MCC CHANCELLOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL

 HORIZONS COMMITTEE MEETING

August 20, 2007

Present:  Dorvin Leis, Martin Quill, Bill Wong, Clyde Sakamoto, Marilyn Fornwall   

Call to Order:  Dorvin Leis called the meeting to order at 1:05p.m.

Approval of Minutes :  The minutes of the February 26, 2007  meeting were reviewed and approved.   

Chancellor Update: 

• Student housing – The MCC student housing project will be completed during the fall semester.  Students will be temporarily housed in nearby hotels.
• Student Life Center – The target date for completion will be the end of September. 
• Swap meet – New activity has been taking place.  A great deal of the work has been done by volunteers keeping the project price down.  Projects over $125,000 need to have an environmental impact statement and this has been the hold-up.  The actual cost will be under this figure but the in-kind value of the volunteer work needs to figure into the total price which will now be over $125,000.   John Okamura from Kihei Gardens will be donating over 120 Sea Grape trees to plant along the roadside.  A thank you and in-kind form will be sent to Kihei Gardens.

Community Forum:  The community forum was a great success with many participants and great response.  The data is being analyzed and a report will be sent out to the participants sharing areas where the community is seeking our help and showing how we have answered needs from the past forums.

Construction employment has been an area of need and we have placed five faculty in the high schools running the construction academy, supported by high school teachers. 

At this past forum strong recommendations were made supporting 4-year programs in business, accounting and a range of professional careers. 

A request has been made to A & B Foundation to aid in funding 4-year programs.  The accrediting commission will be approached for help in building a pathway to the future.  Some areas that are being considered for 4 year programs are: Information Technology, Business, Accounting (Business and IT oriented), Health (we have a new Rad Tech program with support from Maui Memorial and Bobby Baker), and Dental Hygiene. 

Science Facility:  MCC has received $3.7 million for planning and design for the new science facility.  Science faculty are looking at plans that were created by Design Partners who have designed it to be energy efficient.

Miscellaneous:

• A letter will be mailed out to all Chancellor’s Advisory Council members seeking 100% participation in donations to the UH Foundation Centennial Campaign which will become public on August 29, 2007.  The request will be coming from Clyde, Dorvin and Richard.
• The MCC Culinary Arts faculty are marketing local products and sustainability.  They will issue reusable bags to faculty at convocation and will cease to use plastic bags in Pa`ina by the end of September.  Marty asked if our culinary faculty cooked with a certain regional flair that could be used to market the program.  The answer was no, not at this time.  Students are given a broad education in the culinary arts program.
• A commercial management services contract is being developed to manage all of the culinary facility assets including services to the students living in our student housing.
• A collaboration with Pacific Radio Group is in the works allowing us to have students to generate content for Ipods, Iphones, etc.  Roy and Hilda Takayama are interested in helping to create a digital media program.  Peter Martin wants more information on Maui to get out into the community so we are working on creating a new show on cable T.V.
• Bill Wong questioned the strength in faculty to push a 4-year program in accounting.  Additional faculty would be hired
• Earl Stoner has been approached to enlist help from the Weinberg Foundation to support our oral health program.  A reception will be held in September for Maui dentists giving them a tour of the mobile dental van.
• Improvements in record retention is a focus this year.

Upcoming Events:  The following events are coming up:

• 10/27   Noble Grape
• 10/30   Planned Giving Seminar
• 11/15   Reception for the Board of Regents

Next Meeting:  October 15, 2007