Inaugural Samoa Ala Mai Conference Takes Place Saturday, Jan. 31, at UHWO
UH West O‘ahu and the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Office of Multicultural Student Services will host the inaugural Samoa Ala Mai Conference on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to address issues related to education for Samoans in Hawai‘i. Conference activities take place in all UH West O‘ahu classrooms and the courtyard. The event is free and open to the public.

 The purpose of the conference is to:

·     discuss strategies and policies to empower and motivate people of Samoan ancestry in Hawai‘i to aspire, achieve, and succeed in obtaining a college education

·     discuss issues and concerns of Samoan parents, students and leaders regarding admission and retention at higher learning institutions

·     provide information about college preparation, admission requirements, financial aid programs, and the advantages of achieving a higher education degree

The Samoa Ala Mai Conference is made possible by a grant from the UH Diversity and Equity Initiative and GEAR UP.

To reserve a space, please contact Tina Tauasosi-Posiulai at 956-7348 or 956-9745 or tauasosi@hawaii.edu or Dr. Sa‘iliemanu Lilomaiava-Doktor at 454-4817 or sailiema@hawaii.edu

In-class Note Takers to Receive Cash;
$7.75 Per Hour, No Experience Required
Students can earn extra cash while helping individual students with disabilities. Students taking part in the program must have legible handwriting, enrolled in at least six credits and in good academic standing. No experience required. $7.75/hour.

If you are registered in any of the following courses and would like to become a note taker, please contact Janice Takaki in the Student Services Office (A-108) or email takaki@hawaii.edu.

Courses
• BUSA 419
• BUSA 418
• POLS 450
• BUSA 320
• HIST 496J
• HPST 440
• HPST 496Q
• SOC 450
• PSY 474

U-Pass Reduced Rate Bus Pass Available to UH West O‘ahu Students
Do you ride TheBus? As a UH West O‘ahu student, you are eligible to purchase a U-Pass reduced-rate bus pass tailored to the needs of Hawai‘i’s university students. The pass is valid now through May 31 for $100. Bring your valid student ID to the Dean of Student Services office, room A-108. Passes are available for purchase (cash only) until Feb. 28.

Focus Requirements for Graduation Changed
Focus Requirements (Hawaiian, Asian & Pacific Issues [HAP], Oral Communication [OC], and Contemporary Ethical Issues [ETH]) for UH West O‘ahu students who entered in academic years 2007-2008 and 2008-present are waived as graduation requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in courses that meet Focus designations. For questions about how this may affect your current and future academic planning, contact a Student Services academic advisor at 454-4700.

All about Laulima – What Every UH West O‘ahu student needs to know!
Laulima is the course management and collaborative resources tool supported for enhanced/total online teaching and collaborative projects at the University of Hawai‘i. Will it affect you as a UH West O‘ahu student? Yes!

Laulima is used to deliver online courses at UH West O‘ahu. Hybrid courses and those delivered over Interactive TV (ITV) may also include Laulima as an online component of the course. In addition, more instructors are choosing to use Laulima tools to enhance in-person courses.

You are now able to log in to Laulima using your UH username and password at https://laulima.hawaii.edu.
Online tutorials and information are available at http://uhwo.hawaii.edu/dltutorials and http://www.hawaii.edu/talent/laulima_students.htm. The computer requirements for online or hybrid courses at UH West O‘ahu can be viewed at http://www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/pdfs/dl/compreqs.tutorial.pdf.  

For Laulima technical support, contact Linda Maeno at linda@hawaii.edu or (808) 454-4785. You may also request help while in Laulima by clicking the “Request Assistance” link at the very bottom of every Laulima page.

Calling all writers!
The Writing and Learning Center will publish a “Tales of Academic Survival” booklet featuring essays about the road to college success. Tell us your story about:
• an experience that made you a better student
• a person who helped you master a skill
• a strategy that helped you survive (or any advice for newcomers)

Send manuscripts (1,000-word maximum, typed, double-spaced) to the Writing and Learning Center, B-108, uhwowc@hawaii.edu, or call 454-4794 for more information. Illustration submissions (black/white drawings or other graphics) will also be accepted. Submission deadline is today!

Funded by a Diversity and Equity Initiative Grant, Office of Student Equity, Excellence, and Diversity.

Upcoming Writing and Learning Center Workshops

Call 454-4794 or email Emily Nye at emilynye@hawaii.edu to reserve a space in any of the following workshops sponsored by the UH West O‘ahu Writing and Learning Center.

“Improve Your Reading and Note-taking Skills”
This workshop emphasizes the importance of taking good notes and provides an introduction to several note-taking formats and styles. Covering strategies including pre-reading, skimming, and review.

E-104
Feb. 4, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

“APA Style”
Learn the basics of APA citation, including in-text cites and how to prepare a reference page.

B-106
Feb. 10, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

“Avoiding Plagiarism”
This workshop helps define plagiarism and teaches paraphrasing and proper citation techniques.

E-104
Feb. 25, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

PSI CHI Application Deadline is Feb. 13
Apply for PSI CHI, the National Honors Society in Psychology!

Eligibility Criteria:
- Second semester sophomore
- Completed 45 units of college courses and nine semester hours of psychology course work (PSY100 not included)
- Minimum 3.25 GPA in psychology and cumulative grades

To apply, fill out an Education Verification Request form at the Student Services office requesting disclosure of the listed eligibility criteria to Dr. Richard Langford and PSI CHI. Visit http://www.psichi.org/downloads/home.asp#Membership and fill out the “registration card,” “invitation to membership” and “membership” forms. After completion, contact PSI CHI Representative Rodney Boucher at rboucher@hawaii.edu

JAH Club General Membership Meeting, Feb. 4, 12:30-1:30 p.m., E-103
All students are welcome to join us for the first general membership meeting of the Justice, Public and Health Administration (JAH) Club on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in E-103. Interested in becoming a member or officer? Wondering about career opportunities for justice, public and health administration majors? Find out more at the meeting. For questions, contact JAH Club President Kehau Deboma at deboma@hawaii.edu.

New Campus Ground Blessing
UH West O‘ahu kicked off 2009 with a historic ground blessing ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 14, in anticipation of the start of construction for a permanent and sustainable new campus in Kapolei. For more information, view our updates on Twitter at twitter.com/uhwestoahu and visit the new campus website at www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/newcampus.

Spring Into Academic Excellence with the Writing and Learning Center
Did you know that UH West O‘ahu provides free tutoring for all students in writing, math, and statistics? These services and more are available at the Writing and Learning Center in B-108. Spring semester hours of operation are Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday by appointment.

Learn more about the Writing and Learning Center at www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/tutoring or contact the staff at 454-4794 or uhwowc@hawaii.edu.

Career Services Update
UH West O‘ahu Career Services is no longer be staffed but students can access handouts on majors, practicums, job or graduate school search, resumes and interviews, and more at the Career Resources website at http://www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/career2.

Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC) Paid Internships
The Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC) is seeking applications for nine-week paid internships located in Kihei on the island of Maui during summer break 2009. Applications are being accepted from students at all UH system campuses. The work involves support in areas such as visualization and 3D animation, web design and maintenance, HPC networking, database design and implementation, 24 x 7 computer operations, and Linux Cluster administration. The application deadline is Feb. 15. Details for applying are available online in the current UH job openings listing in the employment section of the MHPCC website (Job ID 28649): http://mhpcc.hpc.mil

Need financial aid for next year?
Log on to www.fafsa.ed.gov to apply. The 2009-2010 FAFSA is now available online! Turn in your FAFSA by the April 1 priority deadline to increase your chance of receiving the maximum amount of aid.

The Charles Hemenway Scholarship application is due today! Submit your application to the Student Services Office (A108) by 6:15 p.m.

The deadline for the Regents and Presidential Scholarships is Feb. 1. Submit your applications online at http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/studentaffairs/
scholarships/raps-overview.php.

For financial aid assistance, call 454-4700 or email finaid@uhwo.hawaii.edu