UH awards record number of degrees and certificates

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Jodi Leong , (808) 492-0597
Dir of Communications, External Affairs and University Relations
Posted: Oct 12, 2014

Link to video b-roll and interviews (more info at the end of the release): http://bit.ly/1ngcsub  

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Honolulu, Hawai‘i – The University of Hawai‘i (UH) awarded 11,278 degrees and certificates in 2013-14, a 12.8 percent increase compared to the previous year and the most awarded in UH’s history.

UH’s Hawai‘i Graduation Initiative (HGI) is focused on increasing the number of citizens with college degrees. HGI promotes the importance of a highly skilled workforce to maintain the economic vitality of the state and the nation.  It is designed to reverse the national trend that finds today’s young adults ages 25 to 34, are less educated than previous generations. By contrast, almost all other developed nations are outpacing the U.S. in higher education attainment rates.

“The Hawai‘i Graduation Initiative aims to meet the 55 by ’25 goal to increase the number of working age adults (25 to 64 years-old) who have two- or four-year degrees, to 55 percent by 2025,” said Joanne Itano, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This continued increase in the number of degrees and certificates awarded is due to the hard work and effort of the campuses and their continued dedication toward student success.”

Campus initiatives such as increased tutoring, supplemental instruction, academic maps, course redesign, bridge and cohort programs, responsive course scheduling, leveraging financial aid and scholarships, early alert systems, proactive advising, dual enrollment/dual admission degree pathway programs, and innovative systemwide programs such as Automatic Admission and Reverse Credit Transfer, have all contributed to the increase.

UH West O'ahu graduate Gino Paulino credits these initiatives and the growing accessibility of a UH college education with not only his own success, but the success of thousands of others in underserved areas.

"Kids on this side of the island are growing up with this campus in their backyard and the idea that an education is not only accessible to them now, but realistic. It kind of plants the seed in the heads of the people that are over here, to kind of show them that it's possible to have a dream," Paulino said.

UH Mānoa, the UH System’s flagship campus, awarded 4,949 degrees and certificates, which accounts for nearly 44 percent of the total number of degrees and certificates awarded by the UH System in 2013-14.  Robert Bley-Vroman, UH Mānoa Interim Chancellor said, “UH Mānoa has made a concerted effort to increase the number of students that graduate and decrease the time it takes a student to complete their degree.  I’m glad the plan is paying off. These graduates join a growing network of more than 170,000 UH Mānoa alumni that reside in all 50 states and in more than 100 countries.”

The UH Community Colleges awarded 1,065 more degrees and certificates compared to last year, with Windward Community College experiencing the highest growth -- a 58.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. “We are extremely proud of the many innovative initiatives that our campus has implemented, and we plan to continue inspiring our students to achieve excellence,” said Douglas Dykstra, Chancellor of Windward Community College.

For more information on HGI and some of the campus initiatives, please visit www.hawaii.edu/hawaiigradinitiative.

                                                                  

BROLL (1 minutes, 30 seconds)

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  • Kaua'i CC graduation (6 shots)
  • Maui College graduation (6 shots)
  • UH West O'ahu wide shot (1 shot)
  • UH West O'ahu graduate Gino Paulino broll (4 shots)

SOUNDBITES:

Gino Paulino - UH West Oʻahu graduate (9 seconds)

"For me, going to college was a way to kind of put my foot in the door in terms of what I wanted to do as a career."

Paulino (10 seconds)

"Kids on this side of the island are growing up with this campus in their backyard and the idea that an education is not only accessible to them now, but realistic."

Paulino (12 seconds)

It kind of plants the seed in the heads of the people that are over here, to kind of show them that it's possible to have a dream.

 

David Lassner - President, University of Hawaiʻi (13 seconds)

Giving credit to UH campuses:

"It's the result of their hard work across the state.  We have a variety of techniques that we've used such as 15 to Finish.  We've created pathways for all of our degree programs, we've focused on advising services."

Lassner (8 seconds)

"And altogether, what that's done is helped all of our campuses focus on helping more students succeed and help them succeed faster."

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