community engagement visits faculty will be provided with the opportunity to collaborate with community members and other faculty on ways to enhance engaged scholarship experiences.

The program also serves as a professional development experience for UH West Oʻahu faculty and staff to provide them with a deeper understanding of the community in which students come from, and engage them to work on solutions to issues these communities are facing.

The visits are scheduled from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates:

• Sept. 28 – Hanakēhau Farm: Located in Waiawa Makai, on the shores Puʻuloa, we are working to restore ʻāina in an area heavily impacted by a long history of military misuse, illegal dumping, and pollution. The mission is to reclaim and to restore Hawaiian lands and provide the means and resources for Hawaiians to engage in traditional practices by creating Hawaiian cultural space. Much of the work focuses on hana noʻeau — creating traditional and modern Hawaiian implements — and using those implements in our daily practice to grow our Hawaiian consciousness and understanding.
• Oct.26 – Mālama Loko Ea: The loko iʻa (fishpond) in Haleʻiwa is a significant cultural site nestled on Oʻahu’s North Shore. Loko Ea is located in the ahupuaʻa of Kawailoa, a land division from mountain to sea, in the moku (land district) of Waialua. The area is traditionally known for its profusion of fresh water springs and flowing streams. Loko Ea is indeed an ancestral place of importance, a significant Wahi Pana to the people of Waialua. The site is associated with ancient deities, cultural practices and historical events. This fishpond once helped to sustain its community by providing aquatic food resources like native fish and seaweed.
• Nov. 16 – Camp Pālehua: Camp Pālehua is perched on the southern slopes of the Waiʻanae mountains. Mauna Kapu (Sacred Mountain) also resides in Honouliuli and is one of the highest ridges in the district. Manau Kapu is also home to the Kāhuli Snail which is an endangered native species. The landowners mission is to use the natural environment to educate children and adults through culture, science and experience to be effective stewards of the land and engaged citizens who will make a difference in the world. Camp Pālehua integrates this vision of conservation and sustainable land use as a central part of our facilities and educational programming.

To register for Pili ‘Āina Huaka’i, please go to  https://goo.gl/forms/gKwKggmiNTwArYul2. Participants may be provided readings before each site visit to learn more about the places and some of the issues connected to the sites.

The program is presented by UH West Oʻahu’s Institute of Engaged Scholarship, which supports faculty scholarship that impacts community progress and transformation and provides resources and experiences that provide a positive effect on student success.

The University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu is once again the fastest-growing school of its type in the nation, according to ranking done by the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual almanac. 

The Chronicle’s Almanac of Higher Education 2018-19 listed UH West Oʻahu led enrollment growth tops among 86 public baccalaureate-granting institutions. Enrollment jumped 239 percent between 2006, when the campus had 866 students, and 2016, when there were 2,939 students.  

UH West Oʻahu also was the fastest growing U.S. public institution last year among U.S. public institutions four-year degrees.  In the Almanac’s 2017 edition the had a 10-year enrollment increase of 214 percent, with enrollment growing 2005’s enrollment of 858 students and 2015’s 2,692 students.

“Much of our growth is attributed to the hard work of our faculty and staff to develop unique academic programs and learning experiences that prepares our graduates for 21st Century careers. We anticipate that our numbers will continue to grow and continue to work diligently to improve student success,” said UH West Oʻahu Chancellor Maenette Benham. Over the past year and a half Benham has overseen the formulation of a Strategic Action Plan for the school which envisions the campus growing to 8,000 students in the year 2028.

The Almanac of Higher Education provides an annual look at the state of higher education through data and numbers, including the results of diversity efforts, enrollment and student debt growth. The Almanac’s almost 90 tables and charts include 30 that show which colleges have done the best on various measures, such as increasing enrollment, graduating students on time, enrolling the most online students, and spending the most on research.

UH West Oahuʻs first place ranking was included in a group of tables under the heading, “Fastest-Growing Colleges, 2006-16”. The Almanac’s authors noted some of the fastest-growing public doctoral institutions could attribute a substantial part of their growth to online education. Other schools included on the list were institutions founded in the past few decades (UH West Oʻahu was founded in 1976) in anticipation of rising demand for college education in their regions.

UH West Oʻahu’s growth rate was well above the 91 percent increase for the No. 2 in its category, Nevada State College. UH West Oʻahu’s increase well eclipsed the average growth rate for its group of 9.1 percent.

UH West Oahuʻs enrollment has been on an upward trajectory for more than a decade and continues to increase. The survey period for the ranking included two significant events in the West Oʻahu campus’ history: In 2007 the school expanded from a two-year school with junior- and senior-level curriculum, to a four-year school that admitted freshman. And in August 2012 the school moved to newly constructed facilities in Kapolei, giving the campus a permanent home. UH West Oʻahu will open a new Health Sciences/Administration building this fall and will break ground on a Creative Media building in early 2019.

The first of three Māla Work Parties for the 2018 Fall Semester is scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 8, from 8 to 11 a.m.

Join our māla managers for hands-on workshops, as you learn to prepare soil, build compost, install irrigation, sow seed, and harvest produce in the UH West Oʻahu Student Organic Garden. The garden is located between the Classroom and Laboratory Buildings on the UH West Oʻahu campus.

The Māla Work Parties are also scheduled on Oct. 13 and Nov. 3.

All are welcome. Bring water, sun protection, shoes, and a healthy snack to share. Optional potluck afterwards.

The UH West Oʻahu Governmental Internship program will have something new to announce when it holds its kick-off event later this month featuring talks by U.S. Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa and others.

The program will announce it has been expanded to include work in the Office of the Governor in addition to offering possible positions with legislators in the Hawaiʻi State Senate and House of Representatives.

“We are very excited that we have been able to expand the program this legislative session to include not only the State Legislature, but also the Governor’s office,” wrote Ken Inouye, who helps oversee the internship program, in an email. Inouye, assistant to the UH West Oʻahu Vice Chancellor for Administration, will also speak at the event along with Dr. Masahide Kato, assistant professor of Political Science.

The speaker panel will help explain the program and working at the State Capitol. The event is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m., Thursday Sept. 20 in the ‘Uluʻulu Theater Space.

The program provides UH West Oʻahu students with the unique opportunity to work with legislators or in the Governor’s office and an opportunity to gain insights into elective politics and observe the legislative decision-making process. Interns work an average of 40 hours per week assisting in a legislator’s office or in the Governor’s office from January through May 2019. Interns will get paid for work and receive the full cost of Spring 2019 Semester tuition while earning 12 academic credits. The program is open to UH West Oʻahu students only.

For more information, contact Ken Inouye: dkinouye@hawaii.edu, 689-2774

UH West Oʻahu moved up in the U.S. News & World Report’s much-referenced Best Colleges rankings that were published Monday.

UH West Oʻahu climbed four spots in the 2019 Best Regional Colleges West Rankings to No. 21 from No. 25 a year earlier. It also rose two spots from the prior year to the fifth spot in Top Public Schools–Regional Colleges West.

“At UH West Oʻahu, our faculty and staff are committed to building dynamic, forward-thinking programs to ensure our students become our 21st Century career creators, our community leaders,” said UH West Oahu Chancellor Maenette Benham. “The rankings reflect their good work and aloha for the communities and the people we serve.”

The school also did well when it came to the magazine’s listing of Student Debt Load at Graduation for Regional Colleges in the West. UH West Oahu ‘s students graduated with the second-least average indebtedness ($18,492) among Regional Colleges in the West and had the lowest percentage (46 percent) of graduates who borrowed money.

UH West Oʻahu also was No. 2 in terms of Campus Ethnic Diversity in the Regional Colleges West category.

