Author Profile

University of Hawaii Office of STEM Education

To provide UH system-wide leadership in support of STEM activities, and to increase student enrollment and academic success that leads to employment in STEM fields.

Academic Affairs, University of Hawaii
Established: 2016

http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/aa/stem/

Profile submitted by John Rand

Vision and Goals

  • To promote and develop collaborative partnerships among STEM faculty and Staff at UH and K-12 schools in Hawaii
  • To serve as a knowledgeable source of information related to STEM activities for UH faculty, staff and students
  • To promote diversity and inclusion in STEM activities at UH
  • To liaise with state and national agencies involved in STEM education reform
  • To assist UH faculty and staff with funding opportunities related to STEM teaching and learning
  • To provide leadership and oversight of system-wide, STEM-related academic affairs

Center/Program Structure

The University of Hawaii is a ten campus system consisting of one research intensive university (UH Manoa), one emerging research university (UH Hilo), a four-year institution (UH West Oahu) and seven community colleges located on four of the major Hawaiian Islands. The UH Manoa holds the distinction of being a Land, Sea and Space grant campus.

The UH Office of STEM Education (OSE) supports STEM activities at all ten UH campuses. The Director of OSE reports to the UH System Associate Vice President (VP) of Academic Affair. Four support specialists (Outreach, Diversity, Workforce, and Fiscal) report to the OSE Director.

Are there advantages of being structured this way?
Being housed in academic affairs allows the OSE to maintain close communications and partnerships with all other areas of the UH System organizational structure i.e. the VP of Community Colleges, VP of Research and Innovation, VP for Information Technology/Chief Information Office and the AVP for P-20. By being part of Academic Affairs, OSE is not perceived as merely a STEM grants office and can actively influence degree planning and policy. Further, being in academic affairs supports the alignment of STEM academic pathways for P-20 in Hawaii.

Are there particular challenges that result from this structure?
The UH structured budget for academic affairs is much lower than the other offices who receive direct legislative funding and indirect costs from grants or contracts. Thus, OSE must rely on external funding and funding support from the other UH Offices.

Funding

The University of Hawaii (UH) Office of STEM Education (OSE) is currently funded by USA Funds. USA Funds, which has worked with state government and higher education institutions in Hawaii since 1979, awarded the funds in keeping with its focus on promoting student success in college and career.
USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that supports Completion With a Purpose, building a more purposeful path for America's students to and through college and on to rewarding careers and successful lives.

How has this funding structure influenced the undergraduate STEM education programming the center offers?
The USA Funds project aims to enhance and diversify Hawaii's economy, prepare residents for high-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, strengthen teaching and learning of STEM subjects, and address Hawaii's "brain drain" of talent to the mainland. The project supports the creation of a continuous pathway in STEM fields through college and into STEM careers.

What are the specific advantages of having a center funded in this way?
The OSE will coordinate STEM-related activities across the state. Hawaii's centralized K-12 and higher education systems, which already work together closely, provide us with a unique opportunity to model for the nation how to use complex data and collaborate with business and government to understand and meet current and emerging workforce needs and prepare our students so that they have the skills and expertise our state needs in high-wage and high-demand STEM fields.

What are the challenges?
The OSE will coordinate STEM-related activities across the state. Hawaii's centralized K-12 and higher education systems, which already work together closely, provide us with a unique opportunity to model for the nation how to use complex data and collaborate with business and government to understand and meet current and emerging workforce needs and prepare our students so that they have the skills and expertise our state needs in high-wage and high-demand STEM fields.

Has this funding structure has changed over time?
The funding structure has not changed over time. The OSE and the associated STEM Center of Excellence opened it's door in Jan. 2016.

Description of Programming

Successes and Impacts

Evaluation and Assessment

How does your center demonstrate its value, both in terms of assessing its own programming and responding to external evaluation?
The OSE is new to UH and has not undergone a formal systemic assessment. The STEM Center of Excellence will regularly report to USA Funds bi-annually and project assessments are required as part of reporting. All employee projects and performance are assessed annually.

Elements Contributing to Success

Supplemental Materials

Essay: The Hawaii STEM Network for Innovation - John Rand, University of Hawaii Office of STEM Education