The Little Campus That Could: Survey Results Inform Postsecondary Education in an Island Community

• Published in: Planning for higher education 2022-07, Vol.50 (4), p.13-17
• Main Author: Barko, Valerie A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: College campuses; Community colleges; Community Surveys; Education parks; Education, Higher; Educational Needs; Educational Strategies; Employers; Enrollments; School facilities; Student Needs; Surveys
• ISSN: 0736-0983

[...]travel to other islands from Kaua'i is predominately by air. For nearly two decades, programs were brought to neighbor islands from the three universities by using a variety of instructional strategies "ranging from technology intensive (i.e., polycom video conferencing) to face-toface classroom interaction by instructors who traveled from originating campuses to a University Center." Major areas of interest in the community survey included: * the number of hours per week the respondent worked * how much education they had completed * if and when they wanted additional education * reasons they had not obtained additional education * when and how they would like to take courses * what degrees or training they would like Kaua'i Community College to provide Major areas of interest in the workforce survey included: * employer's type of industry and number of people employed * from where they hired people (e.g., local, statewide, or nationwide) * current and future employment skills required * programs or training they would like Kaua'i Community College to provide * incentives they offered employees to seek additional education Kaua'i Community College discovered that approximately 25 percent of students transferring away from the college chose online institutions on the The intent was to "establish a permanent university presence in communities that otherwise lack access to programs offered on university campuses." mainland of the United States instead of transferring to an institution within the University of Hawai'i System. To help address the question, the three neighbor island institutions (i.e., Maui College, Kaua'i Community College, and Hawai'i Community College) that host a University Center are currently collaborating on joint workforce and community surveys, with the assistance of consultants, to assess: * campus and system branding/perception * barriers to admission/persistence/completion * scheduling/modality * program/training needs * post-graduation success * COVID-19 mitigation impacts (e.g., modality, behavioral, and financial) The results of these surveys will be used to inform campus program development and scheduling as well as student support services.