The school has other notable rankings in the past year, including being identified as the fastest-growing public college by the Chronicle for Higher Education, Almanac of Higher Education 2018-19. The almanac listed UH West Oʻahu’s enrollment growth tops among 86 public baccalaureate granting institutions. Enrollment jumped 239 percent between 2006, when the campus had 866 students, and 2016, when there were 2,939 students.

Dr. Albie Miles

Dr. Albie Miles, a UH West Oʻahu assistant professor of Sustainable Community Food Systems, has received a $151,576 grant from Kamehameha Schools to support faculty and course development in the areas of Indigenous Natural Resources Management, Traditional Food and Farming Systems of Hawaii and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

In addition, the grant provides funding to support the manager position for the UH West Oʻahu Student Organic Garden. The māla (garden) serves as an important cultural and ceremonial gather location for the campus and a key site for experiential and hands-on learning for over a thousand UHWO students, faculty and community members each year.

Miles heads the UH West Oʻahu Sustainable Community Food Systems program. Miles has previously received grants from Kamehameha Schools to help build the program, conduct research and conduct community engagement to advance sustainable community food systems in Hawaiʻi.

UH West Oʻahu’s Bachelor of Applied Science with a concentration in Sustainable Community Food Systems (BAS-SCFS) prepares students for jobs in the sustainable food and agriculture sector in Hawai‘i and beyond. The BAS-SCFS is a multi-disciplinary, experiential and applied education program about key ecological and social issues in food and agricultural systems. It incorporates problem-based and hands-on learning to develop food system professionals capable of solving real-world problems and transitioning Hawai‘i agriculture toward greater ecological sustainability and social equity. BAS-SCFS courses are offered in person at the UH West Oʻahu campus.

Kamehameha Schools is a private charitable education trust endowed by the will of Hawaiian princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The educational trust’s mission is to improve the capability and well-being of Hawaiians through education. It operates K-12 campuses on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island and at 30 preschool sites statewide.

UH West Oʻahu’s Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration with Health Care Administration Concentration has been named Hawaiʻi’s top online bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration for 2018-19 by HealthcareAdministrationEDU.org.

The website, which provides information on education and career healthcare administration, noted UH West Oʻahu doesn’t offer a 100 percent online program but still offers flexibility for students.

“This program has one of the strongest healthcare administration components found in any BPA degree available anywhere in the United States. Serious studies in the specific challenges healthcare systems are facing will be front and center in this program, not just tacked on as an afterthought,” the website said. “You’ll graduate with effective communication skills and the analytical tools to qualify for any entry-level executive position in the industry.”

The site also noted the hybrid program provides the best in student engagement with minimal on-campus requirements; has strong ties to regional healthcare providers for internships, and leverages the University of Hawaiʻi’s Laulima course management and collaboration system for online classes.

The site said it’s methodology for selecting the best online health administration programs included screening for accredited U.S. schools, value, accessibility, specialty accreditation and other accolades, curriculum and career path alignment and unique features.

The UH West O‘ahu Health Care Administration program is the only undergraduate degree of its kind in the state and is offered in-class and through distance learning. It is designed to prepare students for supervisory, management, and leadership roles in the dynamic and growing health care field.

UH West Oʻahu’s fifth-annual Splash Bash will feature three giant water slides, free food, a live DJ and photo booth as well as the opportunity for students to start the new semester by playing interactive games and win prizes.

The event is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21, on UH West Oʻahu’s Great Lawn and is free for UH West Oʻahu students with validated Student I.D. Students may also invite up to three non-students to the event, but they must be at least 18 years old and make a minimum $1 donation to a charitable organization. Students can register for the event via Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/2N49lHw

Students attending Splash Bash must also sign liability and photo release waivers, bring their own towels and wear appropriate swim attire. Outside food and beverages, alcohol and drugs are prohibited.

The Splash Bash is one of several events sponsored by the campus’ Student Activity Fee Board (SAFB), which creates events to encourage student participation and enhance their college experience at UH West Oʻahu.

