University of Hawaii
The University of Hawai'i (UH) is a postsecondary education system and comprises three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment training center, and five education centers distributed across six islands throughout the US' 50th state of Hawai'i. In addition to the flagship campus of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (see below), the UH system also includes the 3,000-student University of Hawaii at Hilo on the Island of Hawai'i and the smaller University of Hawaii-West O'ahu near Kapolei towards the western end of O'ahu. The UH Community College system has four campuses on Oahu and one each on Maui, Kaua'i, and Hawai'i, making college classes accessible and affordable and easing the transition from high school to college for many students. The education centers are located in the more remote areas of the state, and support the rural communities via distance education. The UH is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.The mission of the University of Hawai'i system is to provide quality college and university education and training; create knowledge through research and scholarship; provide service through extension, technical assistance, and training; contribute to the cultural heritage of the community; and respond to state needs. The campuses, organized under one board, differentially emphasize instruction, research, and service. The system's special distinction is found in its Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific orientation and international leadership role. Common values bind the system together: aloha; academic freedom and intellectual vigor; institutional integrity and service; quality and opportunity; diversity, fairness, and equity; collaboration and respect; and accountability and fiscal integrity.
The University seal contains a torch and a book titled Malamalama in the center of a circular map of the Pacific, surrounded by the state motto, Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono ("The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"). The University motto, inscribed in both the Hawaiian and English languages on Founders' Gate at the Mānoa campus is Maluna a'e o na lahui a pau ke ola ke kanaka ("Above all nations is humanity"). The motto is reflected in the ethnic diversity of UH students: 20 percent Caucasian, 20 percent Japanese, 15 percent Filipino, 13 percent Hawaiian or part Hawaiian, and 32 percent other ethnicities.
The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa is the main campus of the UH system. It is located in Mānoa, an urban-suburban district (and a valley by the same name) of Honolulu, a little over 1 mile inland from Waikīkī. The campus occupies the eastern half of the mouth of Mānoa Valley. Over 18,700 students attend classes at UH-Mānoa.
UH-Mānoa was founded in 1907 as a land grant college of agriculture and mechanical arts; its College of Arts & Sciences was added in 1920. It has since grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 90 fields of study, master's degrees in 89 fields, and doctorates in 57 fields. It also houses the only law school (the William S. Richardson School of Law) and the only medical school (the John A. Burns School of Medicine) in the state.
UH-Mānoa is also home to the only NCAA Division I-A athletic program in the state of Hawaii. Its teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference. Its top-ranked women's volleyball program has won several national championships under head coach Dave Shoji.University of Hawai'i at Mānoa