WASC Accreditation Review:
Summary of Findings and Recommendations

Recommendation: Given the centrality of applied learning to the mission of the
university and its identification as a hallmark of the UH--‐Hilo degree, it is
recommended that the university develop criteria and processes for assessing the
effectiveness of its applied learning activities and their contribution to student
learning (CFR 4.7).

Recommendation: It is recommended that the university faithfully adhere to the
published program review schedule and that departments receive constructive
feedback on the quality of outcomes, assessment plans and studies and that
departments use this feedback to improve student learning (CFR 2.7).

One area of concern, directly connected to the efficacy of the effort to assess the core
competencies and understand the rigor and quality of the program is that a lack of
clarity in policies and consistent practice have contributed to the perception the
university has created institutional road blocks to student success, in particular the
General Education program and the high number of waivers and exceptions to
program requirements. These are issues of significant risk and can undermine the
rigor and quality of your degree programs. The team recommends that immediate
attention be given to these issues, assuring, through outcomes assessment efforts, the
importance of articulation policies that do not penalize UH-H students who choose to
complete the General Education core at the campus rather than concurrently
enrolling or seeking other sources to complete these requirements.

The team recommends that efforts for the assessment of the core competencies be
extended outside of the general education program and are incorporated in the
disciplines and majors through continued programmatic assessment and program
review, allowing UH-H to better understand the competency level of its graduates and
to improve teaching and learning across campus.

Attention and resources, including consideration of a strategic and long-range plan
including the creation of a campus data warehouse that both interfaces with the UH
system and meets local needs, should be given to the critically important institutional
research arena (CFRs 4.2, 4.3).

The team recommends continued attention and effort to be directed toward
retention efforts, particularly for the transfer and continuing student population.
This includes examining more about demographic factors which affect retention and
graduation rates and why.

The campus has demonstrated a desire to be inclusive and collaborative through the use of
a variety of committees employed to tackle the tough questions facing UH-H. Those
committees serve an important function in the governance structure, and for those who
serve on them, are a helpful opportunity to exchange information and ideas. For the larger
campus community, however, committees are not an appropriate substitution for
communication. The team strongly recommends that efforts be made to enhance and
create better lines of communication on campus to deliver news and information to
provide more context and ensure stability (CFRs 3.8, 4.1).

The development and oversight of the distance‐learning program, specifically the
online courses and degrees, requires a clearly articulated strategy and adequate
resource to support faculty and learning. The team recommends that immediate
attention be given to all aspects of the online, distance education program.