The Student Activity Fee Board is also approaching faculty and instructors to ask for five minutes of class time for a presentation either before or after class to give students Splash Bash details, including the need for a validated Student I.D. SAFB asks that faculty or instructors email safbwo@hawaii.edu if they are willing to give permission to do a presentation.

Bev Baligad may have what is the ultimate competitive edge.

As UH West Oʻahu’s director of compliance, Baligad poses an uncanny ability to read lengthy federal laws and translate them into understandable nuggets delivered in a compelling way. Baligad’s wealth of knowledge and operational experience about a number of thorny compliance issues for university campuses make her an in-demand speaker on the subject.

Need a speaker to talk about Title IX issues? Want to know best practices for behavior intervention teams? Unsure about compliance with the Violence Against Women Act?

What arcane requirement of the Clery Act gives colleges fits? Baligad knows and can talk about these and other statutes.

“Bev is in high demand!” said Rabia Khan Harvey, senior program manager for Academic Impressions, a Denver-based company that helps colleges and universities nationwide with training and information to improve their operations.

“After participants meet her for the first time at a conference, there are always a handful of inquiries from participants requesting that she teach the rest of their colleagues on their own respective campuses! She presents nationally with Academic Impressions at least twice a year for conferences and hosts a handful of webcasts annually.”

Baligad’s journey is an unlikely one given her own performance in college. After graduating from Pearl City High School (Class of 1985), she attended Leeward Community College and then the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, graduating with a degree in English Literature in 1993. Baligad says her grades weren’t the best and after a detour to teach at-risk kids in Hawaiʻi and Texas, she landed at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Lansing.

After graduating and passing the Michigan Bar exam, Baligad joined her husband Tom Hirsbrunner in a general law practice, something that afforded her exposure to a range of legal work that came through the door – adoptions, probate, defense work, and business filings were typical jobs from clients. She also did work for the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees and eventually wound up working as the executive assistant to the president of the school, which was the fifth largest community college in Michigan. Current enrollment is between 18,000 to 21,000 students.

It was in that job that Baligad realized that college and university executives were paying for training on Title IX and other compliance topics that was almost worthless.  She remembers attending a conference where presenters spun through explanations in legalese and witnessed many participants walking out confused and ill-equipped to deploy the speaker’s recommendations on their home campus.

Back at Lansing Community College, Baligad did her best to break down extremely complex laws for the campus’ staff. Her boss took notice and appointed her the campus’ Student Title IX coordinator. Baligad describes feeling like she had drawn the short straw given the tall task, but addressed the campus’ issues and procedures with the same tenacity she addressed all other issues she was assigned.

The new job required her to do hours of research on various compliance topics to figure out what was required and how to do it. She also became director of student compliance and training and created the college’s student disability grievance process and training for committee members; she also was the architect of the campus’ Student Behavior Intervention Team and did the implementation and training of the team members.

She also began training people from other Michigan community college system campuses as people took notice and eventually began doing conferences and workshops for other schools, including those organized by Academic Impressions, a company providing training and other services for higher education.

Academic Impressions’ Harvey said Baligad consistently scores “above average” or “excellent” with participants in terms of expertise. “She has a true gift of teaching and she makes learning fun,” said Harvey in an email. “She cares mostly about how participants will succeed on their respective campuses so she always provides herself as a resource for their future needs. She is excellent through and through!”

Baligad was contemplating a move back to Hawaiʻi in 2015 when she ran into Janice Sunouchi, a human resources specialist for UH West Oʻahu, which had recently advertised for a compliance officer. Sunouchi did her best to extol the virtues of the Kapolei campus when Baligad inquired about the job.  Later that year Baligad, Hirsbrunner and their son Zachary made the move to Oʻahu (Hirsbrunner also joined UH West Oʻahu as ADA/504 Coordinator).

