About the Project
The University of Hawaiʻi is currently engaged in a project called Cross-Campus Course Sharing, or C3S, beginning with the Fall 2023 semester. This project is directly related to UH’s participation in a NASH (National Association of Higher Education Systems) Improvement Community (NIC) focusing on curricular flexibility, as discussed in this December 2022 Inside Higher Ed story. We have scaled this initiative so that C3S available to students across the ten UH campuses. This project thus aligns closely with the objectives of the UH Strategic Plan Student Success Imperative, as C3S is designed to support UH students by removing barriers that hinder cross-campus enrollment.
Objectives
The primary objective of C3S is to increase the educational opportunities available to all UH students, by leveraging the University’s full academic portfolio. This will, in turn, facilitate students’ timely graduation while supporting UH transfer pathways. Although students have been able to register for courses across the UH Community College campuses rather freely for many years now, there are multiple barriers that currently prevent UH students from taking courses at four-year campuses (other than their home campus). These include the need to (1) apply for separate admission and pay application fees, (2) pay higher tuition rates or additional tuition beyond their home campus tuition, and (3) pay additional student fees at the other campus(es). For these reasons, it has been extremely difficult and rare for students at any UH campus to cross-register at one of the four-year campuses. Furthermore, C3S can offer the additional benefit of increasing the University’s operational efficiency by providing students with access to class “seats” in under-enrolled classes that would otherwise go unclaimed.
Benefits of C3S
Student Benefits:
- Flexibility in scheduling: Students can choose from a wider range of classes allowing them to find offerings that meet their scheduling needs.
- Increased course options: C3S allows students to access specialized courses not available at their home campus.
- Access to expertise: C3S enables students to learn from faculty experts in fields not represented within their home-campus faculty.
- Networking opportunities: Students can build connections and friendships with peers from across the UH System.
Institutional Benefits:
- Improved graduation rates: This can be achieved by providing students with more options to take required courses.
- Improved transfer processes: C3S will help smooth out “bumps” in the process by enabling students to access certain required courses at the destination campus prior to transfer.
- Operational efficiency: CS3 allows UH to operate more efficiently by helping to reduce the numbers of vacant seats in participating classes.
- Resource optimization: enables faculty members with low-enrolled courses to offer their classes to a wider audience.
- Reduced course duplication: C3S reduces the need for class duplication across campuses, which can result in cost savings for UH.
C3S Priorities
The UH System is cognizant of the needs of each campus to meet its own internal course demand as a first and foremost priority, in order to facilitate the timely graduation of its own students. To that end, the Council of Chief Academic Officers (CCAO) has engaged in discussions to determine what type of classes would be well suited for inclusion in this initiative moving forward. Factors and considerations identified by CCAO include:
(a) a desire to support state workforce needs;
(b) a preference to select courses that reside in key transfer pathways;
(c) the benefits of choosing online courses in order to ensure equity of access for students residing across the Hawaiian islands;
(d) the importance of avoiding the inclusion of courses for which the offering campus cannot meet its internal demand, and
(e) the prudence of focusing on courses that are already articulated and do not have onerous prerequisite requirements.
The ultimate benefit of the system can also be achieved by making our curriculum more accessible to students throughout the islands no matter where they reside.
Academic Year 2023-24 Pilot
The UH System embarked on a small-scale pilot of the cross-campus course sharing (C3S) initiative in fall semester of 2023, with a number of meetings and discussions occurring throughout the spring and summer of 2023. Additionally, the UH System Banner, STAR, and Bursar’s Office conducted an assortment of tests in a simulated environment to ensure that registration and the assessment of tuition and fees was occuring correctly. This was followed by a second C3S pilot in the spring of 2024. Many of the classes made available through C3S did not generate cross-campus enrollment, although notable success stories included HLTH 204: Introduction to Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing (UH West O‘ahu) and SPED 304: Foundations of Inclusive Schooling (UH Mānoa). Despite a modest number of student registrations, the pilot successfully offered proof of concept while avoiding any significant unintended repercussions. Although the AY 2023-24 pilot was only available to UHCC students, the next step for AY 2024-25 is to expand the C3S initiative so that students at the four-year campuses can freely participate as well.
C3S in AY 2024-25
For the first time in Fall 2024, C3S was made available to students at the three 4-year UH campuses, at a flat tuition rate of $306 per credit. Additional student fees assessed by the offering campus were waived, as they are for UHCC C3S participants. The C3S course menu and enrollment also expanded significantly. Planning for Spring 2025 featured a new Kuali Build application form, which is available at this link: https://go.hawaii.edu/sRa.
The form allows applicants to select which campuses they wish to partner with and also allows each VCAA at those partner campuses to accept or decline the course offering. The form also prompts applicants to select which C3S criteria (e.g., workforce development, transfer pathways) their course meets. Another important change effective with the Spring 2025 semester concerns the assessment of tuition as UHCC students will now be assessed the UHH/UHWO tuition rate for upper-division C3S classes. This aligns with current UH policy on tuition.
