Hawaii House Bill HCR121

Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/11/22
• Refer: 3/14/22
• Report Pass: 3/29/22
• Refer: 3/29/22
• Report Pass: 4/5/22
• Engrossed: 4/5/22
• Refer: 4/6/22

Caption

Requesting The University Of Hawaii To Report On The Pamantasan Council's Systemwide Efforts To Improve The Status Of Filipinos At The University Of Hawaii.

Impact

The resolution emphasizes the need for the University of Hawaii to enhance curricular offerings related to Filipino culture and issues, which have historically been limited. It indicates that Filipinos have made strides in terms of academic performance but still face systemic barriers. The resolution also underscores the importance of having adequate Filipino faculty representation, which is currently lacking as many faculty positions remain unfilled. This gap hinders the ability of the university to cater to the needs of its Filipino student population effectively.

Summary

HCR121 is a House Concurrent Resolution from the Thirty-first Legislature of Hawaii that requests a comprehensive report from the University of Hawaii regarding the efforts of the Pamantasan Council to improve the status of Filipinos within the university system. Given that Filipinos are a significant portion of Hawaii's population, the resolution highlights both the progress and challenges that Filipinio students face, particularly concerning representation in higher education. While there has been some positive improvement in undergraduate enrollment, issues related to transfer rates to four-year institutions and underrepresentation in graduate programs persist.

Contention

Controversially, the resolution points out the budgetary constraints exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited the hiring of dedicated positions within the Pamantasan Council. The report requested under HCR121 aims to outline the resource needs and add recommendations for enhancing both student and faculty support structures. These insights are critical for guiding future appropriations and educational strategies to foster an inclusive academic environment for the Filipino community in Hawaii.

Call_to_action

HCR121 calls for a substantive response from the University of Hawaii, specifically targeting improvements in curriculum, faculty representation, and overall success metrics for Filipino students. It notes the expectation for the university to submit findings and recommendations to the legislature prior to the commencement of the 2023 Regular Session, thus setting a timeline for accountability and progress tracking.