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UH-Maui College back in session

Hokoana notes that enrollment declines are partly due to successes

By Dakota Grossman 4 min read

KAHULUI -- Summer vacation is officially over and University of Hawaii Maui College students were getting back into the groove as they began classes Monday morning.

Many students searched for their classrooms while others looked for parking. Some ran into old classmates and some found new friends. But the campus seemed a tiny bit quieter than in years past, which could be due to recent decreases in student enrollment.

"Enrollment has been declining significantly the last five years," UH-Maui College Chancellor Lui Hokoana said. "In fall 2014, we enrolled about 3,600 students. Last fall, we enrolled about 3,000, and we anticipate enrolling that many students this year."

One possible reason for the recent declines is the efforts put into increasing student success, Hokoana said. Last year, 704 students graduated from UH-Maui College, which is the highest number the college has ever graduated, he said.

"We also transferred 654 students to other colleges. This, too, is an all-time high," he added. "So part of the reason our enrollment has been declining is that more students have been leaving us due to graduation and transfer, which is good for the student and our community."

Also, many students lately are working rather than attending school and going to the Mainland for college.

"During a strong economy, parents feel more secure with spending the extra money to send their children away to the Mainland," he added.

The college has seen growth in specific curriculum in the last three years, Hokoana said. For example, the Extended Learning and Workforce Development programs have increased from 2,800 students to around 3,500 students over the last fiscal year.

The five branches of this program include: Apprenticeship; Maui Food Innovation Center; Maui Language Institute; University Center, which handles distance learning for all UH-system schools, and Workforce Development and Community Education. Most of the Extended Learning and Workforce Development (ELWD) classes are less than six weeks long.

"Some of the training offered through ELWD is forklift certification, CDL, firefighter test preparation, and other industry certifications," Hokoana said. "What this tells us is there is still need for training and during a strong economy, folks like to enroll in shorter training programs."

There are new and exciting extracurricular activities beginning at the college this school year, such as a new conference room for a gaming center and a club football team to start competing in the spring, he said.

"It seems every time our gaming clubs host an event, there are tons of students and community folks in attendance," Hokoana said.

The main UH-Maui College campus is located in Kahului, but there are education centers in Hana and on Molokai and Lanai. There are 21 associate degrees offered at UH-MC as well as 34 certificates and three bachelor's degrees.

For one UH-Maui College part-time student, the school has all the courses she needs to kick start her career in nursing.

"So far, it's been all good, no problems for me," said Adona Sabugo, who is entering her third year. "It's more convenient for me and allowed me to save, that's why I stayed here. They have everything that I needed."

Nursing students have the option of becoming a practical nurse or earning an associate in science-registered nurse.

While Sabugo felt comfortable walking around campus again as a junior, there were many students attending UH-MC for the first time.

"Don't forget to ask any questions," Sabugo suggested for the freshmen. "If you have any, don't hesitate to ask. There's a lot of people who can help. That's what I kind of learned after my first year here."

Freshman Eva Meyer left her home in Louisiana to attend UH-Maui College and pursue her studies in Agriculture and Natural Resources, a two-year program with access to education and on-field training at the 10,700-square-foot greenhouse facility and 1.5 acres of landscape and vegetation.

Meyer arrived to campus early on Monday morning to learn the layout of the school and to find her classes.

"I'm very excited. I was a little bit nervous at first, I didn't sleep last night," she said with a laugh. "There's going to be so many things that will happen that I can't anticipate. . . . I'm just going to try and get the most I can out of it."

Meyer has been planning and looking forward to college "her whole life."

"First day of classes, it's so amazing," she added.

To learn more about the UH-Maui College and its offerings, go to maui.hawaii.edu.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

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