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Pūko'a no nā 'Ewa – Native Hawaiian Focus Planning Committee

Executive Summary

As part of Pūko'a no nā 'Ewa, a Native Hawaiian focus planning committee was formed on February 2, 2006 to address the goals and needs of Native Hawaiian students and programs at Leeward Community College. Over this period our working group consisted of Native Hawaiian representatives from academic disciplines, student services, vocational-technical education and support services that center on the needs and goals of Native Hawaiian students. These programs include, Ho'oulu, Ka 'Āina 'Ike, Hawaiian studies and Hawaiian language disciplines, student services, Distance Education and Educational Media Center, the Youthful Offenders & STAR Program and other non-programmatic Native Hawaiian faculty and staff.

Nā Ewa acknowledges that there are two programs on campus where Hawaiian students could be easily gathered and surveyed (Leeward Community College Wai'anae and Hālau 'Ike o Pu'uloa.) However, Nā Ewa is well aware that Hawaiian students are represented throughout the entire College; enrolling in courses and participating in programs that include all instructional disciplines, vocational/technical programs, distance education, Running Start/Gear Up, evening/weekend programs, etc. Therefore, Nā Ewa will use this initial report to offer data that best reflects methods and resources with which we currently assess Native Hawaiian student needs, while asserting that:

1)More methods, tools, personnel are needed to assess Leeward Community College student needs/interests generally, as well as those of Native Hawaiian students specifically,

2)Nā Ewa would like to contribute to the planning, designing and implementation of assessment tools that may capture Native Hawaiian student needs, goals, etc. and,

3)Through its Vision Statement and Planning Agenda, Nā Ewa will strive to support Hawaiian students’ access to, progress within and graduation from Leeward Community College.

Native Hawaiian students share goals similar with other cultures: to improve their lives and the lives of their families. The College has done some research (see 1999 Title III Application) so it is not lacking benchmarks. However, more needs to be done to evaluate the ways Native Hawaiian students bring more culturally relevant or unique goals and needs to our campus. Through MAPS enrollment data, we see that Native Hawaiian students have enrolled in most academic programs. If we are to strengthen the Hawaiian Nation, we need to recruit our people to schools where they can train for success in all fields.

Following is a summary of the major findings and recommendations of Nā 'Ewa to improve student learning and institutional effectiveness for Native Hawaiian students, faculty and staff to the Administrative Team:

  • Establish a Native Hawaiian Success Center
  • Improve current services
  • Institutionalize grant-based programs
  • Faculty development
  • Service to the Community

Native Hawaiian Success Center

Finding: Leeward Community College does not have a dedicated, free-standing, physical facility and resource base from which to provide, coordinate and support Native Hawaiian epistemology, academic disciplines, student services, vocational-technical education and support services. Most services are already offered at Leeward Community College, however they are disjointed or culturally irrelevant. The lack of dedicated space fosters this sort of disruption.

Recommendation: A Native Hawaiian Success Center building is proposed to house Native Hawaiian serving programs, academic classrooms, faculty offices, meeting rooms and gathering spaces. The goal of this recommendation is to combine in one indigenous type architecture Native Hawaiian epistemology, academic disciplines, student services, vocational-technical education and support services as well as Native Hawaiian faculty and personnel. Further, the Center will be used to streamline resources and use them to address Native Hawaiian needs and goals, as well as to serve as a repository. Nā 'Ewa avers that offering a permanent, comprehensive range of services in the Center will improve student learning and institutional effectiveness to the community.

Moreover, this building will ensure that Leeward Community College not only support Native Hawaiians learning in a culturally appropriate context, but also encourages non-Hawaiians to experience alternatives to Western epistemological models. Place-centered, collaborative and experiential learning are hallmarks of Hawaiian epistemology. It is of utmost importance for kumu (teachers) to take haumāna (students) to sites where they physically and emotionally connected with their subject. In sum, Hawaiians teach and learn better when they are fully engaged with our physical, intellectual and emotional learning spaces. These conditions are essential within the process of Native learning. Furthermore, the Center could position Leeward Community College as "one of the world's foremost multicultural centers for indigenous studies" (as recommended in the University of Hawai'i System Strategic Plan, 2002-2010, Goal #3).

The Native Hawaiian Success Center should include but is not limited to the following chart:

Improvement of current services

Finding: Currently available campus-wide services such as counseling, student orientations, job placement, tracking, institutional research and financial aid do not sufficiently address the special needs of Native Hawaiian students. As noted above, more methods, tools, personnel are needed to assess Leeward Community College student needs/interests of Native Hawaiian students in particular.

Recommendation: It is proposed that there should be dedicated, qualified, Native Hawaiian personnel in each of the above areas who would address the specific cultural, and socio-economic needs of Native Hawaiian students. It is further proposed that more methods and tools be develop to assess the needs/interests of Native Hawaiian students. Other proposals include the development of an orientation program specifically for Native Hawaiian students (that includes an orientation to services available to them, a tour of the Hālau ‘Ike o Pu’uloa, a workshop about the experiences of Native Hawaiians in college, etc.). Assign a qualified Native Hawaiian counselor(s) to address the special needs of Native Hawaiian students. And, educate all students about Native Hawaiian culture, history, language and politics by making HWST 107 a required course.

Institutionalization of grant-based programs

Finding: There is a lack of sustainability due to the tenuous nature of grant funds that support Native Hawaiian programs. Leeward Community College has yet to institutionalized grant-based programs that center on serving Native Hawaiian students. This instability and resulting program closures at the end of grants interrupts or cancels services to Native Hawaiian students, diminishes confidence among Native Hawaiian faculty and staff who invested in these programs, and can damage recruitment and retention efforts.

Recommendation: A sound action plan should be developed to institutionalize these programs in advance of their closure. Native Hawaiian faculty engaged in getting grants and sustaining the requirements of grants should be gathered to link up with other grant appliers system wide to form a group that addresses their special needs.

Faculty Development

Finding: It appears that Native Hawaiians are underrepresented in the faculty at Leeward Community College. The number of Native Hawaiian faculty at Leeward Community College does not reflect the proportion of Native Hawaiian students enrolled. Again, there appears to be a lack of methods, tools, personnel needed to assess the accurate number of Native Hawaiian faculty at Leeward Community College in proportion to Native Hawaiian students enrolled. As noted in the Ka'ū Report, this affects the retention of Native Hawaiian students who need the support and mentoring of Native Hawaiian faculty (Ka'ū Report, 1986, 5). The relationship between student retention and faculty representation suggests that the prolonged absence of a significant amount of Native Hawaiian faculty has had an adverse impact on the retention of Native Hawaiian students in the University of Hawai'i system (Ka'ū Report, 1986, 5-6). Tangential to this is the lack of cultural sensitivity training for new and existing faculty and staff.

Recommendation: It is recommended that a plan for recruitment of qualified Native Hawaiian faculty be developed that should include a link to faculty development in the UH system. This plan should include the setting of timetables and goals for recruitment and should work hand in hand with recruitment of Native Hawaiian students (Ka'ū Report, 1986, 5-6). This kind of coordinated plan is the only way to increase equal access and opportunity for Hawai'i's Native people (Ka'ū Report, 1986, 5-6). In addition, it is also recommended that there be professional development opportunities for Native Hawaiian faculty and staff. These could include educate faculty about the socio-political, health and economic history of Native Hawaiians to facilitate awareness of the lives of Native students outside of Leeward Community College, and educate faculty about the diverse learning styles of all students and teaching strategies to accommodate these styles.

Further, there should be workshops and orientation for new and existing faculty and staff at Leeward Community College to facilitate cultural sensitivity.

Service to the Community

Finding: Despite the existence of the Leeward Community College Pearl City campus and the Wai’anae satellite campus, Leeward Community College's visibility within the target community is low.

Recommendation: The Native Hawaiian Success Center should employ a full-time person who would coordinate services and programs for the Native Hawaiian community. These services will ensure faculty and community interaction. Service to the Native Hawaiian community will be expected of every faculty and staff member in the Native Hawaiian Success Center. There should be more opportunities made available for collaborative projects between Leeward Community College and the larger community.

Unit/Area: Projects & Services for Native Hawaiian Students and the Native Hawaiian Student Population

