University of Hawaii at Hilo

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) is a public university in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. It is one of ten campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi System. It was founded as Hilo Center at Lyman Hall of the Hilo Boys School in 1945 and was a branch campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In 1970 it was reorganized by an act of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and became a campus within the newly created University of Hawaiʻi System.

The university has been accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission or its predecessor since 1976.^[7] It offers thirty-three undergraduate and three graduate degree programs and has about 3,000 students; most students are residents of Hawaiʻi but many are international students.

University of Hawaii at Hilo is a small, 4-year, public technical college. This coed college is located in a rural setting and is primarily a commuter campus. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. This college has an acceptance rate of 44% and a graduation rate of 42%.

University of Hawaiʻi—Hilo

Former name	Hilo Center at Lyman Hall (1945–1950) University of Hawai’i Hilo Branch (1950–1970)
Motto	Maluna aʻe o nā lāhui āpau ke ola ke kānaka (Hawaiian)
Motto in English	“Above all nations is humanity”
Type	Public university
Established	1945; 79 years ago
Parent institution	University of Hawaiʻi
Accreditation	WSCUS
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$491.36 million (2023) (system-wide)
Chancellor	Bonnie D. Irwin
President	David Lassner
Academic staff	210 (2016)
Students	3,539 (fall 2019)
Undergraduates	2,971
Postgraduates	568
Location	Hilo , Hawaii , United States 19°41′59″N 155°04′54″W
Campus	115 acres (47 ha)
Newspaper	Ke Kalahea
Colors	UH Hilo Red   UH Hilo Black
Nickname	Vulcans
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – PacWest
Mascot	Vulcan
Website	hilo.hawaii.edu

History

Although post-high school non-credit courses had been offered in Hilo as early as 1945, under the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Adult Education Services, the university was established as Hilo Center at Lyman Hall of the Hilo Boys School. After an attempt to close the school in 1951 by Governor Ore cedet karmaE.

Long, Big Island residents, local legislators, and the University of Hawaiʻi Alumni Association led efforts to save its only college to then establish the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo Branch as a two-year campus of the university.

In 1955, the branch moved to its present location on a thirty-acre parcel of land with an enlarged faculty to support its growing student population.

In 1964, University of Hawaiʻi president Thomas Hamilton released a feasibility study on creating a statewide system of community colleges operating as part of the university. The study recommended that the Hilo Branch and the Hawaii Technical School to create a community college in Hilo.

However, due to resistance from Big Island legislators, Hawaii Technical School became Hawaii Community College with oversight from the Hawaii Department of Education. Both Hawaii Community College and the Hilo Branch, however, would share the same facilities until 1984.

In 1970, University of Hawaiʻi president Harlan Cleveland led efforts to reorganize the Hilo Branch by renaming the campus to Hilo College and merged with Hawaii Community College. Collectively they were known as the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo with Paul Miwa as its first chancellor.

Amid a failed plan to create a new state college system, of which the UH Hilo would be its ‘flagship’, Hawai’i Community College was separated from university in 1990. In the 1990s, the former branch campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa would emphasize liberal arts, education, agriculture, and vocational programs.

The university specializes in marine science, volcanology, astronomy, and Hawaiian studies. The Masters of Arts program in Hawaiian Language and Literature was the first in the United States to focus on an indigenous language.

• College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management
• College of Arts & Sciences
• College of Business and Economics
• Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani, College of Hawaiian Language
• Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP)
• College of Natural and Health Sciences

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo offers BA, BBA, BS, and BSN degrees in addition to certificates. Students can also choose minors in some programs.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo offers a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, which meets educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. The program is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC).

Until 1994 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo belonged to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA. Since 1992, it has been a member of the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference. It fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The sports teams nickname is the Vulcans.

Costs

Shared with University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu 1976–1997.

• Bonnie D. Irwin (2019–present)
• Marcia Sakai (Interim, 2017–2019)
• Donald O. Straney (2010–2017)
• Rose Tseng (1998–2010)
• Kenneth Perrin (1993–1997)
• Edward J. Kormondy (1986–1993)
• Edwin Mookini (1975–1978)
• Paul Miwa (1970–?)

There has been a growing movement throughout the last decade to separate the Hilo campus from the University of Hawaiʻi System, creating a “Hawaiʻi State University”. Supporters of the separation argue that the growing Hilo campus is “shortchanged” by its sister campus in Mānoa and that being independent of the system would allow the college to grow faster, better serve the community, and draw in more money from independent sources.

Opponents argue that the state is too small for competing university systems and that financial divisions between Mānoa and Hilo are fair, given that Mānoa places emphasis on research and Hilo places emphasis on teaching. There are also concerns that this movement will hurt relationships between the Hilo campus and the rest of the University of Hawaiʻi System.

A bill was introduced in the 2005 session of the House of Representatives of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to draft legislation to spin off the Hilo campus as the independent Hawaiʻi State University. The bill was approved by the House Higher Education Committee but no hearing on the bill was planned by the House Finance Committee, effectively killing it.

• ʻImiloa Astronomy Center
• College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)
• USDA Pacific Basin – Agricultural Research Center
• Kū Kahau ʻUla – UH Institute for Astronomy
• Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) – formerly J. M. Long Pavilion
• East Asian Observatory, owning the facility of the old Joint Astronomy Centre (JAC)

• University Classroom Building (UCB)
• Marine Science Building (MSB)
• Sciences & Technology Building (STB)
• Edith Kanakaʻole Hall (EKH)
• Wentworth Hall
• Campus Center
• Student Life Center & Pool
• Edwin H. Mookini Library & Media Center
• University of Hawaiʻi Hilo Student Services Building
• University of Hawaiʻi Hilo New Gymnasium
• University of Hawaiʻi Hilo Performing Arts Center

• Jon Hill, former White House Executive Chef
• Harry Kim (attended), Mayor of Hawaii County
• Anthony Leone (attended), professional Mixed Martial Artist
• Sarah Palin (attended), former governor of Alaska
• Tarisi Vunidilo, Fijian archaeologist and curator