STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3246

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 26

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education and the Arts, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 26 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT OUTLINES COORDINATION AMONG UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII CAMPUSES IN INCREASING ONLINE COURSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii to develop a plan that outlines coordination between the University's campuses to increase availability of online courses and degree programs.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from NuWayve Unlimited and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System.

     Your Committee finds that online college courses and programs offered by the University of Hawaii can provide quality education to neighbor island students, and students who are otherwise restricted from attending classes in a more traditional setting.  Your Committee further finds that this measure can promote the University's use of online courses and degree programs.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying the number of different online degree programs the University of Hawaii currently offers;

     (2)  Deleting references to the number of online degree programs offered by other universities;

     (3)  Clarifying that the University of Hawaii is requested to develop a plan to promote cooperation between its campuses to increase online courses and degree programs and amending its title to reflect this clarification; and

     (4)  Requesting the University of Hawaii to examine the current status of its online programs and any resistance that faculty may have against online courses and degree programs, and to report its findings and plan.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 26, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 26, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education and the Arts,

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair