The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College announced today that it received a donation of $30,000 worth of technology equipment from AJA Video Systems. The equipment will help facilitate new distance learning options for students across Maui County, from Molokai and Lāna‘i to Hana.

Currently the college services its students with special cable programming, Internet programming and a closed-circuit network—producing on average at least 30-hours of cable content, 20-hours of distance learning courses and 10-hours of prime time programming on the weekends. The donation from AJA Video, a Grass Valley-California based video technology company, will upgrade the college’s infrastructure from analog to digital while still retaining use of some of its existing gear, and deliver programming in HD. AJA Video Systems Founder John Abt and his wife Darlene live on Maui, and once John learned that the college had approached his company about its video needs, he decided to donate the equipment.

“I was very impressed with the great lengths that University of Hawaiʻi, Maui College goes to in order to provide high quality distance-learning options to students in remote locations who may not otherwise have access to a university education,” said Abt. “We’re very excited that with this donation of equipment, the college will be able to upgrade its video-based education infrastructure to HD and bring cutting-edge video technologies into their television production curriculum.”

“Distance learning technology is integral to our ability to offer all Maui County residents the chance to achieve their higher education goals,” said University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto. “The College pioneered cable television-delivered instruction for Lāna‘i and Molokai from our main campus in 1983, and introduced Skybridge, an interactive television system for distance-learning, on Lāna‘i, in 1988. This generous gift will strengthen our technology infrastructure and demonstrate how businesses can partner with academic institutions to create a better future for our students and community.”

UHMC Chief Engineer Reuben Dela Cruz, who initially compiled the technology “wish list”, has already installed some of the donated equipment. Additional equipment donated by AJA will also allow Media Coordinator Mike Albert to take his television production class, a hands-on practical course, from tape to digital using AJA’s Ki Pro Mini tapeless recorders.