It's Not Too Late To Take Classes

UPDATE: Today (8/24) is the last day to turn in applications, register for classes (without teacher approval), and to get 100% tuition refunds for course changes.
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Aloha!

Our Fall semester is off to a great start! With over 1,475 students this is our highest enrollment yet! More classes have been added and seats are still available. If you ever wished you could learn more about...Art, Screenwriting, Plants in Hawaii and their influence on culture, or the Heavens, there are still some seats available (only one in Astronomy at the time of this writing, though!). Still have your once-loved-but-can't-part-with high school band instrument? Dust it off and join us in the Community College Band or String Ensemble! Need a little more exercise in your life? We have Yoga, Basketball, Weight Training, and even Fitness Boot Camp (HPER 199V). You'll not only be exercising but learning about principles and techniques  for fitness and skills improvement.

Want something more "practical"? How's about Minor Home Repair and Fabrication, Intro to Auto Body Repair, Plumbing Basics and Repair, or General Welding?

And there are many more! Business, Accounting, Hawaiian, Japanese, Spanish, Oceanography, Political Science, Psychology, Journalism, Philosophy, Education, Yoga, Weight Training, Fitness Boot Camp, and much, much more. Applications are being accepted through Friday, 8/24, so drop in to grab one or print it yourself. There are some health clearances that need to be completed like a TB test and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Immunization (or official record of immunization), so get started today.

Bonus! For our wizened citizens (60 years or older), "you may attend classes as a "Visitor" without having to pay tuition and fees" if you meet the following requirements:

1. Is 60 years or older during the week immediately following the late registration period;
2. Is a bona fide resident of the state of Hawai`i as described by University of Hawai`i definition;
3. Meet course prerequisites, if any; and
4. Does not have any financial obligation to the school.

Also, you still need to turn in an application, the class needs to have seats available as of 8/27/2012, and you'll need instructor approval. For more information about senior citizen "Visitor" status, check out our full catalog and search for "Senior Citizen" which is on numbered page 30.

If you have application questions, call Admissions and Records at 245-8224 or 245-8225.

Hope to see you on campus!

Get Your Photography On!

A new section of ART 107D, Introduction to Digital Photography, has just been added to the schedule. It meets every Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. starting Monday, August 20th.

In this class, students will learn how to operate a digital camera, use lighting and composition to create artistic photographic effects, edit photographs, and apply advanced print techniques.

This course fulfills a requirement within the Digital Media program, in which we offer two Certificates of Completion, and also fulfills our Diversification in Arts (DA) requirement.

For more information on becoming a student, visit our Admission's page at http://info.kauai.hawaii.edu/admissions/ar/admrec.htm to take "Steps to Enroll," and find out our "Health Requirements".

Posted by:

Rick Randolph

Path to Student Success Widens with New Hawaiian Studies AA Degree

Students in KCC's Hula and Chant course ready to perform.

At its May 12th 2012 meeting, the University of Hawai`i Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve a new associate of arts (AA) degree in Hawaiian Studies. The degree, now included in the American Liberal Arts curriculum, is open to all students at UH Community Colleges and will be offered at Kaua`i Community College beginning the upcoming Fall 2012 semester, which begins Monday, August 20.

“This is an important milestone for two reasons,” stressed Helen A. Cox, KCC Chancellor. “Firstly, the UH Community Colleges campuses across the state together developed this degree, so students who move between campuses will have no trouble to complete the degree. It’s a strong program of study due to the combined expertise at the campuses. Secondly, the new degree is a very important doorway for students to access higher education by being able to focus on studies that are important and relevant to them,” said Cox.

Dennis Chun, KCC faculty in Hawaiian Studies was a key contributor in the community colleges collaboration, which made the AA degree a reality. Proactively, KCC was the first campus to offer an Academic Subject Certificate in Hawaiian Studies.

The degree “is designed for students to transition directly into a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program at UH four-year campuses. Since the AA in Hawaiian Studies has the same general education requirements as Liberal Arts, students can transfer to any Liberals Arts major at UH Manoa, UH-Hilo, and UH-West Oahu. That’s important because having an AA degree in Hawaiian Studies will attract students who want to challenge their interests. Once they know what to do, transferring is an easy transition. This could be the first of many concentrations to come for other Liberal Arts programs of study. And, any AA degree is a great gateway to any Bachelors degree program.” explained James Dire, KCC’s Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

The world will open up for students. “For us here at KCC, our strengths and expertise rest with our Hawaiian Language, culture and values for harmonious living, Ethnobotany, Hula and Chant, Lo`i cultivation, and Polynesian voyaging and navigation courses,” said Chun. “Even if our students pursue other career and education choices, they will have a solid foundation in Hawaiian Studies, which will enrich not only their personal lives, but also their career. Our intention of this program has always been to infuse students with the importance of having a knowledge of the culture, history, and language of this place we call home, for knowing your home one will be able to venture forward beyond perceived boundaries,” reflected Chun.

“It is our vision that the values and information learned in this program will enrich the students’ lives and lead them to apply their knowledge and energies to protect and enhance their homeland of Hawai`i and, by extension, themselves,” echoed Molly Ka`imi Summers, KCC faculty.

Students participate in campus activities with Kumu Pua Rossi (2nd row, in green).

