HRS 304.4-5 (Act 161) requires the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents to adopt benchmarks tied to Master Plan goals and to use these benchmarks in the development of budget and tuition schedules, the periodic review of programs, and the submission of a report to the Legislature in the second year of each fiscal biennium. This activity was required effective FY98. This report requirement is also cited in the preamble of Act 115 as an accountability measure important to greater University autonomy.

Board of Regents Action. In September 1996, the Board of Regents adopted benchmarks and performance indicators with the understanding that the administration refines and modifies these indicators as warranted and reports on them each biennium. Consistent with the direction of HRS 304.4-5, Board of Regents policy requires regular and systematic assessment of programs, services, campuses, and the University system as a whole.

University of Hawai‘i System Strategic Plan, 2002-2010 (Enclosure). With the arrival of President Evan Dobelle, the University of Hawai‘i embarked on a review of its mission, goals, and directions, leading to a new system Strategic Plan. The plan is a result of visionary leadership by faculty, students, staff, alumni, regents, and friends of the University system. It is predicated on native Hawaiian values and embraces three fundamental strategic imperatives:

Institutional Effectiveness Report, 2002 Update (Enclosure). This is the University’s fifth report; it updates the 2000 Benchmarks/Performance Indicators Report. The title of this report has changed to reflect the importance the University places on linking University goals with evidence of specific achievements. As in previous efforts, the report identifies relevant effectiveness measures associated with University strategic goals and details levels of performance or achievement at a point in time, over time, and/or relative to a standard or reference point.

This report honors the University’s commitment to be accountable to the people of Hawai‘i. The taxpayers, donors, and families who support the University of Hawai‘i and students who enroll for instruction deserve to know they are receiving maximum value for time and resources invested. For each publication of this report, the University has refined and added measures and narrative that help demonstrate the effectiveness of programs and services. This is done not only to satisfy accountability concerns but also to inform our improvement efforts.

(http://www.hawaii.edu/ovppp)

Tuition Benchmark Comparisons (Enclosure). The University develops data on tuition changes at comparable institutions. This data is routinely used as a frame of reference and important component for tuition setting at the University of Hawai‘i.

Program Reviews (Enclosure). All University of Hawai‘i academic programs are subject to periodic review. Within established University policy, the purpose of such reviews is to assist the extent to which academic programs are meeting their stated objectives and whether these objectives are still appropriate to the campus, Unit, and University missions. The University prepares an annual status report on the results of the program review process.

Budget Preparation. The University of Hawai‘i 2003-2005 Biennium Budget incorporates relevant institutional effectiveness measures and performance information.