HR 49: requesting the university of hawaii board of regents to conduct a systemwide associate degree completion audit.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

requesting the university of hawaii board of regents to conduct a systemwide associate degree completion audit.

     WHEREAS, increasing postsecondary degree attainment strengthens Hawaii's workforce, supports economic mobility, and improves long-term economic resilience; and

     WHEREAS, many students accumulate substantial college credits but leave the University of Hawaii system without receiving a credential; and

     WHEREAS, students who have earned sufficient credits to meet associate degree requirements may not receive a degree due to transfer patterns, financial hardship, life circumstances, or administrative barriers; and

     WHEREAS, awarding earned credentials recognizes student achievement, improves workforce readiness, and enhances statewide degree attainment metrics; and

     WHEREAS, reverse transfer and degree audit initiatives have been implemented in other states to identify students eligible for associate degree awards after transferring or stopping out; and

     WHEREAS, section 304A-105, Hawaii Revised Statutes, grants the University of Hawaii 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, that the University of Hawaii Board of Regents is requested to conduct a systemwide audit to identify current and former students who have accumulated sufficient academic credits to qualify for an associate degree but have not been awarded the credential; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of the audit, the University of Hawaii is requested to examine students who:

     (1)  Transferred from a University of Hawaii community college to a four-year campus before completing an associate degree; and

     (2)  Began at a four-year campus within the University of Hawaii system and accumulated sufficient credits to meet associate degree requirements prior to stopping or withdrawing; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents is requested to develop recommendations, if feasible, to establish or expand pathways for awarding earned associate degrees to eligible students, including consideration of reverse transfer mechanisms, degree audit processes, residency requirements, accreditation considerations, and fiscal impact; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii is requested to submit the audit, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2027; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents and President of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title: 

University of Hawaii; Board of Regents; Audit; Associate Degrees