Spring 2016 Ke Kaukahi Recognition of Excellence awarded

By Staff Council Our Ke Kaukahi distinction is to recognize the dedication and commitment to excellence that is embodied by the staff at Hawai‘i Pacific University. Ke Kaukahi can mean having a ‘singleness of purpose,’ which is essential as we all paddle together in our wa‘a (canoe) toward our goal. We each have a role, a responsibility that is our own, but our success is reliant on working together, focusing on our shared mission and goals. With this distinction, we recognize offices whose work has had a significant impact on the university from their outstanding performance and commitment to excellence while embodying our values of pono, kuleana, and aloha. The Special Events and Recognition Committee, on behalf of the Staff Council, would also like to recognize all those who were nominated for HPU’s Ke Kaukahi recognition for Spring 2016. We are incredibly excited to help kick-off this inaugural event and share in the successes of our colleagues at HPU and in the larger community. With great humility and reverence, we reviewed six (6) nominees for this semester’s recognition and, in short, we are in awe of what our colleagues accomplish each day. We all work with the constant challenge of reallocating resources to fulfill the needs of this organization, in support of our shared mission and vision. With our values of pono, kuleana, and aloha in mind, we’re delighted to recognize the following offices:
Career Services Center		Despite dealing with a significantly diminished number staff, the CSC continues to demonstrate exceptional service, promotes the university's mission to students and the university community, achieves institutional goals and priorities, and remains efficient and productive, always with a sense of grace and humility. Through all the extensive changes and challenges they’ve faced recently, they remain kind, honest, and trustworthy.
Counseling and Behavioral Health Services		The Counseling and Behavioral Health team is exemplary when it comes to providing exceptional service while furthering the University’s mission, student success, and student/parent health and well-being. The team goes out of their way to collaborate to the benefit of student and works selflessly during and after office work hours, partnering with experts in the community to tackle student struggles, participated in the planning and execution of the We Care! awareness event, and establishing the Assessment and Care Team, and offering balance and insights to students and their families during times of crisis. They remain selfless, uncomplaining, and powerful student support advocates.
Facilities, Maintenance, and Grounds		Each member of our Facilities, Maintenance, and Grounds team works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure all our campuses, facilities, and grounds meet our communities’ needs. Because much of what they do is behind the scenes, we may take for granted all that’s done and may not recognize that this department often exceeds expectations by adjusting their work schedules to attend to emergencies.
Libraries and Learning Commons		To fulfill the multifaceted needs of our university community, each of the libraries features unique and innovative programs such as Share Seeds and Shared Opportunities displays, The McNaughton Collection for recreational reading, “Pop Up Librarian” workshops, new classroom labs, and features multilevel library displays. Staff are encouraged to be creative and to reach out to our community of learners, develop additional resources, as well as volunteer and participate in university events.
Science Labs		The Science Labs staff consistently go above and beyond to support the many lab sections that so many of our students take and seamlessly orchestrate the preparation for, and running of, each of lab section across the three lab spaces and the HPU boat, which run from 7:30am to 9pm on weekdays, as well as on Saturday mornings. Despite dealing with staff shortages, electrical outages, broken equipment, and shipments that don’t arrive, they maintain a ‘can-do’ attitude and a problem solving mentality. The department strives to maintain the integrity of each hands-on laboratory experience, and works diligently to reduce waste and costs, and have been practicing many parts of HPU’s Green Program (even before the Green Program was established) by reusing and recycling parts and materials whenever possible.
The Spring 2016 recipient of the Ke Kaukahi Recognition of Excellence:
Student Life and First-Year Programs		Despite having experienced losses in key positions, the Student Life and First-Year Programs staff strives to be student-centered while always trying to live HPU’s values and better the student experience. The staff members work as a cohesive team to support every program and event, which also requires additional time and attention after normal business hours and weekends. Their attitude and mentality remains extremely positive, and their work and communication style models openness, trust, cooperation and respect, from which our community, in the university and beyond, benefits greatly. To be successful, the team relies on their ability to collaborate and innovate, often stretching resources without sacrificing quality of the impressive portfolio of responsibilities, programming, and events, all too numerous to print here. The team often exceeds expectations while exemplifying HPU’s values of pono, kuleana, and aloha.

One of the many events organized by Student Life and First-Year Programs staff
is New Student and Parent Orientation. Pictured is the Fall 2015 orientation kick-off
 event at Aloha Tower Marketplace.