STAND. COM. REP. NO. 314

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 676

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 676 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote access and diversity throughout the University of Hawaii System by appropriating funds to the University's Pamantasan Council for six full-time positions, including instructional faculty, student personnel, and graduate assistantships.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System; University of Hawaii Pamantasan Council; National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region 12; Filipino American Citizens League; Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights; Nursing Advocates and Mentors, Inc.; Graduate Student Organization at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa; Sinait National High School Alumni Association of Hawaii; and seventeen individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that despite the strong representation of Filipinos in Hawaii's general population and in Department of Education schools, students of Filipino ancestry are underrepresented in the University of Hawaii System.  According to the 2010 United States Census, people of Filipino ancestry are the second largest ethnic group in Hawaii, yet Filipino students comprise only twelve percent of the entire University of Hawaii System student population.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the word "Pamantasan" is a Filipino word meaning "higher education".  The Pamantasan Council was established in 1987 and is open to all students, administrators, faculty, and staff from the various University of Hawaii campuses.  Your Committee notes that in 2008, the Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 120, requesting the University of Hawaii and Department of Education to submit a report to the legislature on a plan to develop, offer, and expand Philippine language courses at public schools and University of Hawaii campuses.  Your Committee finds that the Pamantasan Council needs resources to implement the recommendations of the report that resulted from the 2008 Senate Concurrent Resolution, as well as to ensure adequate faculty, student service personnel, lecturer, graduate assistants, and student staff.  Additional resources will also allow the Pamantasan Council to engage in substantive discussions with community groups, private organizations, and state agencies to improve the status of Filipino education at the University of Hawaii and Department of Education.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 676 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

 

 

 

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KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair