Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, April 28, 2023
Chancellor Solemsaas leaving Hawaiʻi Community College
By News Release @ 7:44 PM :: 2342 Views :: Hawaii County , Higher Education

Chancellor Solemsaas leaving Hawaiʻi Community College

News Release from Hawaiʻi Community College  Apr 28, 2023

Hawai‘i Community College Chancellor Rachel Solemsaas has announced she will be stepping down after the spring 2023 semester. Solemsaas has served as chancellor of Hawai‘i CC since 2016. 

“It truly has been an honor to serve Hawai‘i Community College as chancellor, but personal family-related matters have necessitated that I leave this institution that I love and have served for seven years,” said Solemsaas. “Hawai‘i CC has an amazing history in the Hawai‘i Island community and I am incredibly proud of our ‘Kauhale’—the faculty, staff, students and community members—for all that we have accomplished together.” 

Solemsaas’ belief in higher education as a pathway to social mobility, especially for many traditionally underserved students, informed the college’s efforts to increase access and equity. 

Under her leadership, Hawai‘i CC adopted an “island-wide” approach, assuming administration of the Kō Education Center in Honokaʻa, establishing innovative Career and Technical Education Early College programs at high schools and enhancing the Hawai‘i CC–Pāl​​amanui campus in Kona. 

“It was really important to me that we become more accessible for all segments of the Hawai‘i Island community, and we made great strides in this area,” Solemsaas said. “At the Hawai‘i CC–Pālamanui campus, for example, we created a new physics lab, outdoor learning center, apprenticeship program and helped establish a 700-acre dryland forest preserve adjacent to campus.”

Three-year graduation rates for both full-time (36.3%) and part-time (10.4%) first-time freshmen reached all-time highs, and Hawai‘i CC closed success gaps for target student populations, including Native Hawaiians, Filipino and Pell Grant students. 

Hawaiʻi CC continued its commitment to Native Hawaiian students through the Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao initiative and was the first UH institution to include a land acknowledgement in campus meetings and public presentations. Hawai‘i CC also adopted the Kaʻao framework for its First-Year Experience programs, for data analytics and for the development of its strategic plan. 

Solemsaas joined Hawai‘i CC as the campus faced low financial reserves of less than $1 million, and will leave the college on sound financial footing with more than $10 million in reserves. Hawai‘i CC also increased grant funding, securing $12.5 million in extramural funding, and private philanthropy, with the largest single private donation in the college’s history of $1 million. 

In addition, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges reaffirmed accreditation for Hawai‘i CC for seven years in 2018. 

“Chancellor Solemsaas has done a remarkable job in her seven years at Hawaiʻi CC and was truly committed to the college and Hawaiʻi Island community,” said UH President David Lassner. “I commend her for expanding the college’s reach on Hawaiʻi Island and its underserved communities and her work guiding the campus through the COVID-19 pandemic.”  

Solemsaas’ last day on campus is scheduled for June 30, 2023. Consultation will take place with Hawai‘i CC campus constituents regarding the next steps in campus leadership so that an interim chancellor can be named by May 12, for posting with the public agenda for the May 18 Board of Regents meeting.

  *   *   *   *   *

HTH: Solemsaas out as HCC chancellor

2021: Mass Disenrollment from 'Campus of Fear': COVID Money Disappearing from Hawaii Community College?

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT