University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: A Comprehensive Overview

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) stands as a public land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system. UH Mānoa is not only the oldest and largest of the 10 UH campuses, but it also occupies a place of distinction within the national and international academic landscape. This article delves into the university's history, academic programs, research activities, campus life, and rankings, providing a comprehensive overview of this institution.

Historical Overview

Founded in 1907 as the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts of the Territory of Hawaiʻi, UH Mānoa's establishment was the result of initiatives by Native Hawaiian legislators, a newspaper editor, a petition from an Asian American bank cashier, and the support of the president of Cornell University. Senator William J. Huelani Coelho introduced the bill into the Territorial Legislature on March 1, 1907, as Act 24, which was signed into law on March 25, 1907, by Governor George Carter.

Early Years

The college officially became an institution of higher learning on September 14, 1908, when it enrolled five freshmen pursuing a bachelor of science degree. Willis T. Pope served as the acting head of the college for its first semester, followed by John W. Gilmore, a professor of agriculture at Cornell University, as the college's first president. The Cornell connection significantly shaped the new college.

Expansion and Growth

In the years that followed, the university expanded to include more than 300 acres. The university continued its growth throughout the 1930s and 1940s, increasing from 232 to 402 acres, and the number of buildings grew from 4 to 17. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, classes were suspended for two months. When classes resumed on February 11, 1942, about half of the student and faculty body had left to enter the war or military service.

Post-War Developments

In 1947, the university opened an extension center in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island in the old Hilo Boarding School. When Hawaiʻi was granted statehood in 1959, the university became a constitutional agency. In 1965, the state legislature created a system of community colleges and placed it within the university. By the end of the 1960s, the University of Hawaiʻi was very different from what it had been since its beginning.

Governance and Administration

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa operates within the University of Hawaiʻi System, which is governed by an 11-member board of regents. The board also appoints the president of the University of Hawaiʻi System, who provides leadership for all 10 campuses, including as the chief executive of UH Mānoa.

University Presidents

From 1908 to 1965, the president of the University of Hawaiʻi served as chief executive of the university. Thomas H. Hamilton served as president of the university until 1965 and both as president and chancellor from 1965 to 1968. In 1965, the Hawaiʻi State Legislature created the University of Hawaiʻi System. The Provost role was established to handle the academic and operational affairs of UH Mānoa, while the President served as the chief executive of the university and retained overall UH System leadership.

Academic Profile

UH Mānoa offers over 200 degree programs across 17 colleges and schools. It is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and governed by the Hawaii State Legislature and a semi-autonomous board of regents. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" and participates in the sea-grant, space-grant, and sun-grant research consortia. It is one of only three universities in the country to participate in all four consortia.

Colleges and Schools

College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR): The founding college of the university, CTAHR focuses on tropical agriculture, food science and human nutrition, textiles and clothing, and Human Resources.
College of Education: Established as the Honolulu Training School in 1895, the college was eventually merged into the University of Hawaiʻi in 1931 as the Teacher's College.
College of Arts, Languages, and Letters (CALL): The newest and largest college at the university, CALL was created following the dissolution of the College of Arts and Science and the merger of the Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Languages, Linguistics, and Literature (LLL) and the School of Pacific and Asian Studies.
College of Business Administration: Established in 1949, the college offers programs in accounting, finance, real estate, industrial relations, and marketing.

Research Activities

Research at UH Mānoa relates to Hawaii's physical landscape, its people, and their heritage. The geography facilitates advances in marine biology, oceanography, underwater robotic technology, astronomy, geology and geophysics, agriculture, aquaculture, and tropical medicine. With extramural grants and contracts of $436 million in 2012, UH Mānoa spent $276 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 84th in the nation.

Research Funding

Extramural funding increased from $368 million in FY 2008 to nearly $436 million in FY 2012. Research grants increased from $278 million in FY 2008 to $317 million in FY 2012. Non-research awards totaled $119 million in FY 2012. The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) received the largest amount of extramural funding among the Mānoa units at $92 million for the period of July 1, 2012, to June 20, 2013. The majority of research funding comes from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Commerce, and NASA.

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Research Centers and Facilities

University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center: Designated as a cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, the facility in Kakaʻako was completed in 2013 and represents Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
Lyon Arboretum: The only tropical arboretum belonging to any American university, the Arboretum was established in 1918 by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association and became part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1953.
Waikiki Aquarium: Founded in 1904, the Waikiki Aquarium is the third-oldest public aquarium in the United States.

Campus Life

UH Mānoa's campus life is enriched by a diverse student body and a variety of activities and organizations. The university is located in the affluent Mānoa Valley, just outside downtown Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu.

Student Demographics

The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa is the most diverse university in terms of both students and faculty. The student body is a "huge melting pot" filled with Aloha. An "incredible amount of culture is exhibited here." It is completely normal to ride your skateboard barefoot or walk around with your surfboard.

Student Organizations

UH Mānoa student organizations cover a range of academic topics, career interests, recreational activities, and lifestyles. These organizations are dedicated to themes from social and political issues to arts & culture, community service, academic, and other activities. The Associated Students of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa (ASUH) is the undergraduate student government representing the full-time, classified, undergraduate students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Housing

All UH Mānoa residence halls are coeducational. These include the Hale Aloha Complex, Johnson Hall, Hale Laulima, and Hale Kahawai. Suite-style residence halls include Frear Hall and Gateway House. Two apartment-style complexes are Hale Noelani and Hale Wainani.

Athletics

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa competes in NCAA Division I, the only Hawaii school to do so. Men's teams are known as Rainbow Warriors, and women's teams are called Rainbow Wahine. The university is most notable for its men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball, and football programs. The women's volleyball program won NCAA championships in 1982, 1983, and 1987.

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Rankings and Recognition

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is internationally recognized and consistently rated in the top 2 percent in national and international rankings by the most prestigious organizations. UH Mānoa ranks in the top 2% out of all colleges and universities worldwide, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. This recognition positions UH’s flagship campus as a leading university nationally and globally. UH Mānoa is one of 115 R1: Research Universities, considered the top tier in the country. It is a global leader in earth and environmental sciences, consistently ranked among the top universities internationally. UH Mānoa researchers provide world-class expertise to local and regional leaders addressing important issues including sustainability, climate, food systems, and Hawaiʻi’s unique health issues. One of only a handful of universities nationwide to hold the distinction of being a land-, sea-, sun- and space-grant institution, UH Mānoa is ranked among the top 50 public universities in research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having “very high research activity,” UH Mānoa is known for its groundbreaking work in the fields of oceanography, astronomy, Pacific Islands and Asian area studies, linguistics, cancer research, and genetics.

Specific Rankings

Ethnic Diversity: UH Mānoa is among the top universities for ethnic diversity, with a high diversity index score.
Shidler College of Business: Ranked among the best international business programs and undergraduate business programs.
Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing: Recognized as a top undergraduate nursing program.
College of Engineering: Placed among the best undergraduate computer science programs.
Department of Economics: Ranked for its undergraduate economics programs.
Department of Psychology: Placed among the top undergraduate psychology programs.

Notable Alumni

Notable UH alumni include Patsy Mink, Robert Ballard, Richard Parsons, and the parents of Barack Obama - Barack Obama Sr. and Stanley Ann Dunham. Other notable alumni include Daniel Akaka, Tammy Duckworth, Mazie Hirono, Daniel Inouye, Janet Mock, Pat Saiki, Nainoa Thompson, and Corinne K. A. Watanabe.

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