I.                   HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLEGE

Hawai`i Community College (HawCC) is one of seven community colleges that make up the Community College System of the University of Hawai`i.  It is the only comprehensive, open-door, community-based college on Hawai`i Island.   The College offers a range of academic and technical training programs that include degrees, certificates, and short-term training options in Hilo, West Hawai`i, and at various other locations on the island.  Currently at the College, approximately 2,100 students (95% Big Island residents) are enrolled in credit programs and 1,500 students in non-credit programs.

The forerunner of Hawai`i Community College, Hawai`i Vocational School, was established in 1941 by the Territorial Legislature to provide vocational education for the youth of the island.  Originally, Hawai`i Vocational School was divided into three campuses:  Hilo High School for carpentry, welding, and machine shop; Hilo Intermediate School for automotive mechanics; and Hilo Union School for apparel trades.  The vocational school was relocated to a single campus near Reeds Bay in Hilo in 1943.

The period following World War II saw the growth of new programs designed to meet the expanding needs of business and industry.  In 1947, a diesel mechanics program was added.  Architectural drafting began in 1951; restaurant food service in 1952; electricity in 1955; and business education in 1958.   Seismic wave action in 1953 and in 1956 heavily damaged many of the shops and classrooms at the Reeds Bay site.  Requirements for a safer location combined with growing community needs resulted in the construction of a new campus on the corner of Manono and Kawili Street. 

In 1956, the new campus was completed, and Hawai`i Vocational School became Hawai`i Technical School.  Hawai`i Technical School continued to meet emerging community needs via established and new training programs throughout the 1960s.  In 1966, programs in automotive body repair and painting, electronics, and practical nursing were created. 

The Enabling Act, passed by the 1969 State Legislature (Act 166, SLH) marked a significant change in the history of our institution.  Provisions entailed in this act changed the name of the school from Hawai`i Technical School to Hawai’i Community College, and administration responsibilities shifted from the State Department of Education to the University of Hawai`i system. 

Hawai`i Community College continued to expand its strong vocational-technical base by adding the agricultural program in 1972 and the associate-degree nursing program in 1974.  In addition, during the 1970s, the college created major programs in developmental and occupational education and an associate of arts degree in liberal arts.  Still an intricate part of the University of Hawai`i at Hilo (UHH) system and under its auspices, HawCC Liberal Arts graduates, frequently transferred to UHH, choosing four-year majors in either the new

College of Agriculture established in 1974 or in one of the variety of majors offered through Hilo College (renamed UHH College of Arts and Sciences in 1979). 

Facilities were expanded and shared throughout the 1980s, and additional AS degrees in Early Childhood Education and Administration of Justice as well as a certificate in Human Service were added to the HawCC curriculum.  In 1987 UHH West Hawaii was officially established in Kona as an outreach facility.

In 1990, the Board of Regents (BOR) approved the separation of Hawai`i Community College from UH Hilo.  This was based on the recommendation of UH President, Albert Simone, who stated, “In my judgment, the Island of Hawai`i needs a clearly identifiable and fully functional community college.  This conclusion follows directly from the unique mission of the community college and the need for the people of the Island of Hawai`i to have an educational institution which pursues this mission in an effective manner.”  Further, he stated, “my assessment is that the missions of both HawCC and UHH will be more fruitfully realized over the long run as a result of the separation decision made now.”

One of the first consequences of this separation decision was the establishment of the Office of Continuing Education and Training (OCET) in 1992.  This community based, non-credit branch of HawCC developed and presently offers programs in apprenticeship, basic skills, corrections education, cultural enrichment, Intensive English, professional development, workforce development and Summer Session.  Programs have been offered island-wide with OCET sites in Hilo, Honokaa, Ka`u, Kona, Laupahoehoe, Pahoa, Waikoloa, and Waimea.

