Of Pandemics and Financial Emergencies: Will We Restructure or Transform the University?

The global COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the mode of instruction for many at the University of Hawaiʻi but has also precipitated an unprecedented budget crisis. As the Board of Regents calls on the administration to address the unknown but massive financial shortfall while contributing to the economy and developing workforce needs, how will the University’s role in broadly educating students to respond creatively and resiliently not just to this crisis but also others they will face be addressed in any proposed restructuring? And how might creating more opportunities for students in Hawaiʻi to pursue higher education here transform the University for the betterment of the people of this place