University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	October 13, 1997
Contact: Michael Mottl, Oceanography, (808) 956-7006 Cheryl Ernst, University Relations (808) 956-5941

UNIQUE NEW DEGREE University of Hawai'i Offers BS in Global Environmental Science The University of Hawai'i will offer a bachelor of science degree in global environmental science that is unique for its combination of scientific rigor and interdisciplinary focus. The degree program will enroll its first majors next fall. "This program addresses the complex web of interactions among Earth's principal components-water, life, air, land and ice-to provide an in-depth and integrated view of the interfaces that affect the global earth system," notes Dean O. Smith, senior vice president for research for the UH system. Most existing environmental studies programs lead to either a bachelor of arts or graduate degree or lack global focus. The new degree will be administered by the Department of Oceanography in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. It received provisional approval by the UH Board of Regents during its October 10 meeting and will be considered for permanent status in four years. Developed in part because of student demand for an undergraduate major in this area, the new degree includes the core science required for graduates to continue in advanced scientific study, as well as the flexibility to pursue professional degrees in law or business, enter the work force in environmental science or teach elementary or secondary science, Smith said. The BS program capitalizes on the interdisciplinary nature of the UHM oceanography department, whose faculty teach and conduct research in biological, chemical, geological and physical aspects of the natural environment and thier relation to global change. It will also draw on the broader resources of SOEST, which conducts research and/or offers instruction in meteorology, geology and geophysics, marine biology, natural energy and astronomy. UH Manoa ranks third in the country in the amount of competitive research funding received from the National Science Foundation Ocean Sciences Division. Two years in the making, the new degree program was developed after a survey of colleges and universities offering environmental studies indicated that few undergraduate programs contain the scientific rigor characteristic of a BS degree. A private donor has tentatively agreed to pay half the $400,000 cost of implementing the program during its provisional period.   In other business, the Board of Regents: · Terminated the UHM three-year certificate program in dental hygiene, effective when the last group of enrolled students graduate this spring. Dental hygiene students now enroll in the bachelor of science program. · Named the UH Hilo baseball field for the late George and Marion Hall. George Hall was the campus' first athletic director, working as a volunteer, and he arranged for Kulani Prison inmates to construct the first UHH athletic field. He and his wife were long-time supporters of the program, contributing both time and money and helping found the Vulcan Booster Club. · Approved a memorandum of understanding between UH and the UH Foundation that describes the relationship between the institution and the private not-for-profit corporation that provides fundraising and stewardship services. · Retitled executive positions to reflect organizational changes and clarify roles. The Hilo campus is now headed by "senior vice president, University of Hawai'i, and chancellor, University of Hawai'i at Hilo;" the West O'ahu campus by "chancellor, University of Hawai'i-West Hawai'i;" and University Relations by "director of University Relations." Searches are underway or will be conducted for permanent appointments in all three positions. · Approved strategic plans for UH Hilo and UH West O'ahu that carry the campuses through 2007. Hilo's plan calls for enrollment of about 5,000 students (with about half the growth coming from outside Hawai'i) and describes five key pillars: focus on academic excellence, utilization of the unique physical properties of the Big Island for learning and research, emphasis on a residential campus, expansion of community partnerships and development of resources. The West O'ahu plan outlines 17 strategic actions grouped into five goals: maintaining the campus' unique role and mission, providing access with quality, ensuring academic excellence, building partnerships with other UH units and community groups and outlining resource development and allocation. · Heard a presentation on the UH­West Hawai'i Educational Center's long range development plan that calls for developing a modern, multi-purpose telecommunication infrastructure; organizing and delivering appropriate programs; providing appropriate student services; and improving the library. A community needs assessment is to be conducted and a facilities plan developed later this year. Regents toured the center, which is located in a shopping complex near Kailua­Kona, following the meeting.

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