In 1996, the Board of Regents instigated the concept of University Centers as a means to provide higher education services to communities that otherwise lack access.  The West Hawai`i Educational Center became the University of Hawai`i Center at West Hawaii, and, effective July 1, 1997, the Regents assigned the administrative responsibility of this newly named center to Hawai`i Community College. Under Hawai`i Community College administration, program services and curriculum were expanded.  Presently, the UH Center at West Hawai`i offers credit and non-credit courses, brokers bachelors and masters degrees, and offers graduate level certificates from UH Manoa, UH West Oahu, and UH Hilo by distance technology.

 In keeping with the concept of a clearly identifiable and fully functional community college, four priority areas, known as the Four Cornerstones (Hawaiian Culture, Environment, Technology, and Community Work-Based Learning), were also established in 1996 to frame the educational experience at HawCC.  In response to this framing decision, the College added two new programs, Hawaiian Life Styles and Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management, to its curriculum in 2001.

II. The Planning Process

The planning process involved college wide discussion and contribution from faculty, staff, students, and administration.  Additionally, community input through a variety of sources was sought and integrated as part of a comprehensive approach to academic planning and budgeting.  Updating and revising the existing Academic Development Plan coincides with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation process and occurs once every six years.  The purpose of the plan is to outline college priorities, to articulate chosen paths for the immediate future, and to confirm our college’s close relationship with the University of Hawai`i system. 

The College Council (an eighteen-member college-wide group composed of representatives from faculty, staff, and administration) steered the fifteen month planning effort that began in August 2001 and ended in November 2002.  Two additional planning processes, the UH System-wide plan (coordinated by the Office of Interim VP for Academic Affairs) and UH Community Colleges’ Strategic plan (coordinated by the UHCC Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs) occurred simultaneously.  Helping to assemble these two system plans significantly influenced both the focus of the Council’s campus planning process and the contents within this document. 

Other transactions organized to collect the information needed to create the Academic Development Plan (ADP) included:

·        Distribution of the “Hawaii CC Planning Process, 2001-2002,” including the need to form working groups in: Workforce Education/Training, Enrollment Management, International, and the Four Cornerstones (Hawaiian Culture, Environment, Technology, and Community Work-Based Learning) took place at the August 20, 2001 College Council meeting.  Task Force groups in these areas were formed by October 2001.  They met and provided reports to the Council on a monthly basis throughout the Fall 2000 semester.

·        Campus Provosts and Faculty Senate chairs began the UHCC strategic planning process in a joint meeting on September 28, 2001.   This group eventually became a steering committee that met regularly and provided progress reports to the Council throughout the 2001-2002 academic year.

·        A subcommittee was formed on November 20, 2001, to help organize a Council retreat entitled: “New Models for Shared Services with UHH.”  This retreat was followed by a open meeting in January for faculty and staff entitled, “Exploring New Models for Shared Service with UH Hilo.” Generated information was summarized and presented to council members.

·        Intern VP, Deane Neubauer, held an open meeting in Hilo concerning the direction of UH system on February 13, 2002.  A draft of UHCC strategic plan including a request for feedback was distributed to faculty/staff/and students via the UH website.  Notices

concerning the importance and availability of UH system’s and UHCC’s strategic plans were placed in the HawCC Newletter and also relayed to faculty in e-mail messages.  Copies of both plans were distributed to Council members in February 2002, and members began to discuss framework, goals, and objectives for the HawCC ADP.  A subcommittee was formed to set up a half-day faculty and staff planning seminar using the Open Space Technology methods and design.

·        HawCC Student Government began “Student Forum” series and continued sessions throughout March and April 2002.  Additionally, an e-mail survey of students was conducted during Spring 2002 semester.  Results from the forum series and e-mail survey were made available to Council members in September 2002.

·        A Council sub-committee on “Strategies for Community Input into the College’s Strategic Planning Process” was formed and this group’s recommendations were discussed in the March 19, 2002, Council meeting.  Resulting input strategies included: reviewing outcomes from both County of Hawai`i Workforce Training Market and Employer Relations Survey Study (Office of Continuing Education and Training and Workforce Development Division, February 2000); creating and mailing a newsletter by April to advisory council members, donors, and friends requesting input; and finally, reviewing focus group statements from “Town Meeting on the Future of the Big Island.”  (Approximately two hundred community members attended this open door event on November 19, 2001.)

·        On April 26, 2002, over 90 faculty and staff participated in the “Defining Our Destiny” planning seminar.  Summaries of discussions were sent via e-mail to all faculty and staff by month’s end.  Using this report and other pertinent information, the College Council and Executive Committee met on May 21, 2002, and began to identify both campus priorities and necessary resources to implement them.

·        During July 18, 2002, meeting, Council prioritized resource needs by biennium budget year, and adopted the 5 goal areas outlined in UHCC Strategic Plan for HawCC ADP use.  Final draft of UHCC Strategic Plan and a tentative time line for ADP completion was distributed to Council members in August, and Council member Robert Duley was assigned the task of writing ADP draft.

·        Draft documents including: the Biennium Budget request, 2003-2005, the Environmental Context for Academic Planning by Richard Stoicovy, Community College Survey of Student Engagement Successes and Areas for Improvement Results, and the Interim Accreditation Report were distributed to Council members during the September 10, 2002, meeting.  Discussion of ADP goals and outcomes and the formation of a subcommittee to continue this process took place.

·        Subcommittee on ADP goals met on September 23 and again on September 30, then reported their findings to College Council on October 8, 2002.  A consensus on appropriate goals was reached at the October 8, 2002 College Council meeting.

·        A draft of the ADP report with a cover memo requesting feedback was distributed to HawCC faculty and staff via e-mail, and paper copies were given to Student Government and College Council members in early November.  Additionally, any other individuals requesting copies were provided with them. During the November 19, 2002, College Council meeting, members reviewed feedback, made revisions, and approved the final draft of the ADP report.

III.  Mission

The mission of Hawai`i Community College is to provide the community with a responsive educational environment that empowers learners to develop skills and knowledge to be responsible and productive in a complex world.  The College is committed to serving all segments of society through an open-access policy that offers equal and fair treatment to all students.  Teaching, fostering lifelong learning, providing comprehensive education programs, having a commitment to excellence, and serving community needs are other guiding principles that shape our identity.

We consider our community to be the entire Island of Hawai`i, and our vision is to serve this large geographic area through distributed sites.  These specialized sites will provide area access to training and educational opportunities and support local economic development initiatives.

Four cornerstones frame the educational experience at HawCC: Hawaiian Culture, Environment, Technology, and Community Work-Based Learning.  The College is a center for the study of Hawaiian Culture, with emphasis on the practice, perpetuation, and evolution of the culture.  We strive to motivate, empower, and inspire learners to become aware of and be committed to sustaining Hawai`i’s unique environment.  We will expand the walls of the classroom into the island wide community and are committed to providing and maintaining the broad-base technology needed to do this.

In addition to the above directional markers, five long-term goals provide an overall, eight-year focus for both the UHCC system and our College.  These five goals are: promoting learning and teaching for student success; functioning as a seamless state system; promoting workforce and economic development; developing human resources through recruitment, retention, and renewal; and developing an effective, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure to support student learning.  In the future, we will strive to meet all of these endeavors; it is our mission.

IV.  Planning Context

Effective academic planning takes into consideration the environment in which the institution must function.  External factors that will influence the future of Hawai`i Community College include: geography, demographics, trends in lower education, a variety of opportunities and challenges, and economic outlook.  Internal factors can be equally influential. Recognizing and planning ways to respond to all these factors is a major step in the planning process and in the implementation of necessary internal changes.

A.     External Factors Other than Economics

1.  Geography

a.  Remote location and large service area.  The remote location and large service area (4,000 square miles) of Hawai`i Community College presents challenges that set it apart from other community colleges.  Situated on the island of Hawai`i, the College’s Hilo campus is separated from administrative offices on the island of Oahu by over 200 miles of ocean and from the U.S. mainland by over 2,300 miles.  Roundtrip ground travel between the main Hilo campus and major population centers on the western side of the island require up to 5 hours.

2.  Demographics

a.  Growing but widely dispersed population.  Despite the Island’s remoteness, widely dispersed and rapid growth is another major external factor.  Between 1990 and 2000, Hawai`i County increased its population by 23.6% to a total of 148,677 people.  Currently, most live on the eastern side of the island in Hilo and on the western side in Kailua, Kona, but this demographic reality is quickly changing.  Districts beyond current population centers, not the centers themselves, incurred the most rapid growth rates.  These new areas of development and their correlating growth rate include: Puna, an area south of Hilo (50.8%), South Kohala, which includes the port of Kawaihae and coastal resorts north of Kailua-Kona (43.7%), North Kohala (40.7%), Ka`u, the southernmost part of the island (31.3%), and North Kona (28.1%).   This rapid dispersed growth has resulted in heavy traffic congestion (especially on the Western side of the island) that significantly increases commute time to and from campuses.

b.  Rapidly aging population.  The state of Hawai`i is one of the most rapidly aging states in the nation. Age levels increased by 11% between 1990 and 2000 to a median age of 36.2 years.  Hawai`i County’s median age is even older, 38.6 years, and the proportion of Hawai`i County residents 62 years of age and over is quite high, 15.9%.  Hawai`i Island experienced nearly a 200% increase in the 60 and older population between 1970 and 2000.

c.  Population that is rich in ethnic diversity. The USA Today Diversity Index for 2000 rated Hawai`i County as the most multicultural county in the nation.  The 2000 census reported that Caucasians are the largest group at 31.5% of the island’s population, followed by Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (one race alone or in combination with one or more other races) at 31%, and Asians at 26.7%.  Smaller ethnic groups include Native Hawaiian (one race only) at 9.7%, African Americans at 0.5%, Native Americans at 0.4%, and Samoans at 0.3% of the population. 

d.  Low income levels.  By most measurements Hawai`i County is the poorest county in the state.  Per capita income for the county was $20,340 in 1999, 74% of the state’s average of $27,533, and 71% of the U.S. average of $28,546.  The annual growth rate of income for the island has been 2.9% over the last decade, compared with 3.0% for the state and 4.4% for the nation.  The percentage of island families falling under the federal poverty threshold is 10.9%, in comparison to 6% of families statewide.  Since federal poverty thresholds in Hawai`i are approximately 15% higher than those in effect on the U.S. mainland, the island’s poverty rate would be even higher if defined by mainland standards.

3.  Trends in Lower Education

a.  Decreasing enrollment.  The Hawai`i Island public school district operates a total of 10 schools that serve grades 9-12, either as traditional high schools or in combination with elementary and/or intermediate grade levels.  Total public school enrollment on the island for the 2001-02 school year was 25,470 students of which 8,929 were in the 9-12 grade. These numbers represents a decrease of 9% overall and 6.1% decrease in grades 9-12 from 1998-99 enrollment levels.  This is a significant change from the early to mid-1990s when the island’s public school enrollment grew by 20%.

b.  Growth of charter schools.  Recent decreases in traditional public school enrollment can be attributed, in part, to a growth in the number of students enrolling in publicly funded charter schools on the island of Hawai`i.  Of the 22 charter schools in the state, 10 (45.5%) are located on the island of Hawai`i.  Charter school enrollment during the 2001-02 school year was 1,289, representing 4.8% of total public school enrollment.

c.  Private school expansion.  From 1990 to 2000, private school enrollment on the island increased by approximately 30% to 2,843 students.  Eighteen (18) private schools are in operation on the island of Hawai`i with 5 of them serving high school students.  The recent expansion of Kamehameha Schools to the island of Hawai`i and the planned phased in construction of its 300-acre East Hawai`i campus is projected to serve grades K-12 by 2005.

d.       Large at-risk populations.  At-risk students (economically disadvantaged, limited English proficiency, and special education) represent over 50% of the island’s public school population.  The percentage of the island’s K-12 population receiving special education services during 2001-2002 was 12.2%, as compared to 11% at the state level. 

