CAMPUS OPEN FORUM

Date: September 2, 2020

Presenters:

  • UHMC Chancellor Lui K. Hokoana
  • Vice President for UH Community Colleges Erika Lacro, PhD
  • Futurist, systems thinker & passionate advocate for positive social transformation in Hawaiʻi Aubrey Yee, PhD
  • UHMC Strategic Planning Committee

DOCUMENTS

UHMC CAMPUS FORUM 9-2-20 ppt

QUESTION COMMENTS
What’s happening with the net-zero solar PV array? Are we net-zero yet? How much money is being saved in electricity costs? Are there other ways to save on electricity, especially since there are so few students on campus? The PV project has been delayed due to unforseen issues. First, Maui Electric required the installation of a transformer that delayed the energizing of the system. Second, when the project was energized the batteries got damaged. JCI will be installing new batteries. Timeframe for completion is end of September. When finished, the PV system will result in energy savings. Leeward CC energizied its PV system and became the first college in the US to go net zero. Even without the PV project, UHMC has seen small reductions in electricity use. Closure of certain buildings and curtailment of AC could result in addtional electrical savings. David Tamanaha has been asked to estimate energy savings associated with further curtailment of AC service.
Will checking in with the Lumisight UH app be good enough instead of the links on the buildings? Please use the Maui College app to do the COVID survey and to check in and out of buildings. Checking in and out of buildings facilitates contact tracing should it be necessary. The app notifies administrators when someone is not cleared and contact is then initiated with those who are not cleared. The Lumisight UH app does not have this capacity.
Are we going to be laid off or furloughed? Any employee layoffs would be subject to union contract provisions. Regarding furloughs, Governor Ige has stated publicly that state employees may be furloughed due to budget shortfalls. No final decisions regarding such measures have been made yet. In the meantime, UH is preparing for a 16% budget cut and UHCC has provided UHMC with a budget scenario. David Tamanaha will share this scenario with Unit Heads and receive comments on the proposed scenario.
Please address the president’s email about work from home. Susan Tokunaga emailed new Telework procedures, effective Septenber 1, 2020. The revised procedures clarify that community college instructional and non instructional faculty are not required to submit a Telework form or work plan and need not enter Telework status in the online UH leave system. However, Telework must be approved by the unit head. If you want to Telework, please consult your supervisor.
When will QR codes be posted on all the entrances to each building (Kupaa for example)? The QR codes should be posted on the insides of doors too in order to scan upon exiting. QR codes have been posted at building entrances.
Which buildings on campus have the new HVAC filters installed meant to help control the circulation of COVID-19 in the air? Do these filters work on the entire building when installed, or just certain areas of the building? By November all buildings operating off of the central AC system will have HVAC filters installed. Units that are not connected to the central ac system will be retrofitted with other filtering technology.
According to the Star Advertiser, COVID-19 data shows Maui should expect to see a surge in cases shortly. Are we doing anything to prepare such as restricting presence on campus unless it’s absolutely necessary to be here? UHMC will comply with all state and county directives. Should a stay at home order be issued again, UHMC will comply, although higher education has been exempt as an essential service.
Do we need to complete the daily pre-screening health questions on the app on days we are teleworking? Yes, completing the screening questions is a good reminder during the pandemic to monitor our health regularly.
Are other campuses using their own app instead of the UH System screening app? If not, why is UHMC the only one using their own? UHMC is the only campus not using the UH system app. UHMC initiated its screening survey well in advance of the system app. The UHMC app is more thorough than the UH system app and its use has been allowed by UH system.
It seems that not all personnel on campus are using the UHMC App to do the daily screening and being required to check in and out of buildings. Why is that? All UHMC students and staff with a hawaii.edu account should use the UHMC app for COVID screening purposes. ELWD is continuing to use the red QR code Google doc system previously implemented because ELWD students are short term and most do not have a hawaii.edu account. Paper questionnaires are available for those without hawaii.edu accounts or smartphones.
For Erika: When the system speaks of ‘consolidation,’ it usually means things move to Oahu, which, in my experience, is not good for non-Oahu campuses since the needs on different islands are different. Are you aware of specific plans and discussions about consolidation of programs/services and what it will mean for non-Oahu campuses? A number of ideas, including the consolidation of academic programs, support services, and campus operations, have been mentioned. Such discussions have been preliminary and absent detail.
Were the unions consulted on the requirement at UHMC to check in and out of buildings with the app? No, because checking in with the UHMC app is voluntary, as is the daily COVID screening. If you believe your privacy rights are more important than keeping yourself and your colleagues safe you do not need to do the check in and check out. We all need to make that decision for ourselves.
Why are the numbers on the IRO dashboard changing for F15-19 from the historical data that’s posted on the page below the headcount and ssh tables? We do not know at this time, but we will seek clarifcation.
Does the UH email to the UH System, sent on August 19th, with the subject line: “Campus mask requirements and disciplinary actions,” apply to UH Maui College? If not, why not? Yes, the UH System email applies to Maui. In addtion, Mayor Victorino has issued a public health emergency rule requring all persons over the age of 5 to use masks while in public settings.
I strongly believe UH Maui College needs to designate a savvy, communicative, present, and open communications officer who can lead campus-wide communication strategies (“internal” and “external” communications) during these rapidly changing and confusing times. UHMC’s vacant marketing and communications position was swept, but we are reviewing whether CARES Act funds could be used to help with messaging. If something is not clear and you want clarification you can email – covidmau@hawaii.edu or call the covid hotline at 984-3799.
Is UHCC considering consolidating some or all of its community college campuses? Also, will 11 month faculty be converted to 9 month faculty? No definitive answer at this time, but due to the severe state budget shortfall all options are on the table.
How do you anticipate these budgetary issues impacting tenure and promotion for tenure-track faculty? We don’t know. Because tenure and promotion are matters covered by collective bargaining, any changes are subject to union negotiation.
Can we get a copy of the slides? Yes
no healthcare as a living wage job? UHMC has been active in Maui Healthcare Partnership workshops, including discussions with Hale Makua and other employers regarding a healthcare career pathway leading to living wage jobs.
Mike what about workforce development services through the OCET’s? would you want to cut that? Mike Unebasami said that programs that are losing money should be evaluated to determine whether or not the program should be continued in light of the state budget shortfall.
When position numbers were swept were $ for them swept too? No
what possible eliminations? No details.
what is the timeline for “immediate” Immediate means now, this budget year, which ends June 30, 2021.
Can you please give an example of programs that are operating at a loss? Or examples of programs that may be out of date? Some program areas or courses in ELWD have run at a loss and have been phased out (e.g. leisure courses).
What is meant by auxiliaries Bookstore (not run by UHMC), paid parking, cafeteria services, facilities rentals.
What about high paid admins and the amount of admins throughout the system? More money can be saved by reducing admins and admin pay. Yes, everything is on the table.
Are there ways that we as a UHCC system can help do more training of the current/future teachers in the DOE to be more distant teaching ready? As was discussed by Aubrey, we will not/should not return back to “business as usual” post-pandemic. How can we as a state be better at distance teaching/learning in P-20? What important role can UH have in this post-pandemic future for our teachers in Hawai’i? UHMC’s academic deans are reviewing our capacity to assist the DOE. I have reached out to some of our high school principals to offer help, but they are so busy with day-to- day operations, they often don’t have time to focus on training.
We need to renegotiate with MACC for parking! Yes, i’ll create a committee to consider what we charge for the use of our facilities. In the meantime, due to the COVID emergency, the MACC has suspended its live events and concerts.