The University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges celebrated their 60th anniversary at the annual Hawaiʻi Student Success Institute (HISSI). Since its inception in 1964, the UH Community Colleges have served as an affordable, open-door system providing high quality education to more than 23,000 students annually.
This year’s HISSI theme, Building Dreams, Strengthening Communities: 60 Years of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, celebrated and recognized the positive impact the community colleges have had in their local communities and the state. The system has grown to include seven college campuses, three university centers and five education centers located on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.
“We are so proud of everything that the Community Colleges have accomplished over the last 60 years,” said Erika Lacro, vice president for community colleges. “Our campuses have garnered respect and national recognition for their innovative approaches to attracting, retaining and graduating students, which has resulted in an unprecedented surge in enrollment and graduation rates. As we continue to meet the diverse and changing needs of our society for in-demand, living wage jobs, our campuses fulfill a vital function within our system of higher education to provide affordable access to education in the state.”
More than 1,000 people attended the luncheon event at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on March 8 to celebrate the milestone. Special guests in attendance to present proclamations included Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Senate President Ron Kouchi, Senate Higher Education Committee Members: Donna Mercado Kim, Troy Hashimoto and Carol Fukunaga, Senate Ways and Means Vice Chair Sharon Moriwaki, and House Higher Education Committee Chair Amy Perruso.
Other notable guests included UH President David Lassner and Vice President for academic strategy, Debora Halbert; UH Regents: Lauren Akitake, Abigail Mawae and Laurie Tochiki; and Harold K.L. Castle Foundation’s vice president of programs, Alex Harris.
Special recognition was also given to Joyce Tsunoda, former Chancellor for the UH Community Colleges from 1983 to 2004 and John Morton, former Vice President for the Community Colleges from 2005 to 2019.
The lunch program ended with the presentation of the Wo Learning Champions awards led by Joyce Yamada from UH Maui College. Each year, the Wo Learning Champions present the Change Agent Award and the Community Building Award. Four winners are selected for each of the awards.
Change Agent Award 2024
Richard Stevens from Hawaiʻi Community College for his work in ancient trail restoration and dry land reforestation at the Hawaiʻi Community College–Pālamanui campus.
Community Building Award 2024
Craig Omori, Peter Pak, Noel Cleary, Gary Johnson, Mark Malone, Richard Ramirez, and the UH Maui College Culinary team for Laukanaka, which provided thousands of meals for community members impacted by the Maui fires.
The Hawaiʻi Student Success Institute is an annual convening of the faculty and staff from the UH Community Colleges. Started as a systemwide Excellence in Education conference, the professional development day was institutionalized as a non-instructional day on the first Friday in March each year. The purpose of this day is to encourage sharing of best practices in teaching, learning, student support and other support services across the seven UH community colleges.