During 2001-2002, 13.6% of the island’s 8,146 public school students in grades 9-12 were receiving special education services.

e.  No Child Left Behind (Public Law 107-110).  Due to a recent federal mandate, the Department of Education has determined that paraprofessionals (educational assistants, teaching assistants, communication aides, physical or occupational therapy assistants, career education assistants, bilingual/bicultural assistants, and work study assistants) are required to meet new minimum educational requirements by January 2006.  These requirements include: an AA or AS degree, 48 credits (100 level or higher) and successful completion of a statewide assessment test, completion of Educational Assistant Training Program and assessment test completion, or completion of Educational Assistant Foundation Courses (12 units) and assessment test completion.  There are over 500 DOE paraprofessionals working in Hawai`i County.

4.  Constraints and Challenges

a.  Losses in market share.  Data released by the University of Hawai`i in 2002 indicates there are higher proportions of Hawai`i students leaving the state to attend college than the national average.  The state’s emigration rate (percent of students leaving the state to attend college) is 29.5%, as compared to the national rate of 18.3%.  Furthermore, going rate to Hawai`i Community College of public high school graduates decline by 2.1% between 1999 and 2000 despite a 5.3% increase in the number of island graduates.

b.  Financial aid reductions.  National budget shortfalls resulting from events of September 11th and changing funding priorities connected with the war on terrorism are expected to have an impact on federal funding levels for some student financial aid programs in higher education.  While stable funding is projected for federal entitlement programs (e.g., Pell Grant) over the next several years, the college has been notified of decreases in federal funding levels for campus-based programs such as College Work-Study (CWS) and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG).  The 2002-03 allocation for the CWS program will be reduced 25% from the previous year and SEOG will decrease by 18%.   

c.  Stricter regulation of foreign students.  Events of September 11th have accelerated implementation of the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), making it more difficult for foreign students to access higher education institutions in the U.S.  In the Patriot Act of 2001, Congress mandated that SEVIS be fully functional by the end of the 2002 calendar year, requiring a new visa application fee, more extensive background checks for visa issuance, and intensified tracking of foreign students by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. educational institutions.

d.  Growing drug problem.  Hawai`i County police records indicate that over the last several years the island has experienced epidemic level increases in arrests for drug-related offenses.  During the period of 1997 to 2000, arrests for crystal methamphetamine

(“ice”) related offenses increased over 900%, arrests for heroin related offenses increased over 300%, and arrests for marijuana related offenses increased by over 250%.

5.      Opportunities

a.  Distance Education.  Presently, distance education is one of the fastest growing economies in the United States.  The speed of technological advancement combined with the abundance of personal computers and Web technologies has caused students and institutions to embrace the digital world of distance learning.  Almost every college and university in the nation offers some form of distance education curriculum.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics: “Postsecondary institutions plan to increase their delivery of distance education.  A variety of media will be used and it is no secret that the Internet, interactive video, and pre-recorded video delivery are among the chosen favorites.”  The advantages these new technologies offer include reaching a wider student audience, conferring with experts around the world, linking students from different cultural and economic backgrounds, and providing access to knowledge and experiences which otherwise wouldn’t be available (Weinstein, 1997).

b.  The “digital divide.”  During the next decade, institutions of higher education are expected to have increasing opportunities to contribute to economic development in their communities by ensuring greater access to technology, particularly for under-served and disadvantaged populations.  Federally supported technology initiatives such as Community Technology Centers and the Educational Partnerships Program are expected to continue, providing funding opportunities for colleges to help bridge the “digital divide” in their communities.

