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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
179 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO CONDUCT A FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF THE ADVISABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A HAWAII STATE UNIVERSITY.
WHEREAS, the Legislative Reference Bureau conducted a study in 1985, culminating in a report entitled, "The Establishment of an Independent University of Hawaii at Hilo" (January 1986), which made various findings and recommendations concerning the proposal; and
WHEREAS, the Legislative Reference Bureau study should be updated to reflect current circumstances and demographics that may have changed significantly since 1986; and
WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH-Hilo) is a comprehensive university with a full range of baccalaureate degrees, a number of master's degrees, and approval for two doctoral programs; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that a large segment of the County of Hawaii's residents, organizations, and individuals affiliated with UH-Hilo are frustrated with the current condition, status, and overall quality of education at the UH-Hilo campus; and
WHEREAS, one proposal to address this issue involves the establishment of a new institution of higher education, to be called the "Hawaii State University", that incorporates UH-Hilo and is separate and distinct from the University of Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, the Hawaii State University would be governed by its own board of regents, and run by its own president; and
WHEREAS, over the past seven years, UH-Hilo has increased enrollment by thirty per cent and federal financing by more than five hundred per cent; and
WHEREAS, over the past seven years, UH-Hilo has added two classroom buildings and begun planning for a new privately funded dormitory; and
WHEREAS, UH-Hilo also:
(1) Received in June 2004 a ten-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the longest accreditation period that is granted;
(2) Added three degree granting colleges on campus since 1992 for a total of five degree granting colleges, including the college of arts and sciences, the college of agriculture, forestry and natural resource management, ka haka 'ula o ke'elikolani college of Hawaiian language, the college of business and economics, and the approved and soon to be established college of pharmacy;
(3) Established graduate programs including a doctoral program in Hawaiian and indigenous language and culture revitalization and masters programs in education, China-United States relations, counseling psychology, Hawaiian language and literature, and tropical conservation biology and environmental science;
(4) Established distance learning degree programs for computer programming, marine science, psychology, English, Hawaiian studies, and nursing;
(5) Established dynamic community partnerships on federal, state, and local levels, resulting in the dedication and blessing of the Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center, the North Hawaii Education and Research Center, the United States Department of Agriculture Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, the Hawaii Innovation Center at Hilo, and the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center;
(6) Received international accreditation from the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide;
(7) Established the senior college through its college of continuing education and community service to serve adults over forty-five years of age in geographically isolated areas of the island of Hawaii;
(8) Increased student housing capacity by means of partnerships with the private sector; and
(9) Is engaged in continued planning for a student life and events center, a science and technology building, and the redesign of the student services building; and
WHEREAS, a study of the advisability and feasibility of establishing the Hawaii State University to incorporate UH-Hilo would provide direction to the Legislature in making a decision on this matter; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to prepare a report on the advisability and feasibility of establishing UH-Hilo as the Hawaii State University, including possible changes in organization, cost estimates of reorganization, likely fiscal and organizational impacts of the conversion from the current statewide system to a separate state university, benefits of the current statewide university system structure, differences of opinion, and other types of information pertinent to this matter so that the Legislature has enough information, as is reasonably attainable, to make an informed decision; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the administration of the University of Hawaii system and UH-Hilo are requested to cooperate with the Legislative Reference Bureau by furnishing all pertinent data and information requested and submitting recommendations and opinions with respect to issues for which the Legislative Reference Bureau may seek input; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Interim President and Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the Chancellor of UH-Hilo, and the Chair of the UH-Hilo Student Association.
Report Title:
Study; New Higher Education Institution for Hawaii County