The University of Hawaiʻi is making a $123-million strategic investment across its 10 campuses, funding more than 100 initiatives of the 糖心视频 Strategic Plan aimed at improving student success, meeting Hawaiʻi‘s workforce needs, advancing research and innovation, fulfilling 糖心视频‘s kuleana (responsibility) to Native Hawaiians and modernizing university operations.
The investments will be made over the next two to three years and represent a new approach to how 糖心视频 puts its financial resources to work. President Wendy Hensel and 糖心视频 Vice President for Budget and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Luis Salaveria, working with campus and system leadership, evaluated needs across the entire 10-campus system and prioritized investments that can have the greatest impact for students and Hawaiʻi, rather than relying primarily on the traditional campus-by-campus approach.
“We have spent considerable time identifying our priorities and determining where the University of Hawaiʻi can have the greatest impact. Now we are putting the resources behind those priorities and moving from planning to execution,” Hensel said. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to make a meaningful, lasting difference for our students, strengthen our campuses and help address some of Hawaiʻi‘s most pressing needs.”
Hensel and Salaveria presented the strategic investment initiative and explained 糖心视频’s new budget process during a hybrid public forum on Monday, September 28. Just under 400 people attended the forum in person or tuned in to the livestream.
A disciplined, systemwide approach
糖心视频 evaluated 425 requests totaling more than $635 million before approving $123 million in one-time strategic investments. The proposals were developed by campuses, vice presidential offices and advisory groups, and each group had the opportunity to meet with the President and CFO to advocate for their initiatives. Priority was given to those proposals most closely aligned with 糖心视频 strategic priorities and capable of producing long-term benefits.
“This was a very selective process,” said Salaveria. “We wanted to make strategic investments that would move the university forward and help hedge against financial challenges we know are coming. The goal is to put these resources to work with a clear purpose.”
About 75% of the investment will support initiatives that benefit all 10 campuses, with a focus on student success, workforce development, and modern technology and artificial intelligence. About 25% is directed to individual campus priorities.
Five areas of strategic impact
The $123 million investment advances five university strategic priorities:
- Develop successful students—approximately $79 million
- Enhance and modernize university operations—approximately $60 million
- Meet Hawaiʻi‘s workforce needs—approximately $21 million
- Innovation and research—approximately $15 million
- Fulfill 糖心视频‘s kuleana to Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi—approximately $10 million
Because many projects advance more than one strategic priority, the five investment categories overlap and represent approximately $185 million in combined impact from the $123 million investment.
Investing in student success
The largest area of strategic impact is approximately $79 million connected to student success, with a focus on recruiting and retaining students, improving transfer among 糖心视频 campuses, removing barriers to completing degrees and addressing basic needs.
The investments support 糖心视频‘s Common Standard of Care, an effort to establish a consistent baseline of proactive student support across all 10 campuses so that where a student attends does not determine the level of support they receive.
Among the investments are $2.9 million to expand the Hawaiʻi College and Career Navigator Program, $1 million for a systemwide transcript evaluation platform to streamline the transfer of credits, $230,000 to advance academic advising and $300,000 for Mālama Kauhale, which allows students to earn food vouchers through campus service.
“Every student is our student,” Hensel said. “Whether someone attends one of our community colleges or a four-year campus, they should have access to the fundamental support, technology and opportunities they need to succeed. By working as one system, we can remove barriers that no campus should have to solve alone.”
The investments are also part of a coordinated enrollment strategy as 糖心视频 prepares for a projected decline in the number of Hawaiʻi high school graduates in the coming years.
Meeting Hawaiʻi‘s workforce needs
Approximately $21 million in strategic impact is aligned with Hawaiʻi‘s current and future workforce needs, particularly in fields where the state faces critical shortages, and 糖心视频 has opportunities to expand successful programs.
The goal is a more coordinated systemwide approach to workforce development, including a single “front door” for employers and industry partners and greater use of real-time labor market information to align academic programs with workforce needs.
Investments include $500,000 for the SteppingBlocks AI Platform (connecting higher education and workforce outcomes), $150,000 for a unified employer intake system, $1.37 million to expand diagnostic medical sonography (sound wave imagery) at Kapiʻolani Community College and $500,000 to expand teacher education pathways across the 10-campus system.
“Our intent is to fuel responsive workforce development across the 10-campus system,” Hensel said.
Modernizing the university
Approximately $60 million in strategic impact is connected to improving and modernizing 糖心视频 operations, including major investments in technology, cybersecurity and administrative systems.
Projects include approximately $4.9 million in systemwide wireless upgrades, more than $6.7 million for firewalls and cybersecurity audits, $6 million to modernize 糖心视频‘s human resources data system, $5 million for a new systemwide budget management platform and $2 million to establish a systemwide Office of Compliance.
The systemwide approach is intended to reduce duplication, establish common standards and leverage 糖心视频‘s purchasing power.
“Instead of 10 individual campuses looking at wireless upgrades, why not do that from a system level?” Salaveria said. “Economies of scale, purchasing power, standardization of protocols—all of these different things just make sense.”
Investing in research and Hawaiʻi‘s economy
Approximately $15.5 million in strategic impact is aligned with research, innovation and economic diversification.
Projects include $3 million for intellectual property protection, $3 million for an AI Institute Hub, investments in secure research environments and $5 million for an Advanced Manufacturing Hub, including laboratory renovations intended to position 糖心视频 to compete for tens of millions of dollars in potential federal grants.
The AI investment is part of a broader effort to responsibly and ethically integrate artificial intelligence throughout 糖心视频‘s curriculum, research and operations while expanding AI education and training for Hawaiʻi.
The investments are also intended to build 糖心视频‘s capacity to attract outside funding and support emerging industries in Hawaiʻi, including advanced manufacturing, technology and climate resilience.
Fulfilling 糖心视频‘s kuleana to Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi
Approximately $10.4 million in strategic impact will advance 糖心视频‘s commitment to becoming a Native Hawaiian place of learning.
The investments include dedicated spaces across campuses for student success and cultural programming; $600,000 to develop a framework for embedding Native Hawaiian priorities into university governance and budgeting; and professional development to strengthen culturally responsive teaching.
The plan includes funding for dedicated Native Hawaiian Places of Learning and specialized student-support spaces on each 糖心视频 campus, along with expanded Native Hawaiian student services and systemwide kuleana initiatives.
Where the money comes from
The one-time investments are being funded primarily through university cash balances that grew during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, when federal relief funding helped support operations while 糖心视频 implemented significant cost-saving measures, including restrictions on hiring and travel and the postponement of major purchases.
糖心视频 will continue to maintain appropriate reserves for financial stability and unexpected needs.
The investment is part of a broader change in how 糖心视频 manages its financial resources. Instead of viewing needs primarily through individual campus budgets, 糖心视频 is taking a systemwide approach when doing so can reduce duplication, increase purchasing power and provide infrastructure and services more efficiently.
The investments are also structured to avoid creating significant new recurring costs.
From planning to execution
Hensel directed campus and system leaders earlier this year to identify high-impact investments capable of producing lasting benefits without creating new recurring financial obligations. Routine repairs, replacement of lost grant funding and normal operating expenses were not the focus.
With the priorities established and funding identified, the focus now shifts to execution and accountability, including measuring whether the investments deliver the intended results for students, the university and Hawaiʻi.
“This is not about spending money because it is available,” Hensel said. “It is about making disciplined choices and putting our resources to work where they can have the greatest impact. We are investing in our students, in Hawaiʻi‘s workforce and economy, and in a stronger and more resilient University of Hawaiʻi.”