c.  Accessibility and affordability of higher education.  The public higher education system in Hawai`i was recently rated as one of the most accessible and affordable in the nation.  According to a 2002 report by the Lumina Foundation for Education, Hawai`i ranks among 11 states “most consistently accessible,” providing roughly equivalent access for low-income and median-income students without borrowing, while also providing access for dependent low-income students to the majority (90%) of its public institutions of higher education.  During Spring 2002, the state government began offering a new program through First Hawaiian Bank for families to save for college and receive a tax break for doing so.  Earnings from the new savings program, titled TuitionEDGE (also known as the “529 Plan”), are exempt from federal and state income taxes when the savings are used for college expenses.  

d.       Higher proportion of island graduates choosing two-year institutions. 

Despite recent declines in going rates to the University of Hawai`i among Hawai`i public high school graduates, the UH Community College system and Hawai`i Community College continue to draw higher proportions of the island’s public high school graduates than the UH-Hilo and other four-year institutions in the system.  During Fall 2000, 17.1% of the island’s public high school students who graduated that year enrolled in the UH Community College system, with 13.6% entering Hawai`i Community College.  Of this same graduating class, 8.5% enrolled at the UH-Hilo and 4.0% at UH-Manoa.

e.  International education.  The Institute for International Education, in a 2001 publication titled Open Doors 2001, reported that the U.S. remains the leading destination for international students despite increased competition from other countries.  Market demand for U.S. higher education, particularly in the fields of business, engineering, math, and computer science is high, with 47% of the total international student population pursuing these areas of study.  The report further states that 7 of the top 10 leading countries of origin of all international students enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education during the 2000-01 academic year are in Asia.  The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea had a 10% and 10.9% increase in the number of students enrolled in the U.S. from 1999-00 to 2000-01.  Moreover, China’s recent accession to the World Trade Association and its award of the 2008 Olympics are expected to have a significant impact on its need for short-term business and economic training and to increase the demand for human resource development in China’s tourism industry.  During Spring 2002, the UH Community College system reported that, since 1993, enrollment of international students at two-year institutions has increased 50% nationwide and that more than 50 formal agreements exist between the UH Community Colleges and other international educational institutions.  The UHCC executive director for international education estimates that integrated international education and globalization activities of the UHCC’s generated over $3.5 million during fiscal year 2000-01, and according to the March 2002 issue of UH Community Colleges, “The UHCC system would like to see this figure double – or triple.” 

f.  SCT Banner conversion.  System-wide conversion to the SCT Banner information management and records system will present challenges for the college over the next several semesters but should create opportunities for institutional capacity building well into the future. The comprehensive project, already initiated on campus and scheduled for system-wide integration for the Fall 2003 freshmen cohort, should provide the college with a wide range of opportunities for improving and expanding data collection and reporting capabilities, measuring institutional effectiveness, enhancing academic planning activities, and strengthening institutional research and grant development functions.

B.     The External Factor of Economics

1.  Economic Outlook: Hawaii State

a.  September 11^th fallout and recession.  Economic fallout from the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the drag of the mainland and Japanese recessions have had a severe impact on Hawaii’s tourism and air travel dependent economy.  During the fourth quarter of 2001, visitors were arriving at a rate 30 percent lower than usual.  The huge jump in unemployment immediately after the terrorist attacks has somewhat abated, but still remains higher than pre-September 11 levels.  Heated debate continues among government, business, and the public over required budget cuts, funding priorities, increased taxes, reductions in public services and employees, and the use of special accounts (e.g., Hurricane Relief Fund) to reduce unprecedented budget deficits projected by forecasters over the next several years.  Anticipated deficits are expected to result in budget reductions for most state agencies, including the University of Hawai`i, during FY 2003.

