LIHU‘E — Mayu Yamada was getting oriented with the Kaua‘i Community College campus with the help of Kiyoko Ikeda-Chun Monday as students returned to the Fall Semester.
Yamada, an Early Childhood education major, was one of four students from Niigata, Japan that joined other students at the first day of instruction.
“We have nine International students,” said Ikeda-Chun, the college’s international program coordinator. “There are four from Niigata, two from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, and students from Okinawa.”
Yamada was one of the 1,208 students registered on the opening day census that was released by the University of Hawai‘i. The student total is subject to change as registration for classes take place through Friday afternoon during business hours at the One Stop Center.
“Kaua‘i Community College has a good showing,” said Gary Ellwood of the Kaua‘i Community College Marketing Specialist office. “Of the 23,263 students showing on the opening day census, Kaua‘i Community College is the only one that shows a positive growth of 4.2% over the Fall of 2021 when enrollment reached 1,155 students.”
Overall, the University of Hawai‘i community colleges opened the Fall semester with a negative 5.1% growth, the Maui Community College showing the greatest loss of students at minus 10.5%, or 2,485 students on the census compared with 2,776 students in the Fall of 2021.
“The campus had a great feel as the college welcomed back students and welcomed students to the campus for the first time,” said Kaua‘i Community College Chancellor Joseph Daisy. “The college is pleased to report that enrollment is up 4.6% over the same time last year, including a 74.8%, or 238 students, increase of Early College students. We have also learned that since the pandemic, the number of students attending part-time has increased from 79% to 85%. The college continues to respond to the changing needs of our students.”
The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa opened the doors to 18,284 students, a decrease from the 18,337 students the Manoa campus welcomed in the Fall of 2021.
“The campus has been such a quiet place since 2020 when the pandemic changed the way students learn and the ways in which the college delivered programs and services to students,” Daisy said. “There is genuine excitement to see so many faculty, staff, and students on campus. So many at Kaua‘i Community College have dedicated efforts to ensure students would continue their learning journey, be supported through the many challenges they faced, and find success. That continues to evolve as students have options to meet their educational and career goals.”
All Kaua‘i Community College students are welcomed to “E Komo Mai,” presented by the Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i-Kaua‘i Community College, Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the area fronting the campus Learning Center.
“After two years of holding no campus events, the ASUH-KCC Student Government is finally hosting an in-person event,” said John Constantino, the KauCC Student Life Coordinator. “We will have booths and tents inviting students to register and find out more about campus clubs, student organizations, and even help with registration for Fall 2022 classes.”
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
