Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 10, 1 October 2001 — UH President Evan Dobelle earmarks $1.5 million for Native Hawaiian education [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UH President Evan Dobelle earmarks $1.5 million for Native Hawaiian education

By Naomi Sodetani

Following up on his inaugural pledges, University of Hawai'i President Evan S. Dobelle has earmarked $1.5 million in funding initiatives to immediately support access and academic excellence for Native Hawaiians at U.H. At a Sept. 13 news conference announcing the funding commitment, Dobelle called the move "the down payment on a longer-run-ning commitment to meet the needs of Native Hawaiians throughout the University of Hawai'i system." "As the state's public system of higher education, our comprehensive mission is to serve all the citizens of Hawai'i in their efforts to create a better life and secure future for their children," he said. "Our obligation grows with the diminishment of fortunes of any particular

popuIation wuhin our community. ' Dobelle plans to initiate a dialogue with OHA and other Hawaiian organizations, such as Kamehameha Schools, to strategize how to increase access and opportunities for Native Hawaiian students to obtain college degrees. The university is committed to developing as part of its five-to-seven year strategic plan ways to permanently address the status of Native Hawaiian students, faculty and curriculum within the university system. said Dobelle. He will present this plan to

the Governor and Legislature in 15 months for eonsideration in the next hiannual budget.

In early July, Dobelle appointed Nainoa Thompson as his "special advisor" on Native Hawaiian issues and called Hawaiian academic needs a "very high priority." He mentioned such possibilities as "eoming together with charter schools or fully funding the needs of the Center for Hawaiian Studies" and possibly tuition waivers for Native

Hawaiian students. "If it's not on the table," Dobelle then stated, 'Tll put it on the table." Dr. Lilikalā Kame'eleihiwa, director of the Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH-Mānoa, called Dobelle "the most proHawaiian president we've ever had in the history of the university. He is truly a great man moved by the wrongs done to Hawaiians and the challenges we face in righting those wrongs. Now, with a little bit

of support, we'll be able to do great things."

In January, the center will host a retreat for the statewide eouneil of Hawaiian Studies, to assess student and program needs and coordinate efforts. "We will all bring our five-year plans so we ean find out where the pukas are," Kame'eleihiwa said. "We need to work together and pool our resources so we efficiently use the money in a way that actually benefits students mueh better." The university will also develop Title III initiatives to bring additional resources to all Hawaiian students throughout the 10-eam-pus system. At Dobelle's first forum with students at the Mānoa campus last month, several students raised Hawaiian issues, including the laek of tenured faculty members at the Center for Hawaiian Studies. The U.H. president then said 25 percent of his first budget reallocations will go to Hawaiian Studies to address that eoneem and other issues. Currently, U.H. West O'ahu has dedicated $150,000 for Hawaiian programs. U.H. Hilo has received $1.5 million over five years to increase graduation and retention rates among Hawaiian students and to enhanee access to Hawaiian language studies, and the community colleges received $1.6 million under Title III for a variety of Hawaiian programs. "The interests of the Native Hawaiian students are the interests of the entire university community," said Dobelle. "For an academic institution to turn its back on our heritage is not defensible. I don't think any person, whether they eome from Hawai'i or the Mainland or some other country, should receive a degree without having some exposure to Native Hawaiian history." ■

"lf it's not on the table, l'll put it on the table." - Evan s. Dobelle on tuition waivers for Hawaiian students in a July 2001 HPR interview.

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