Since that time Baligad has seemingly worked at a frenetic pace:

• The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act requires the producing of an Annual Security Report to provide students and employees, as well as prospective students and employees, with an overview of campus resources, policies and procedures regarding campus safety and reporting crime that occurs on or near the school. The report was restructured and revamped with Baligad’s input.
• Student Code of Conduct. Baligad says she revised UH West Oʻahu’s Code of Conduct to bring it more in line with a model student code of conduct recommended by best practices. Her examination of UH West Oʻahu’s existing code led her to believe it would not appropriately hold students accountable for serious disciplinary issues.
• Title IX Process. Baligad said she has worked to make sure UH West Oʻahu has proper Title IX processes in line with the UH system policy (currently, Interim EP 1.204). Although known for its impact on women’s college athletics, Title IX has implications for a range of educational functions from admissions to financial assistance, sex-based harassment and employment.
• Behavior Intervention Team. Baligad served as the architect and wrote the manual and protocols for UH West Oʻahu’s Behavior Intervention Team (BIT), which responds to reports of individuals exhibiting concerning behavior such as mental instability or problematic behavior. The team assesses the situation and recommends appropriate intervention strategies. Baligad also trains team members, and has been asked to present training to other UH campus BITs who are having issues implementing their campus teams.
• Compliance Hui. Baligad created and oversees this group that draws members from across the campus. The hui is responsible for Healing Soles, an event raising awareness about sexual violence (i.e., training on domestic/dating violence and stalking); observance of National Coming Out Day and Suicide Prevention training and more.

Baligad says there’s still plenty to do. With the first year behind the BIT, she hopes to build awareness of compliance issues through Compliance Hui issues and raise the profile of the BIT on campus. Baligad believes the BIT needs a higher profile so that the campus can become more aware about how to submit information regarding individuals (student, staff, or faculty) exhibiting concerning behavior.

She also maintains a busy schedule, using breaks and vacation time to do presentations on the Mainland.  The talks benefit the Kapolei campus in two ways. One, subject matter expert Baligad is billed as being from UH West Oʻahu, and two, Baligad donates a portion of her fee or honorarium earned to the school to help fund Compliance Hui programs.

Baligad said her skill as a speaker probably comes from her days as a litigator. As an attorney she didn’t accept settlements unless requested to do so by clients, instead believing her oratory and legal smarts gave her a fighting chance. These days her enthusiasm is translated into explaining a thicket of complex laws to university administrators anxious to learn how they can comply.

But Baligad’s knack for deconstructing dense statutes and recasting them in plain language may also stem from her days as a teacher for at-risk teens.  Baligad says she’ll watch her audience for the moment when someone gets it – the moment when the proverbial light bulb goes on.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” said Baligad, “I think I thrive on that.”

Indeed, and UH West Oʻahu is the better for it.

Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald spoke at last year’s Constitution Day.

The UH West Oʻahu Compliance Hui will help sponsor Constitution Day activities on Sept. 17 and 18, some of the many activities scheduled by the group during the Fall 2018 Semester.

Constitution Day events honors and commemorates the U.S. Constitution and its signing on Sept. 17, 1787 and will be celebrated over two days this year at the UH West Oʻahu campus.

On Monday, Sept.17 the Compliance Hui and Law Society are hosting events that include the showing of the movie RBG, a discussion on the Equal Rights Doctrine, the importance of an independent judiciary, or about professional courtesy from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Nāulu Center.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, the hui and the Law Society will again host activities at the Nāulu Center from noon to 3:30 p.m. Also scheduled is a talk by UH West Oʻahu graduate and writer Albert Lanier about “Fake News and the First Amendment,” roundtable discussion

The UHWO Compliance Hui is a campus initiative to ensure the campus engages in necessary and appropriate awareness and programming in a concerted manner, as required by with state and federal laws and is chaired by Beverly Baligad, UH West Oʻahu Director of Compliance. State Law requires University of Hawaiʻi campuses to provide employees and students with training on Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act, and other related UH Policies. The Compliance Hui also ensures the campus complies with other federal laws and regulations that require training or programming, including the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Clery Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the ADA/Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Additionally, there is a regulation requiring institutions receiving federal money to have Constitution Day events.

The Compliance Hui was implemented and charged by the Chancellor to plan and execute events and draws its membership from across the UH West Oʻahu campus.  Additionally the group has created a perpetual a participation and engagement program known as the Kaiāulu Award for staff and faculty. Employees may earn participation points for their respective division by attending or participating in Compliance Hui events that are designated as Kaiāulu events. At the end of the year the points are tallied and a handsome perpetual trophy known as Kaiāulu is awarded to the division with the most points. In addition, the Division that wins the Kaiāulu Award is given $500 to spend on an activity or event that promotes team building and a sense of community within the division, such as a party or outing.

Upcoming Compliance Hui events for this semester include:

Participants in last year’s Healing Soles event after a march around campus

Sept. 26: Healing Soles: Step Up Against Violence. This campus-wide event will feature a talk by UH West Oʻahu Clinical Psychologist Dr. Steven Taketa; a march or step out event where students, faculty, staff and others demonstrate their stand against sexual violence; and sign contest for best sign against sexual violence. This Kaiāulu event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Nāulu Center and the Campus Plaza and Courtyard.

Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day. The Compliance Hui will set up tables in the courtyard offering activities and information along with rainbow cupcakes, buttons, trivia and temporary glitter tattoos. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oct. 11, Safe Zone Training. This Kaiāulu event raises awareness on LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning) issues and coincides with National Coming Out Day. Participants who attend the entire presentation will receive a certificate of completion and a poster to display in their work area to indicate they have been trained and are part of a Safe Zone support network. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. in room E-243.

Oct. 18, Student Life Movie Night. Details to come.

Nov. 30, World Aids Day. Details to come.

A Mid-Autumn Festival is scheduled for the UH West Oʻahu campus that will include Chinese scholars promoting cultural awareness, sampling of food and other activities.

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration is planned for Thursday Sept. 20 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Nāulu Center’s Ho’onanea lounge. The Mid-autumn Festival is second-grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year and is also called the Moon Festival, because it is celebrated at a time of the year when the moon is believed to be at its roundest and brightest. The festival is observed on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional East Asian lunar calendar. In 2018, the festival falls on Sept. 24, although UH West Oʻahu’s celebration will occur a few days early.

Visiting Chinese scholars from the Center of Chinese Studies and ihe Confucius Institute at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will attend and do Mid-Autumn Festival activities to help spread cultural awareness of China and also promote UH West Oʻahu’s Chinese language programs. There will be Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Plate Painting, and a Guzheng (Chinese string instrument) performance.

There also will be a sampling of mooncakes, which are traditionally eaten during the festival.  

The event is free and open to UH West Oʻahu students and community members.

Close-up of the Moon

A Nā Kaulana Mahina workshop is scheduled for the UH West Oʻahu campus that promises to delve into our relationship with time and place and discuss the significance of environmental time versus human time.

The workshop is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 24 at Hale Kūahuokalā in the UH West Oʻahu māla (garden). Those interested in attending should contact Kūlana o Kapolei Dr. Manu Aluli Meyer at manulani@hawaii.edu. Kaulana Mahina (the Hawaiian lunar calendar) has helped to keep humans and nature in harmony for centuries.The workshop will be led by Tom Penna of Hō Mai Ka Pono.

Scholarship winners thanked donors during Friday’s Scholarship Celebration.

About a hundred UH West Oʻahu students receiving scholarships through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation were honored and given a chance to meet with donors who funded their awards at a luncheon Friday.

“You don’t realize how your generosity touches lives,” said UH West Oʻahu junior Pearlena Stone, addressing the crowd of donors, students, and others. “You have made our dreams become a reality.”

Stone, who graduated from Waiʻanae High School in 1991 and has two sons, detailed her non-traditional student journey and explained the two scholarships she’s received this year has helped in multiple ways – she has more time to work on assignments and join clubs and organizations that help further her college experience, while also allowing her sons to attend college at schools on the mainland.

“This scholarship goes way beyond just providing an opportunity to stay in school,” said Stone in her heartfelt remarks.

Pearlena Stone

The luncheon marked UH West Oʻahu’s second annual scholarship celebration and drew a number of dignitaries, including UH Board of Regents Chair Dr. Lee Putnam, Regent Michael McEnerny, Hawaiʻi State Sen. Mike Gabbard and Rep. Sharon Har, City Councilwoman Kymberly Marcos Pine, former UHWO Interim Chancellor Doris Ching, and UH System Vice President Don Straney.

Speakers thanked the donors and reminded scholarship winners to give back after they leave school and enjoy success.

Among the donors present were Gene and Susan Armacost, who established the Joshua Hagi Armacost Scholarship last year in honor of one of their sons. Gene Armacost is an alumnus of UH West Oʻahu when it was known as West Oʻahu College and held classes at the Newtown Square office building in ʻAiea.

Armacost still remembers the college’s faculty and that his graduating class was about 40 people. His family valued education and he has made a point of contributing what he can to the UH Foundation and a small college in Maryland that his family has ties to.

He said when he and his wife talked about funding a scholarship, he said it should benefit UH West Oʻahu. “I graduated from here,” said Armacost.

The event was held for the first time last September and called attention to the more than $150,000 of scholarship money awarded to UH West Oʻahu students in the prior year.  Donors also attended the lunch and were thanked for their support of scholarships or programs supporting UH West Oʻahu.

UH West Oʻahu Chancellor Maenette Benham also addressed the luncheon held on campus, as did Malia Peters, director of scholarship development for the UH Foundation, the primary fundraising organization for the UH System. In the 2017-2018 year UH West Oʻahu students received more than $220,000 in scholarship awards.

The foundation manages more than 1,650 scholarship accounts and last year distributed more than $20 million in aid to students at the UH System’s 10 campuses. The following scholarship awards were made through the UH Foundation:

University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu Scholarship Recipients

University of Hawai‘i Regents Scholarship
Emma Lake, Amber O’Leary, Cayla-Arielle Paulo

University of Hawai‘i Presidential Scholarship
Jacqueline Kapu, Regina Ponce

University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu Chancellor’s Scholarship
Jamie Alabanza, Gellyn Flores, Lusia Mauga, Chloe Rodriguez, Leiana Marie Alejado, Brandie Kasaoka, Lei‘ala Okuda, Leanne Aira Villanueva, Kainani Bolton, Kaitlin Kau, Dallas Pollard-Brownell, Mylia Briggs, Korie Maeno, Christian Roa

James & Abigail Campbell Foundation Scholarship
Naturalee Puou

Dr. Susan Chandler & Dr. David Chandler Scholarship
Monica Aiwohi-Makekau, Rainbow Ulii

First Year Achievement Scholarship
Sage Seno

15 to Finish Bookstore Scholarship (UH System)
Learianne Bernardo

Henry & Dorothy Castle Early Childhood Scholarship
Jamie Chvosta, Shantel Stevens

Margaret Choy Au Endowed Scholarship Fund
Cia Monique Dela Cruz

Delta Construction Scholarship
Tyson Arasato

Student Services Award
Shayna Olarti

Walter Francis & Mary Dillingham Frear Scholarship
Rosemarie Baluyot, Ciara Mariel Batulan, Chelsea Briggs, Tyra Rapozo

Fun Factory Scholarship
Mylia Briggs

William H. & Maud A. Greenwell Memorial Scholarship Fund
Juanita Thompson

Hawai‘i Veterans Scholarship
Brittany Ballesteros Plan, Tehani Luamanuvae, Brian Taheny, Jeno Tolentino

