PUHI — Kauai Community College opened its doors to the fall semester on Monday with an opening day census of 1,277 students.
That marked an increase of 11.9 percent from the 2023 fall semester, which showed 1,141 students (a decrease of 5.5 percent from the 2022 fall semester). Of note, the numbers are subject to change as registration continues until the end of business day on Sept. 3.
Overall, the University of Hawaii Community College system had 25,020 students on campus, or a 6 percent overall increase from the same period last year. All of the community college campuses reported increases for the fall semester.
“I am very excited to see the start of the fall semester,” said Kauai Community College Chancellor Margaret Sanchez. “We are happy to be onboarding new students and employees. This year, we are especially excited to welcome our new Academic Dean, Kurt Takamine.”
Sanchez herself is in a “new” position as she starts the semester as the chancellor after being installed before the semester started.
Her promotion was celebrated by the college’s Student Affairs that decorated the Office of the Chancellor with a kukui nut lei or garland that was long enough to decorate the entire entryway.
“It was really beautiful,” Sanchez said. “I nearly cried.”
Sanchez lost little time getting things rolling, excusing herself from a housing advisory group to tour the campus.
“We hope to start designing the solar panels in the parking lot,” Sanchez said. “We are very excited to kick off our in-depth housing study for students and faculty. We are also busy designing our post-harvest innovation kitchen.”
The enrollment increase was not limited to the general student population as Alicia Sams, the Kauai Community College Veterans Support Counselor, said the college increased its military affiliated students to 37 students compared with 27 from last year.
Valerie Barko, the director of Institutional Effectiveness and University Center at the Kauai Community College, said the college has applied for several grants.
“If granted, this would allow us to expand the Veterans Support Center to better serve our military affiliated students,” Barko said.
Maili Ornellas, one of the Veterans Support Center staff members, was helping new student Skylyn Fagarang, a Kapa‘a High School graduate who was part of the state’s girls basketball championship team, get to her class within two minutes.
Fagarang is part of the nursing class that celebrated full class status on the fall semester opening day.
A member of the grounds crew reported the culinary arts first-year class was also full.
“They have 21 students,” the crew member said while checking on a building’s exhaust fans. “The class is supposed to be full with 20 students. I just hope they all keep coming back.”
For information, visit the college’s website at www.kauai.hawaii.edu.