b.  Recovery.  As the state’s economy moves from “bad” to “recovery,” a number of economic reports have surfaced offering hope for the future.  In the public sector, the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) reported in its March 2002 Quarterly and Statistical Report that Hawa`i’s economy has, “demonstrated greater stability and resiliency than was previously expected.”  A December 2001 DBEDT forecast, “expects all sectors of the state’s economy to attain pre-September 11 levels or better by the second half of 2003.”  In the business sector, Hawaii Business Magazine (December 2001) predicted that while the state’s tourism industry experienced a significant downturn after September 11, effects on the state’s broader economy will be less severe, partly because Hawai`i’s economy was performing relatively well before the terrorist attacks, and partly because fiscal policy in the U.S. will begin to provide stimulus in coming months.  First Hawaiian Bank’s Hawaii Forecast 2002 predicts a “recession into mid-year (2002), then a move to recovery.”

2.   Economic Outlook: Hawaii County

a. Positive economic indicators.  Despite lagging visitor arrivals, in March 2002 DBEDT reported emerging signs of economic recovery from events of September 11 and from the bleak years of sugar industry closures in Hawai`i County.  These signs were reflected in the fourth quarter of 2001:

1. ) Labor force and civilian employment.  While Hawai`i County’s first quarter 2002 unemployment rate of 6.8% remains second highest in the state behind Kauai’s, the county’s labor force grew by 4.3% and civilian employment grew by 3.4% over the last quarter of 2000, both rates reflecting the largest labor force growth among all counties in the state.

2.)  Jobs.  Hawai`i County led the growth in non-agricultural wage and salary jobs among all counties with an increase of 0.7%.  Job growth in construction increased more than 200 jobs or 6.8% during the quarter.  Agricultural jobs were up 9.6%, government jobs increased by 3.6%, and service jobs grew by 1.8%.

3.)  General excise tax revenues.  Hawai`i County’s 6.9% increase in general excise tax revenues for the fourth quarter of 2001 led all counties.

b. Beyond tourism.  As the island’s tourism sector struggles with recovery amidst the uncertainties of Japanese and mainland economies and the possibility of future disruptions in air travel, other industries are emerging in the island’s broadening economy.

    1.)  Agriculture. Because of its size, climatic diversity, and minimal seasonal influences, a wide range of products grows abundantly on the island, including most of the state’s agricultural products.  According to the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB), the gross county product from agriculture is estimated at $700 million annually, growing approximately 20% each year, and forecast to exceed $1 billion by 2005.

   2.) Science and technology. Lured by technology-friendly infrastructure, high technology and scientific businesses have grown dramatically on the island in recent years.  Astronomy-related activities produce an estimated $142 million annual impact on the state’s economy and their contribution to both the state and county economies is expected to grow with planned expansion of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve and the opening of the Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center.  Other areas of scientific and high technological activity expected to contribute to the island’s economic future include geothermal, solar, and seawater energy production and the use of electron beam radiation in the fruit processing industry.

3.)  Construction.  The island’s construction activity has experienced a resurgence in recent years, and according to HIEDB it appears the trend will continue.  Final figures for 2000 showed the county issued over $376 million worth of building permits, the highest total in eight years.  Improvement and realignment of Saddle Road, a $250 million project that broke ground in 2001, is expected to continue over the next decade.  A reflection of the growth in this sector of the island’s economy can be seen in the 2001 debut of Builder’s Express in Kailua-Kona, offering a 40,000 square-foot warehouse and 60,000 square-foot builders’ yard for professional contractors and homeowners.

4.)  Health and wellness.  An increase in population and in the awareness of health and wellness issues has sparked a rise in the number of health providers on the island.  According to HIEDB, the number of physicians, podiatrists, physician assistants, emergency medical personnel, dentists, and dental hygienists on the island in 2002 represents an increase of almost 45% in health practitioners over the last 10 years.

3. Internal Factors

Accurate internal data, both recent and long term is essential for effective strategic decision-making.  Most of the data in this section of the Academic Development Plan comes from either the University of Hawaii’s Fall Enrollment Reports for Community Colleges or from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement.

