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On the slopes of Diamond Head, minutes from
Waikiki,
Kapi’olani Community College (KCC) is home
to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and
programs in business, hospitality, health, legal
education and arts and sciences. Established in
1946 while Hawaii was still a territory as
Kapiolani Technical School, the school was
administered by the Territorial Department of
Instruction. Its first program was food service.
By statehood in 1959, three additional programs
were added: practical nursing, business education
and dental assisting. The technical school
realigned its programs and became part of the open
door community college system of the University of
Hawaii in 1965 and was renamed Kapiolani Community
College (KCC). KCC still strives to achieve new
heights and attain important community goals.
More than 7,100 students annually enroll in day,
evening and weekend credit programs at the campus.
An additional 25,000 students enroll through its
extensive non-credit programs. For many years,
KCC has also been particularly successful in
expanding its reach to international arenas, which
is key to its goal of becoming a focal point for
international outreach and education. New
agreements with institutions in China and Sri
Lanka offer opportunities for faculty, students
and curriculum to move beyond the boundaries of
the state, and for people from abroad to come here
to share and gain knowledge. KCC will continue to
respond to the needs of the community and to
industry, creating programs that will produce
graduates in fields that are vital to the State's
economy and development. Recently introduced
programs in Media Arts and Sports Medicine are
indicative of this responsiveness that will no
doubt continue in coming years. As the
information age brings about changes in the ways
we learn, KCC will continue to look at alternative
methods of delivery to make education more
accessible to non-traditional students. |