Student Learning and Achievement

Discuss the goals and needs of Native Hawaiian students. How does the College know what their educational goals are? What programs are they interested in? Are they achieving their goals?
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result no quantitative data is available to effectively respond to this question.
However, through informal surveys conducted by instructors we see a direct correlation between solid career goals and success within a given course. This can be said about all students at the tertiary level, but Native Hawaiian students tend to need a stronger counseling component to reach their educational goals.
The cost of tuition, fees and books continues to be a barrier for native Hawaiian students. Currently, the LCC Financial Aid Office is understaffed and under-resourced to effectively assist this population with their particular financial aid needs. The institution should support the mission of the Financial Aid Office by providing adequate staff and space to respond to the needs of Native Hawaiian students.
Due to time restraints the following people were unable to supply their full and complete recommendations in regards to this question: Auli'i Ross, Jamie Boyd, Ka'eo Bradford and Genie Mann.
Discuss the success of Native Hawaiian students when they transfer and the degree to which the College is meeting the learning and employment needs of these students (based on Accreditation Standard IIA.1a, b).
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result, quantitative data is not available to effectively respond to this question.
Discuss the employment needs of Native Hawaiian students. How is the College and its programs and services addressing these needs?
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result, quantitative data is not available to effectively respond to this question.
An informal inquiry in a 200-level business class revealed that native Hawaiian students expressed a greater need to provide for family (children, parents, grandparents) than non-Hawaiian students. This is consistent with Hawaiian cultural norms and should be acknowledged as a legitimate matter within the College's system.
The college has addressed employment needs by employing a Job Developer and a support staff. This office has played an essential role in facilitating the transition from educational goals to career goals and was recently made permanent at the request of Leeward Community College's Acting Chancellor.
Due to time restraints and technical difficulties the following people were unable to supply their full and complete recommendations in regards to this question: Jamie Boyd, Kaeo Bradford.
Discuss graduation, persistence and retention rates of Native Hawaiian students. What can be done to improve these achievements?
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result, quantitative data is not available to effectively respond to this question.
Retention: Retaining Native Hawaiian students at Leeward Community College is challenging due mostly to two related external factors; family and employment obligations. Students have shared that it is difficult to attend class at times because of lack of childcare or the need to remain home with their children when they are ill. In addition, students often help care for grandparent(s) or some other elder relative, which can make regular class attendance difficult. Many, if not most, students work full or part-time and often financial stability outweighs the need for education.
Ideas for Improvement: In order to address child-care needs, childcare could be provided starting at age 2. Also, LCC could provide information about different childcare programs (such as Kamehameha, State Assistance, etc.). Increase and improve career and personal counseling for Native Hawaiian students
How do the projects and services geared to Native Hawaiian students contribute effectively to student learning, access, retention and the achievement of student learning?
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result, quantitative data is not available to effectively respond to this question.
The services provided by the Ho'oulu project within the Hälau 'Ike o Pu'uloa are often utilized by instructors in their respective curriculum.
Due to time restraints the following people were unable to supply their full and complete recommendations in regards to this question: Auli'i Ross, Jamie Boyd, Ka'eo Bradford and Genie Mann.
How can the College address any unmet, documented needs of Native Hawaiian students?
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result, quantitative data is not available to effectively respond to this question.
Hire more Native Hawaiian instructors. Create a mentorship program for Native Hawaiian students, develop an orientation program specifically for Native Hawaiian students (that includes an orientation to services available to them, a tour of the Hålau ‘Ike o Pu’uloa, a workshop about the experiences of Native Hawaiians in college, etc.). Assign a counselor(s) specifically to Native students, educate faculty about the socio-political history of Hawai’i to facilitate awareness of the lives of Native students outside of LCC, educate faculty about the diverse learning styles of all students and teaching strategies to accommodate these styles. Educate all students about Native Hawaiian culture, history, language and politics by making HWST 107 a required course.
Due to time restraints the following people were unable to supply their full and complete recommendations in regards to this question: Auli'i Ross, Jamie Boyd, Ka'eo Bradford and Genie Mann.
Discuss room for growth in number of Native Hawaiian students and ideas for recruitment, in terms of the College as a whole and for the individual projects and initiatives currently offered.
There is tremendous room for growth in the recruitment of Native Hawaiian students, especially on the Leeward coast.
Despite the existence of the Wai’anae satellite campus, LCC visibility within the community is low.
There needs to be more recruitment in the high schools, advertisement of the services/projects available to Native Hawaiian students (if more services are offered, this could be key in successful recruitment). The community and individual families need to “buy” into higher education for their children, spouse, or sibling. Some families prefer to have students bringing in money rather than spending time in school. LCC could host Hawaiian clubs from high schools in our target area. They could visit a few classes for hands-on activities, learn about the benefits of attending college and familiarize themselves with the campus, facilities and services offered.
Increased support of current Native Hawaiian programs such as Ka Aina Ike, Ho'oulu, Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Program, and Hawaiian Studies will ensure a constant recruitment stream of prospective students.
Discuss any applicable results of your project or service’s assessment activities. What have you learned and what changes do you propose to improve student learning?
There is no formal office charged with measuring these outcomes for Native Hawaiian students exclusively. As a result, quantitative data is not available to effectively respond to this question.
As a result of these programs (academic, student and instructional support) the recruitment and retention of Native Hawaiians to the campus were increased. As a result of hands-on cultural activities, Native Hawaiian students in Hawaiian Studies courses tend to participate more, make more connections in class and improve attendance. Hands-on cultural activities are integral to Native Hawaiian student success. LCC curriculum should include more opportunities for hands-on cultural activities.
As a result of assessment of HAW 101, is a need to increase opportunities for both speaking and listening to the language both inside and outside of the classroom. There were five recommendations. First, create a language lab where students can work on listening, listening comprehension, pronunciation, intonation and other related skills. Second, create opportunities for students to meet with Native Hawaiian speakers to and “listen and talk story.” Third, develop and implement more in-class activities that promote speaking and listening. Fourth, conduct more research about functional-notional approaches to language teaching and implement these approaches in the classroom. Fifth, a long term goal/change would be to develop an entirely new curriculum/textbook that integrates many different strategies/approaches to language which meet the diverse learning styles and needs of students.
Due to time restraints the following people were unable to supply their full and complete recommendations in regards to this question: Auli'i Ross, Jamie Boyd, Ka'eo Bradford and Genie Mann.

Faculty & Staff