Puali`ili`imaikalani Rossi, graduate of KCC and currently a member of the college faculty, tells her own story. “As a first-time college student, I was very nervous about how I would do. I wanted to be successful and also take classes that were of interest to me. I took a lot of Hawaiian Studies classes from Kumu Dennis Chun, Kumu Molly Ka`imi Summers, and Kumu Brian Yamamoto and found that I really enjoyed school. I learned how to be a college student. I learned how to study, how to write papers, and how to benefit from all that college has to offer. Because of KCC, I did well in a four-year college. There will be career opportunities that were once unavailable to our island and our people in cultural resource management, sustainability, politics, business, education, the tourist industry, as well science and mathematics. The degree will give our students confidence,” said Rossi. Imagine an Urban Planner with an AA degree in Hawaiian Studies.

Posted by:
Cammie Matsumoto

Campus Wellness Center to Provide New Services for Campus Mothers

Thanks to the Department of Health, we are now able to provide an important service to Kauai Community College moms (students, faculty, and staff) that have newborn babies. Due to the high price of baby formula and the belief of added nutritional benefits, more and more mothers are choosing to breastfeed. All mothers and their supportive partners who have gone though this process knows how difficult it is to carry a breast pump and find a private setting that is not contaminated with "cooties" (ie, a public bathroom counter). A breast pump machine is bulky and an inconvenience to carry along with your day to day needs (books, pens, paper, laptop, etc). Carrying and using a breast pump in a public place can also be an embarrassment for some. To combat these issues and help mother's return to school/work we have partnered up with the Department of Health to bring the Medela program to the Campus Wellness Center (CWC). The CWC is now equipped with a breast pump and a private room that moms can use to take care of their baby's needs. The purpose of the Medela program is to:

1. Support a mother who chooses to breastfeed and pump to maintain lactation during separation from their infant during work or school, and
2. Assist an employer or school in providing a friendly breastfeeding environment.

Here are some FAQ's about the program:

How does it work?Sign up for the program either with the Department of Health or come here to the CWC and fill out the forms. You will be given your own breast pump tubing, instructions on how to clean your tubing, and an ice pack. Let us know what time(s) of the day you will need to use the pump so we can reserve the room and pump for you (we only have one pump at this time). You would come to the CWC, check in, and a private room will be provided for you. When you are done, you unplug your tube's and are on your way back to your office or class.

What will I need to bring?
The tubing you receive from the Department of Health or the CWC, your ice pack (we have some here if you need to switch it out), and a small portable cooler (unless you have a access to a refrigerator near your office. The CWC also has a small refrigerator that you can use should you forget to bring your cooler.

Are there income restrictions for the program?NO! Everyone at KCC is eligible to participate in this FREE program. Tubing is FREE. Ice packs are FREE. Use of a private room is FREE. The only thing you will need to purchase is your cooler. There are many light and portable coolers available at Costco, Kmart, Longs, Wal-mart, etc.

How do I sign up or get more information?Visit Krisztina Geczi at the Department of Health or call 245-6776
Visit us here at the CWC, call us at 245-8307, send us an email, or send us a PRIVATE message on Facebook.

Can I leave my tubing at the CWC? It is possible but not recommended. We do have sinks here, but it is recommended that you take your tubing home nightly to sanitize it properly according to your instructions.

Posted by:
Kim O'Brien
Kauai Community College
Campus Wellness Center
Phone: 808-245-8307
Fax: 808-245-8255

Fall 2012 Preregistration Payment Deadline: 4:00PM (HST) This Friday (7/20)

Aloha Students,

If you have registered and not paid for your classes, please make an attempt to pay before 4:00PM HST, July 20, 2012 (this Friday). On this date, all students who have not paid for their classes will be automatically purged from registration and will have to re-register with no guarantee of getting the same classes.

Here are your options to avoid this:

1. pay in full,
2. set up a payment plan through MyUH Portal (myuh.hawaii.edu), or
3. be "awarded" by the financial aid office (245-8360).

Again, if you fail to do any of these three by 4:00PM HST, Friday, July 20, 2012, your classes will be automatically purged and you'll need to re-register with no guarantee of getting the same classes.

For more information on payment deadlines:http://info.kauaicc.hawaii.edu/admissions/ar/pay_dates.htm (scroll down to the Fall 2012 section).

To contact Financial Aid, call 245-8360.

Hawaiian Studies Associates Degree Established

Beginning this Fall 2012 semester, students can now attain an Associates degree in Hawaiian Studies. The new degree was approved by the UH Board of Regents at their regular meeting in May. Please call Student Counseling & Advising at 245-8212 for more information on earning this degree.

Information about our Hawaiian Studies program, current Hawaiian Studies Academic Subject Certificate (HSASC), and kumu are available at http://info.kauai.hawaii.edu/programs/hawst/Site/index.html.

The official report about the establishment of this degree is at www.hawaii.edu/news.

New Chancellor's Corner and Other Important Information- Please Read!

Aloha Kakou!

Hope the summer is treating you well.  Find out what has been happening around here by checking out the latest Chancellor's Corner.

Also, one other important piece of information.  

KCC was awarded a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) for 2012 - 2013.  Melissa Tangalin, from Kekaha who has also taken classes here, will begin her term of service August 10, 2012 for a full year.  This position, while being funded by Americorps, provides us with the equivalent of a full-time employee.  

August 24, 2012, Bevin Parker-Evans will have completed her year long and productive VISTA service to KCC.  She has worked with many of us to build capacity of numerous projects and initiatives.  Thank you for including her in the KCC `ohana.  And thanks, Bevin, for being such a wonderful addition to KCC!

Helen

Posted by Chancellor Helen A. Cox