The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has been recognized for its efforts to engage the campus community and partnerships with off-campus groups with the 2023 Western Region Engaged Campus Award from the Western Region Continuums of Service Consortium (WRCOS). The consortium cited UH Mānoa’s dedication to campus civic and community engagement, educational equity and strengthening communities through public scholarship and collaborative partnerships. The award is one of seven being presented to WRCOS member institutions at the 2023 Continuums of Service Conference to be held in Honolulu in March.
WRCOS is a coalition of higher education organizations that are National Campus Compact state affiliate members from Oregon, California, Montana, Washington and Hawaiʻi, as well as American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that work to enhance the links between their respective colleges and universities and their local communities. Through the UH Mānoa Office of Civic and Community Engagement, the Hawaiʻi Pacific Islands Campus Compact connects students and faculty with community organizations in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific to help them meet their missions.
“This award is a great achievement for UH Mānoa, a longtime active partner in the Western Region of the Campus Compact. Our studies have clearly shown the positive impact of civic engagement on student success, as well as the reciprocal relationships between UH Mānoa and the community. We will strive to live up to our national leadership responsibility to reach the aspirational, yet achievable, transformational goals for the future,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno.
Building on opportunities
UH Mānoa is recognized for its deep commitment in its role as a Native Hawaiian place of learning, while supporting leaders in civic and community engagement, as well as the many community partners, faculty, students and staff whose work is aligned with both institutional identity and campus vision and mission.
Nearly 90 departments are involved with civic engagement in their program learning objectives, and nearly 250 courses include some form of civic engagement in their course description. UH Mānoa staff and faculty are employing the guiding framework of the Carnegie Elective Community Engagement Classification to transform the institution.
In the nomination letter to WRCOS, Bruno stated, “UH Mānoa’s recent reaffirmation of accreditation with the Senior College & University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges gave us a unique opportunity to gather information about the impact of our work in the field of civic and community engagement. The accomplishments achieved in this area through consistent work over three decades became a central factor in our institution achieving full accreditation for the longest possible period, 10 years.”
2023 Continuums of Service Conference
The Hawaiʻi Pacific Island Campus Compact and the Western Region Consortium will host the 2023 Continuums of Service Conference, “Turning the Tides, Renewing our Energy,” to be held March 14—17 in Honolulu.
Attendees will participate in conference sessions, which center around local and Indigenous knowledge and embrace transformational campus-community partnerships with opportunities for direct engagement. Sessions will be co-hosted with community and non-profit organizations.
For registration information, visit the conference website.
