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From portables to powerhouse: ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu celebrates 50 years

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

Five members of West Oahu College’s first graduating class in 1977

Dan Boylan

Miss Hawaiʻi Carly Yoshida (courtesy Carly Yoshida)

Tied for No. 2 among U.S. News & World Report’s Top Public Colleges in the West

A campus staff member removes a directional sign from the early years

Link to video and sound (details below):

***suggested VO/SOT below***

From its humble beginnings in 1976 as West OÊ»ahu College—serving just 75 students in temporary portable classrooms in Pearl City and Ê»Aiea—the University of HawaiÊ»i–West OÊ»ahu has transformed into a premier, four-year Indigenous-serving institution and an economic anchor for the region.

This October, the campus marks its 50th anniversary, celebrating a half-century of empowering local learners and fueling social mobility.

Today, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu serves nearly 2,900 students through its permanent campus in Kapolei, which opened in 2012. It stands as a vital engine of opportunity: 96.7% of enrolled students are HawaiÊ»i residents, more than 44% are first-generation college students, and nearly 39% receive Federal Pell Grants. The campus has earned high national marks, tying for No. 2 among U.S. News & World Report’s Top Public Colleges in the West and placing No. 3 nationally in the Spring 2026 Cyber Power Rankings.

“Over the last 50 years, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu has proven that access to high-quality higher education can completely transform lives and communities,” said Interim Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza. “Our evolution from portable classrooms to a high-tech, sustainable anchor campus reflects the resilience and dedication of our faculty, staff and students. As we look to the next 50 years, we remain committed to serving our state and grounding our academic excellence in Native Hawaiian place-based learning, sustainability and regional workforce needs.”

The university’s rich history and deep roots are reflected across generations of campus leaders, alumni and faculty.

‘Hardscrabble’ start

Dan Boylan taught history at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu for 38 years before retiring in 2010. He was one of the charter-era professors teaching out of rented commercial spaces in Pearl City in Aiea in the 1970s. 

“It was hardscrabble. It was also frustrating, but at the same time, you felt something was happening. We were doing better than we had, and we were making it work,” he said.

In 2012, as the new Kapolei campus was being built, Boylan wrote about ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu’s early days:

“Despite its inadequacies, West O'ahu developed a vibrancy all its own. Access became a priority. Classes ran from 8 a.m. until 9:15 p.m. Weekend classes were offered on Friday nights and Saturdays. We sought out baccalaureate students on the Neighbor Islands, and traveled to them on weekends.

For 30 years, West O'ahu's students were labeled ‘nontraditional.’ We taught scores of veterans coming back to school on their GI bills, women who dropped out of college to marry and mid-career types who needed a degree to qualify for promotions.

All were serious about school, and many proved excellent students. For professors who reveled in teaching rather than research, West O'ahu was the place to be.”

ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu will celebrate its milestone with a week of events from October 5 to 9:

1. Monday, October. 5: Kickoff and exhibit opening
   • 9 a.m. Opening Ceremony: (James & Abigail Campbell Library) Featuring a ceremonial oli by Kumu Manulani Meyer and remarks from legacy faculty.
   • 9:45 a.m. "In Flight: 50 Years of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu: Grand opening of the historical archive featuring rare CLEAR and 'UluÊ»ulu artifacts.

NOTE: The public is invited to visit the exhibit, which runs through November 6.

1. Tuesday, October 6: Digital Engagement
   • Social Media Scavenger Hunt: Students, faculty and staff can play for prizes—50th anniversary swag!—all week long.
2. Wednesday, October 7: Living Legacy 
   • 9 a.m. Ceremonial Wiliwili Planting: Campus leaders will plant five native wiliwili trees, symbolizing leadership alignment and deep-rooted growth.
3. Thursday, October 8: Campus Celebration
   • Noon Birthday Celebration: Courtyard event featuring music, a giant sheet cake, and the "Pueo Pilina" student life fair.
   • 2 p.m. Time Capsule Sealing: Dedicated 25-year memory box containing messages from the 50th-anniversary cohort.
   • 5 p.m. "Pau Hana on the Green": Off-campus alumni reunion at The Pearl at Kalauao (invitation only)

VIDEO: TRT 3:34

BROLL: 2:06

ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu archival photos

New campus groundbreaking and construction

Current students 

Campus aerials

SOUND:

Dan Boylan, retired charter-era ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu professor (:29)

“We were happy to have any building. I think that's something for people who don't know the full history of the place to realize. We had nothing. There had been talk about a new campus for a long time, but nothing had been put together. So when they started putting together things by renting, there was something there. And we were quite happy.”

Carly Yoshida, Miss HawaiÊ»i, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu graduate (earned bachelor of arts in social sciences with a concentration in psychology in 2023) (:11)

“I'm really, really happy to be a part of this 50 year celebration and be able to recognize how beautiful and wonderful this, this campus, this staff and this Ê»ohana is.”

Glenn Medeiros, President, St. Louis School, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu graduate (earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities with a concentration in history in 1998) (:24)

“As the president of Saint Louis School I do meet a lot of students who are going to college and I try to tell them that it's important to find the right fit, that not every school is for every person. For me in particular, I needed some place where I could get to know the professors well. There were small classes, and where I could get the individualized help that I needed. And so for people who are looking for that, I think West OÊ»ahu is a really good fit.”

Katie Kaahanui, Director, Safe & Sound Westside, Department of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney (earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration with a concentration in justice administration in 2021) (:19)

“It is so important to have a campus like this in the heart of Kapolei because there are so many bright students, individuals, employees who are living out of town and they can really benefit from the wonderful support and resources that West OÊ»ahu has to offer.”

__________________________

VOSOT

INTRO 

The University of HawaiÊ»i–West OÊ»ahu is celebrating a major milestone this month, marking 50 years since the first classes were held in 1976. 

VO 

What started as West Oʻahu College with just 75 students in temporary portables has transformed into a premier four-year campus in Kapolei serving nearly 2,900 students. Early faculty remember offering classes in high school facilities before acquiring rental space.

SOT 

Dan Boylan, retired charter-era ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu professor (:29)

“We were happy to have any building. I think that's something for people who don't know the full history of the place to realize. We had nothing. There had been talk about a new campus for a long time, but nothing had been put together. So when they started putting together things by renting, there was something there. And we were quite happy.”

VO 

The university moved to portables on the Leeward Community College campus in 1991.  Ground was broken for a new campus in 2009, and in 2012, the new ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu campus in Kapolei celebrated its grand opening.

SOT 

Katie Kaahanui, Director, Safe & Sound Westside, Department of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney (earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration with a concentration in justice administration in 2021) (:19)

“It is so important to have a campus like this in the heart of Kapolei because there are so many bright students, individuals, employees who are living out of town and they can really benefit from the wonderful support and resources that West OÊ»ahu has to offer.”

VO 

Today, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ West OÊ»ahu is ranked No. 2 among U.S. News & World Report’s Top Public Colleges in the West and placed No. 3 nationally in the spring 2026 Cyber Power Rankings.

OUTRO

The 50th anniversary events kick off October 5th with an opening ceremony and historical archive display at the James and Abigail Campbell Library.