Charles R. Hemenway Scholarship
Celynna Capenia, Ku‘ulei Foster, Dream Weaver, Trent Sakuma, Leycie Yoneda, Kristian Rose Monis-Cummings, Aurelia Hart, Lisha Zhu

Joshua Hagi Armacost Scholarship
Pearlena Stone

Maggie & Dan Inouye Hawai‘i Education Foundation Scholarship
Michelle Banks

Colonel Harold Jensen & Mrs. Lill Jensen Scholarship
Pearlena Stone

Elama Kanahele Scholarship
Shantel Stevens

Herbert H. Lee Scholarship Fund for University of Hawai‘i Financial Aid Services
Janet Bambao, Mikayla Klug

University of Hawai‘i Scholarship Endowment
Tirah Brings

Tsukasa & Akiko Matsui Endowed Scholarship
Sheila Ka‘oiwi Kurosu

Osher Re-entry Scholarship
Tiana Amina, Darryl Johnson, Ali Kaina, Florelei Mica Baris, Desiree Moreno, Kiana Redd, Makayla Valencia

Pacific Links Hawai‘i Scholarship
Cia Monique Dela Cruz, Brian Taheny

Pacific Transfer Endowed Scholarship
Tehani Luamanuvae, Jessica Manapul, Sheryl Mendoza

Victor & Peggy Brandstrom Pavel Scholars
Christian Moratin

Que Andrada Scholarship
David Batulayan, Kaydence Eugenio-Baybayan

Que Andrada – Ho‘okela Scholarship
Algreg Bumanglag, Jillian Panganiban, Archana-Gayle Sotelo Delos Reyes

Risk Management Industry Scholarship
Jayna Agao, Naleipua‘ena Akau, Florelei Mica Baris, Jadine Cabana, Brandi Carvalho, Rashae Cole, Patrick Gallardo, Nathan Hansen, Cody Howland, Hector Jacobo, Kelsey Kaneshiro, Alexandra Kaohi, Christopher Kwon, Justin Laurin, Kayla Manuel, Bianca Marshall, Halford Shewn Moleta, Johnathan Newburn, Alan Ochoa, Dylan Orian, Stephen Pagano, Chloe Sylva, Darrett Tanno, Revelyn Taylan, Erina Yatsu

Henry & Soonhe Sung Scholarship
Natalie Kauluwehi

University of Hawai‘i Scholarship Endowment Antone & Edene Vidinha Scholarship
Sharee Alpeche, Elvie Rose Bisarra, Jeishabel Galano

Wo Family Foundation Scholarship
Dani Kaohe David

Senator Francis A. Wong / Berger Scholarship
Corina Putnam, Michelle Zheng

Signs from the last Healing Soles event

The UH West Oʻahu Compliance Hui is holding a sign contest as part of its Healing Soles: Step Up Against Violence event scheduled for later this month.

Students, faculty, and staff are asked to create signs conveying a powerful message against sexual violence while also demonstrating a creative flair. Three prizes will be awarded in the Best Print/Physical Sign and Best Digital Sign categories along with a prize winner determined through a random drawing.

The Compliance Hui is putting out a call for signs as it gears up for the September 26 event that asks students, faculty and staff to demonstrate their stand against sexual violence. The campus-wide event will feature a talk by UH West Oʻahu Clinical Psychologist Dr. Steven Taketa and the sign contest. Additionally participants will march around campus and carry signs with powerful messages against sexual violence.

Digital design entries are due by Thursday, Sept. 20. The signs must be created at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and submitted as a pdf, jpg, or png to pueohui@hawaii.edu.

Print signs must be completed on a 22-inch by 28-inch poster board. Free poster board will be available at the James & Abigail Campbell Library’s Reference Desk by participants in the contest. Completed entries can be turned in at the Reference Desk or brought to the Healing Soles event on Wednesday, Sept. 26.