HCR 54: REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI BOARD OF REGENTS TO CONSIDER RENAMING LEEWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO PUʻULOA COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI BOARD OF REGENTS TO CONSIDER RENAMING LEEWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO PUʻULOA COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

     WHEREAS, community colleges play a vital role in expanding access to higher education and providing pathways to opportunity, workforce development, and lifelong learning; and

     WHEREAS, strengthening campus identity can enhance student pride, recruitment, alumni engagement, and community connection; and

     WHEREAS, Puʻuloa holds deep cultural and historical significance within the moku of ʻEwa on the island of Oʻahu and is historically known for its abundance of traditional loko iʻa, which sustained thriving communities through established systems of food production and resource management; and

     WHEREAS, Puʻuloa is also associated with important cultural traditions and moʻolelo, including the guardian sharks Kaʻahupāhau and Kahiʻuka, and represents longevity, abundance, and resilience; and

     WHEREAS, Leeward Community College is situated within the historic and cultural region of Puʻuloa, encompassing areas within Waiawa and Lualualei; and

     WHEREAS, Leeward Community College aspires to be a leading indigenous-serving community college dedicated to inclusion, innovation, and a strong Hawaiian sense of place; and

     WHEREAS, section 304A-105, Hawaii Revised Statutes, grants the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents exclusive jurisdiction over the internal structure, management, and operation of the University; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents is requested to consider renaming Leeward Community College to Puʻuloa Community College to reflect the cultural and historical significance of the area and to strengthen the campus's identity and connection to place; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in considering such action, the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents is encouraged to consult with campus leadership, faculty, students, alumni, and community stakeholders; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents, President of the University of Hawaiʻi, and Chancellor of Leeward Community College.

Report Title: 

Leeward Community College; Renaming; BOR

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the university of hawaiʻi board of regents to consider renaming leeward community college to puʻuloa community college.

     WHEREAS, community colleges play a vital role in expanding access to higher education and providing pathways to opportunity, workforce development, and lifelong learning; and

     WHEREAS, strengthening campus identity can enhance student pride, recruitment, alumni engagement, and community connection; and

     WHEREAS, Puʻuloa holds deep cultural and historical significance within the moku of ʻEwa on the island of Oʻahu, including having the highest concentration of traditional loko iʻa, which sustained communities through food production, irrigation, and stewardship of natural resources; and

     WHEREAS, Puʻuloa is also associated with important cultural traditions and moʻolelo, including the guardian sharks Kaʻahupāhau and Kahiʻuka, and represents longevity, abundance, and resilience; and

     WHEREAS, Leeward Community College is situated within the historic and cultural region of Puʻuloa, encompassing areas within Waiawa and Lualualei; and

     WHEREAS, Leeward Community College aspires to be a leading indigenous-serving community college dedicated to inclusion, innovation, and a strong Hawaiian sense of place; and

     WHEREAS, section 304A-105, Hawaii Revised Statutes, grants the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents exclusive jurisdiction over the internal structure, management, and operation of the University; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents is requested to consider renaming Leeward Community College to Puʻuloa Community College to reflect the cultural and historical significance of the area and to strengthen the campus's identity and connection to place; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in considering such action, the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents is encouraged to consult with campus leadership, faculty, students, alumni, and community stakeholders; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents, President of the University of Hawaiʻi, and Chancellor of Leeward Community College.

Report Title: 

Leeward Community College; Renaming; BOR