Two weeks ago we welcomed a new group of students to the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Even though we do not have as many students starting at the campus in spring, we still do what we can to make them welcome, and we have been adding more programming for these mid-year admits every year.
It is important for us to change things up every year, not only because we have learned new things about the factors that can help our students succeed, but also because while welcoming students is something we do every semester, the experience is new for our students. Especially for those students coming from outside our state, being welcomed with Kipaepae introduces them to our Hawaiian host culture and the cultural importance of these ceremonies.
Of course, the welcoming includes all the usual stuff: inspiring words from campus leaders, enthusiastic activities with student peers leaders, and informational briefings on academic and student life topics. There are some boilerplate words of wisdom: Ask lots of questions, try something new, take advantage of all the opportunities that UH Hilo has to offer, etc., etc. I always enjoy asking students what the most important factor in their success is (hint: “Go to class!”).
I have participated in dozens of these events over the course of my career, and while the advice is often the same, I try to make sure I am uttering my words as if it is the first time because it is the first time for the students. When I was a teaching professor, I tried to change things up in my classes, too. I remember well having some professors when I was a student that would bring the same yellowed notes to class every year. It is an easy temptation to do so when one teaches medieval literature. The text is the text is the text and the words have been the same for hundreds of years. The audience changes, though, and as the audience changes, so does the meaning.
Every act of communication has three components: the speaker/writer, the listener/reader, and the words themselves. Changing any piece changes the communication. So too with our welcoming rituals and the way we do things at the university.
This year, our three vice chancellors have embarked on a bold, new approach to student success on our campus. They are working to tear down the silos between academic, student and administrative affairs. The student should feel the full weight of our campus in support of their journey, and that means that every person on the campus has a role to play.
By working across the traditional divisions at the university, we make the old new. For a faculty member to sit down with a staff member and hear their perception on what can make a student successful makes both of them stronger and more useful to the student. Hearing from others energizes us and lets us know that we are part of a team.
These campus teams or kime will engage dozens of people across our campus. Some have been directly involved in welcoming and supporting students throughout their careers with us, but others are newer to the conversation about all the elements needed to help students thrive.
Ka‘i i ka wekiu (Elevating Student Success) invites approximately 60 campus participants spread across four teams to the table to help improve the way our university supports our students: Enrollment – Elevating Our Understanding; Engagement – Fostering Student Connection and Achievement; Student Support and Wellbeing – Nurturing Holistic Care; and, Workplace Culture – Fostering a Flourishing Environment. These four groups will imagine, assess and help implement a new day for UH Hilo and our students.
Some of this work is the old. We have always cared about our students. Many of our campus faculty and staff have always stayed up-to-date with the latest strategies in education and professional and personal development of students. We have always had experts in many fields who are absolutely dedicated to our students, our campus, and our community. The teams bring fresh energy and vision to our work, and teamwork will lead to growth and evolution.
Dreams can come true again
When everything old is new again.
Bonnie D. Irwin is chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Her column appears monthly in the Tribune-Herald.