Fall 2024 C3S Pilot
For the first time in Fall 2024, C3S was made available to students at the three 4-year UH campuses, at a flat tuition rate of $306 per credit. Additional student fees assessed by the offering campus were waived, as they are for UHCC C3S participants. The C3S course menu and enrollment also expanded significantly.
Spring 2025
For the first time in Fall 2024, C3S was made available to students at the three 4-year UH campuses, at a flat tuition rate of $306 per credit. Additional student fees assessed by the offering campus were waived, as they are for UHCC C3S participants. The C3S course menu and enrollment also expanded significantly.
The OVPAS implemented a couple of significant changes to C3S as we seek to transition from a pilot project to a full-fledged initiative. We developed and released a Kuali Build application form, which is available at this link: https://go.hawaii.edu/sRa.
We ask faculty to complete C3S applications by October 11 for Spring 2025 classes. The form allows applicants to select which campuses they wish to partner with and also allows each VCAA at those partner campuses to accept or decline the course offering. The form also prompts applicants to select which C3S criteria (e.g., workforce development, transfer pathways) their course meets.
Another important change effective with the Spring 2025 semester concerns the assessment of tuition as UHCC student will now be assessed the UHH/UHWO tuition rate for upper-division C3S classes. This aligns with current UH policy on tuition. Here is a summary of Spring 2025 C3S tuition charges:
Spring 2025 C3S Classes:
- Foundations in Inclusive Schooling (UHM, SPED 304)
- Special Education Law and Compliance (UHM, SPED 306)
- Geospatial Information (UHM, ERTH 461)^
- Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing (UHWO, HLTH 204)
- Hawaiian Ways of Healing (UHWO, HLTH 205)
- Introduction to Labor Studies (UHWO, LBST 100)
- Education in American Society (UHWO, EDEF 310)
- Health Care Administration (UHWO, PUBA 301)+
- Introduction to Teaching (UHH ED 210)*
*Hawai’i Community College is the only partner for this class.
+UH Mānoa Dental Hygiene is the only partner for this class.
^UH Maui College is the only partner for this class.
C3S in Fall 2025
Note the 2% increase in tuition for 4-year students and UHCC students taking upper-division classes trough C3S. This aligns with the 2% increase in the UHH/UHWO (undergraduate) in-state tuition rate effective with the Fall 2025 semester. UH is also pleased to offer an expanded menu of C3S courses in Fall 2025, and C3S registration will be open to students on April 28. At that time, students will be able to view which C3S classes are available at their campus.
Fall 2025 C3S Classes:
- BAES Seminar: Career Explorations (UHH, ED 201)*
- Introduction to Teaching (UHH, ED 210)*
- Health and Wellness Education (UHH, ED 270)*
- Understanding the Earth (UHH, GEOL 111)*
- Understanding the Earth Lab (UHH, GEOL 111L)*
- Marine Option Program Seminar (UHH, MARE 100)*
- Oceanography Lab (UHH, MARE 201L)*
- Education in American Society (UHM, EDEF 310)
- Geospatial Information (UHM, ERTH 461)^
- Infancy and Early Childhood (UHM, HDFS 331)
- Middle Childhood (UHM, HDFS 332)
- Elementary Hindi I (UHM, HNDI 101)
- Introduction to Natural Resources Environmental Management (UHM, NREM 192)
- Scientific Principles of Sustainability (UHM, NREM 251)
- Medical and Urban Entomology (UHM, PEPS 463)+
- Foundations in Inclusive Schooling (UHM, SPED 304)
- Classroom Organization and Management (UHM, SPED 485)
- Family and Community Centered Programs (UHM, STE 425)
- Agriculture, Environment, and Society (UHM, TPSS 200)
- Child Development from Prenatal Through Age Eight (UHM, STE 318)
- Multicultural Perspectives in Education (UHM, STE 360)
- Introduction to Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing (UHWO, HLTH 204)
- La‘au Lapa‘au Novice Level A (UHWO, HLTH 305)
- Lomilomi Novice Level A (UHWO, HLTH 310)
- Health Disparities and Pacific Peoples (UHWO, HLTH 360)
- Introduction to Labor Studies (UHWO, LBST 100)
- Multivariable Calculus (UHWO, MATH 245)#
- Food Systems and Sustainability (UHWO, SCFS 295)
*Hawai‘i Community College is the only partner for these classes.
^UH Maui College is the only partner for this class.
+Leeward Community College is the only partner for this class.
#Kaua‘i Community College is the only partner for this class.
Faculty:
Please contact our office at ovpas@hawaii.edu if you would like to know more about how to participate in the program during its initial phases.
For Students:
C3S classes are now available in real-time, allowing students to easily register for them through STAR. Just pick your preferred campus, and you’ll find a list of accessible C3S classes in the registration menu.
Enroll in C3S
Use STAR Registration to enroll in C3S courses.
Quick Links
Contact
(808) 956-9404
avpapp@hawaii.edu
