UH HILO FACULTY CONGRESS
Meeting Minutes
September 23, 2005
Members Present: Tausilia Amoa, Justin Avery, Philippe Binder, Marilyn Brown, Kelly
Burke, Jerry Calton, Rick Castberg, Keola Donaghy, Jonathan Groelz, April Komenaka, Jim
Mellon, Jene Michaud, Dylan Nonaka, Helen Rogers
Ex-Officio Members Present: Randy Hirokawa, Steve Hora, Corinne Tamashiro
Others Present: Beau Butts, Audrey Furukawa, Gail Makuakane-Lundin
Meeting called to order by Chair Jene Michaud at 3:02 pm.
ROUTINE BUSINESS
1. Announcements
a. RCUH: Letter from Congress regarding the UH administration’s proposed policy on
RCUH employment was sent on September 7, 2005, to the Board of Regents.
b. All-Campus Council of Faculty Senate Chairs (ACCFSC): At its recent meeting,
prerequisites in Banner as well as “grading harmony” within the UH system (different
grading systems within the UH system make transferring an issue) were discussed.
c. Budget: 5% of new revenue will be spent on campus safety.
d. Faculty governance: The appropriate division of responsibilities between Congress and
the colleges (e.g., with regard to admissions, graduation requirements) needs to be
worked on constructively throughout the year. Steve Hora will be bringing in a
consultant to look at this.
e. CCECS: Discussions are taking place regarding the scope of the college.
f. There are two ways to get congress to consider an issue. First, faculty members of
congress representatives can bring issues to the attention of members of the Congress
Executive Committee (CEC). The CEC will decide whether an issue will go to congress
or be referred to a committee or be tabled. When possible, it is best to bring issues to the
CEC at least a week before a scheduled congress meeting. The second option involves
having a voting member of congress make a motion from the floor following a waiver of
the 48-hour rule.
g. The CEC is referring the following matters to the Academic Policy Committee:
 transfer policy (the administration is requesting formal approval of existing
transfer policy)
 duties and qualifications of tenure-track teaching faculty (the VCAA is
requesting that we consider making certain changes)
 grading policy for repeated courses (the policy approved last May by
Congress will create problems when students fail a course they previously
got a passing grade in, thereby erasing credits earned in previous semesters)
2. Approval of the minutes of the August 26, 2005 meeting. Approved by acclamation.
3. Committee reports
a. Assessement Support Committee: Chair April Komenaka provided the following
progress report:
Membership:

In second year: Ruth Robison (OSA), Barbara Meguro (CAS)

Nominated for 2005-2007: Todd Belt (CAS), Richard Crowe (CAS), Bill Sakai
(CAFNRM), Errol Yudko (CAS)

The committee will be joined in an ad hoc capacity by faculty representing programs
which have completed program reviews recently and who can explain how program
review benefited their programs.
Tasks for 2005-2006:

Assisting programs undergoing self study 2005-2006 (Economics, History, Political
Science); first meeting with programs will focus the programs’ aspirations and
challenges and discuss how the program review process can assist

Encouraging programs that are still working on their reports

Tracking the progress of program reviews through the pipeline and following up on
MOUs

Helping the VCAA administer assessment funds (about $50,000; two major things
they will fund: 1) programs using Major Field Achievement Test and other
standardized outcomes testing, and 2); funding for programs
developing/implementing student learning outcomes assessment)

Revising the list of suggestions appended to the program review guidelines

Updating the campus Assessment Plan (last looked at in 2002)
b. Budget Committee: Chair Jerry Calton reported that the members of the committee will
be Bill Heacox (CAS), Jonathan Dresner (CAS), Kelly Burke (COBE), Helen Rogers
(Library) and Gail Makuakane-Lundin (OSA). Membes from CAFNRM and KHUOK
are sill needed. Dylan Nonaka asked if a student representative is needed on the
committee; the Chair said he will work with Dylan on student representation.
Steve Hora reported that the budget came out on August 15. Copies of the Academic
Affairs Allocation 2005-06 by Unit and the UH Hilo FY 2006 Initial Allocation were
distributed. There are not enough funds to go around. Dr. Hora allocated about $200,000
more than given by the Vice Chancellor for Administration; any new funds will need to
make up that deficit. A 2% increase in enrollment would yield about $180,000 additional
funds, of which the VCAA should be able to get about $100,000; a 3% increase in
enrollment would possibly enable the VCAA to obtain about $180,000.
He also reported that there is some progress on the Hawaii Community College issue
discussed at the last Congress meeting. They hope to have a resolution on the matter by
October 1.
c. General Education Committee: Chair Marilyn Brown distributed a handout that listed the
members of the committee. A member from the CAS Humanities Division and students
will be added to the committee in the future. The plans of the committee will be to make
an assessment of each college’s versions of General Education proposals (a request that
was made in February 2005 by the General Education Committee), and to see how the
committee can support colleges in completing the proposals.
OLD BUSINESS (none)
NEW BUSINESS
1. Motion (by the CEC) to appoint representatives to 2-year terms on the Congress standing
committees.




Academic Policy Committee: Patrick Hart (CAS-NS), Dawna Coutant (CAS-SS), Jerry
Calton (COBE), Barbara Heintz (OSA)
Assessement Support Committee: Todd Belt (CAS), Richard Crowe (CAS), Bill Sakai
(CAFNRM), Errol Yudko (CAS)
Budget Committee: Bill Heacox (CAS), Jonathan Dresner (CAS), Kelly Burke (COBE),
Helen Rogers (Library)
General Education Committee: Michael Shintaku (CAFNRM), Todd Belt (CAS-SS),
Philippe Binder (CAS-NS), Beau Butts (Student-CAS), Paul Ferraro (Student-COBE),
Pila Wilson (KHUOK), Thora Abarca (Library), Kainoa Ariola (OSA)
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
2. Motion (by the CEC) to convene a Student Success Committee (SSC). The purview of the
SSC will be retention, advising and remediation, and the committee will subsume the previous
Student Success and Retention Committee (a congress committee) and the previous Advising
Committee (a VCAA committee). The charge of the SSC will be to work with colleges,
academic affairs, and student affairs to prioritize initiatives (past recommendations of the
precursor committees) for implementation.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
3. Motion (by CEC) to form an ad hoc Congress Admissions Committee. The purview of the
committee will be undergraduate admissions, graduate admissions and re-admittance. The
charge of the committee shall be to summarize relevant information about admissions and make
recommendations regarding which faculty government bodies should set admissions criteria.
These recommendations should address the relationship between the senates and the congress
with respect to admissions criteria.
Before the motion above was voted on, the following motions were made and voted on:
Motion: Add that the committee will examine existing admissions criteria and recommend any
changes it deems necessary.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
Motion: For the Congress Chair make it clear that the issue of who makes admissions policy be
resolved first, and the policy issues be resolved second.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
Motion: Add that the committee also be charged with examining the issue of “differential”
admissions (e.g., proportion of non-resident vs. resident students, WUE students), and
recommend any changes.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
Motion: To form an admissions committee and give it a charge.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
4. Motion (by CEC) to appoint representatives to one-year terms on the Student Success and
Admissions Committees.


Student Success Committee: Kainoa Ariola (OSA), Chad Cabral (OSA), Karla Hayashi
(CAS), Raina Ivanova (CAS), Sonia Juvik (CAS—fall appointment only), Gail
Makuakane-Lundin (OSA), Eric Sanchez (Athletics), Craig Severance (CAS), Kenny
Simmons (VCAA Office, when she returns from sabbatical), Michael Wery (student)
Admissions Committee: Jim Cromwell (OSA), Gail Makuakane-Lundin (OSA), Bill
Mautz (CAS), Bill Sakai (CAFNRM)
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
5. Motion (by CEC) to send a letter to the UH President about the UH Hilo Budget.
See attached letter to Interim President David McClain regarding the UH Hilo budget.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
6. Motion (by CEC) to make the following appointments:
 Congress representative to the UH Hilo Graduate Council: Rick Castberg (1-yr term)
Vote: 9 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
 Congress Representative to the system budget committee: Jerry Calton (1-yr term)
Vote: 9 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
7. Motion (by CEC) to endorse the 2005-06 Graduate Council nominees.
Carry-over from 2004-05 Graduate Council: Nina Buchanan (CAS), Jerry Calton
(COBE), James Juvik (CAS), Donald Price (CAS/EPSCoR), Michael Shintaku (CAFNRM),
Enbao Wang (CAS)
New appointments: Harold Hall (CAS), Pila Wilson (KHUOK).
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
8. Motion: Waive the 48-hour rule to permit Justin Avery to speak regarding military
recruitment on campus. Motion seconded.
Justin Avery said that he believes UH Hilo is in violation of the University’s policy on nondiscrimination. He suggested that Congress consider making a statement that would
acknowledge that allowing military recruiters on campus violates University policy. Discussion
followed regarding the current legal status of this situation nationally (Yale School of Law’s case
is going to the Supreme Court) and whether the military is indeed discriminating against certain
individuals.
Motion: That this matter be referred to the CEC.
Vote: 10 in favor, 0 opposed. Motion passed.
Meeting adjourned at 4:10 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Mellon
Congress Secretary