Reading time: 2 minutesFrom left, Carlos Peñaloza, Della Teraoka, Margaret Sanchez, Maria Harper-Marinick, Wendy Hensel, Misaki Takabayashi, Karen Lee, Susan Kodama, Lui Hokoana
More than 850 faculty and staff from the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges gathered at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on March 7, for the annual Hawaiʻi Student Success Institute (HISSI) conference. With the theme “Navigating Uncharted Waters: Exploring New Horizons,” the event focused on adapting to the rapidly changing higher education landscape.
“There has never been a more important moment for us to gather together like this and remember who we are,” UH President Wendy Hensel said in the opening of the event. “Let’s be bold and think outside the box as we remain deeply committed to the role that the UH Community Colleges play in serving our students to help them succeed and reach their goals.”
The professional development event fosters the exchange of best practices across UH’s seven community colleges, ensuring a collaborative approach to student success. The conference featured more than 60 breakout sessions covering topics such as teaching and learning strategies, campus safety and UH’s new online learning system, Lamakū.
“This event serves as a call to action to inspire our faculty and staff to embrace change and shape the future of learning,” said Della Teraoka, interim vice president for the UH Community Colleges. “We need to continue exploring innovative ways to enhance student support to ensure that a community college education remains accessible, effective and aligned with workforce demands.”
Change agent, community builder
The event highlighted the achievements of faculty and staff through the UH Community Colleges Wo Learning Champions, an initiative focused on professional development for faculty and staff in UH’s two-year institutions.
The Change Agent Award, recognizing innovation in teaching and service delivery, was awarded to Ashley Biddle, Nicole Keim-Fortuno, Kenisha Strong-Ruiz, and Michele Mahi from Leeward Community College’s Hui ʻOhana. Their initiatives, including a diaper bank and family-focused community events, support student parents and drive systemic change.
The Community Building Award honors initiatives that unite and strengthen connections across campuses, the UH Community Colleges system and local communities. This year, Kalei Ruiz of Leeward Community College was recognized for QUEERIFY, a project creating safe spaces and amplifying voices within the queer community through educational events and an online resource hub.
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