The petition
East Hawaii Komohana &
West Hawaii Campus Center Projects
Petition Rationale
Current facilities at both locations are sorely inadequate and new space for instruction, academic support, and student activities are desperately needed. Many of the facilities on the Manono campus were built in the 1950’s and are inadequately configured for present day needs. Space and infrastructure limitations have eliminated the prospect of developing the Manono property to meet the college’s needs.
The UH Center at West Hawaii (UHCWH) is currently housed in rented facilities that are shared with businesses such as a bar, bank, fast food restaurant, and various medical offices. Classrooms are small, limiting the number of students that can actually enroll in a class. Students have no choice but to travel great distances or move to the east side of the island if they choose to enroll in a program not offered at the UHCWH.
As such, it has been determined in the College’s Long Range Development Plan that a new East Hawaii Komohana Campus will be built on 120 acres above Komohana Street in Hilo. And the new UH Center at West Hawaii campus will be built on a 500 acre site at Kalaoa. The new campuses will provide the college with much needed facilities and will serve as hubs for island wide educational services.
New equipment and software are also sorely needed to help students keep up with the current advancements in their fields. Much of what is found at both campuses are now outdated, broken and in constant need of repair, or simply non-existent. Used and refurbished equipment has been generously donated by the community, but it is still not enough. And many of the current repairs are being done by students and faculty in the trade programs.
These substandard conditions are no longer acceptable to the students, faculty, staff, and community of this island. How many more years must the citizens of our community wait for a new campus? Why must we send students to another island or state for a “better” education? We deserve to have campuses on both the East and West sides of the island that are at the very least, equal to our sister campuses on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Kauai as our students pay the same tuition rates.
We the citizens of Hawai’i Island, young, old, from every socio-economic class, ethnicity, political party, as well as all those from outside our beautiful State of Hawaii, who support decent higher education opportunities for all therefore call upon Governor Linda Lingle to do the following:
We urge Governor Linda Lingle to immediately release the appropriations for the planning, design, construction, and purchase of equipment for the East Hawaii Komohana Campus and West Hawaii Campus Center Projects as stated in Act 160, Item 120 of the 2006 Legislative Session.
This petition will be mailed (in snail and e format) to Governor Lingle by November 1, 2006. If you support our efforts, we ask that you please add your signature below and forward this to all of your family and friends. Our goal is to have at least 10,000 signatures. If you have already signed the paper version of the petition, please do not sign this online version. Supporters may sign petitions only once, either paper or online. Mahalo nui loa for your support!!
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