         1.  Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE Report)

During the 2001-2002 academic year, 230 HawCC students from randomly selected credit classes were asked to complete a six-page survey instrument (Community College

Student Report).  Administered by the Community College Leadership Program from the University of Texas at Austin and co-sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the CCSSE Report is considered a reliable, research-based and appropriate tool for assessing institutional quality and justifying accreditation. The report asked our students:

·        about their college experiences

·        how they spend their time

·        what they feel they have gained from their classes

·        how they assess the quality of their interactions with faculty, counselors and peers

·        what kind of work they are challenged to do

·        how the college supports their learning and so on.   

When student answers were compared to other colleges of similar size, HawCC results were quite favorable in almost all areas.  This suggests that decline in enrollment is due to factors other then student satisfaction.  Student characteristics from this report are described below and institution successes and challenges are outlined and detailed in the following section on assessment (Section V).

a.  Student characteristics.  According to the CCSSE Report, most HawCC students begin their college experience here (79%) and many live with their parents (44%).  More than half (56%) are first generation college students, with neither parent having an AA/AS degree or higher.  Most students indicated that their immediate family (72%) and their friends (53%) are extremely supportive of their attending Hawai`i Community College.  A large majority of students are not married (82%), and they tend to work for pay off campus (65%).  A significant number of students (21%) work more than thirty-one hours per week and see themselves primarily as an employee who is going to college (14%).  For about one-in-ten students (11%) English is a second language, and about one-in-twelve (8%) students identified themselves as being international or foreign national students. 

About one-half of students see the cost of attending college as a significant issue (49%), and more than a third (38%) see cost as being somewhat an issue.  This finding is supported by the fact that many students (41%) consider grants and scholarships as their major funding source for tuition, and that during Fall 2001, half of the students at HawCC received some form of federal financial aid (1,028, 50%).  This issue of cost of attending college is compounded by the fact that many of our students need to take additional courses in developmental reading (46%), writing (51%), and/or math (48%).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, students expressed favorable opinions about Hawai`i Community College.  The vast majority of students (92%) stated that they would recommend this college to a friend or family member and considered their entire educational experience here as being excellent (31%) or good (51%).  Only one percent (1%) considered their experience to be poor.

         2.  Enrollment

a.  Headcount enrollment.  Between Fall 1996 and Fall 2001 headcount enrollment of regular students dropped from 2,463 students to 2,075, a drop of 15.8%.  Full-time equivalency enrollment of regular students followed a similar pattern, dropping from a high of 1,718 full-time students in Fall 1996 to low of 1,378 in Fall 2001.  This represents an overall decline of 19.8%. Breakdown of individual years are shown in Table 1.

                        Source: Fall Enrollment Report, University of Hawai`i,

Community Colleges, Fall 1996-2001

b.  Enrollment by major.  A significant decrease in enrollment was seen in all majors during and after 1996 with the exception of Health Services and Unclassified Majors (Table 2).  Decreases in headcount were most prevalent in the majors of Technology (115, 32.95%), Business Ed (92, 22.49%), Public Service (91, 28.98%), and Liberal Arts (84, 9.01%).  Table 2 on the following page illustrates yearly patterns in individual majors.

                        Source: Fall Enrollment Report, University of Hawai`i,

Community Colleges, Fall 1996-Fall 2001.

                        Notes:

(1)   Business Education includes Accounting, Clerical, Data Processing, Hotel Operations, Office Admin. & Tech., Marketing, Secratary Science

(2)   Health Services include Adult Care Home Oper., Assoc. Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing

(3)   Public Services include Admin of Justice, Early Childhood Ed., Fire/Env. Emerg. Resp., Human Services

(4)   Technology includes Agriculture, Auto Body Rep. & Paint, Auto Mechanics Tech, Machine Shop Tech, Welding & Sheet Metal

(5)