1. Home
  2. /
  3. Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate

The Board of Regents charters the Leeward Faculty Senate as the primary voice of faculty in the academic governance of the College. The Faculty Senate is a vital part of a university’s shared governance structure. The Faculty Senate’s role is to act as a voice for the faculty on a wide range of academic and administrative matters. The Senate is composed of at least 22 senators elected at-large from among the full-time faculty, with approximately half elected each year for two-year terms, and one representative for the lecturers. Membership on Senate committees is open to all Leeward faculty, administration, and staff members. The Senate elects its Executive Committee, which consists of the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. The Senate Chair and Vice Chair sit on the Campus Council.

It provides faculty with a formal avenue to influence academic policies, curriculum, and the institution’s overall direction. This ensures that the faculty’s academic expertise is integrated into the decision-making process.

The key responsibilities can be broken down into three main areas:

  • Academic Programs and Policies: The Senate is responsible for initiating, reviewing, and evaluating all matters related to academic life. This includes new and existing academic programs, courses, general education requirements, and degree requirements. They also create and review policies on crucial academic matters like admissions, grading, and student learning outcomes.
  • Faculty-Related Matters: The Senate sets policies on faculty classification, expectations across ranks, and criteria for contract renewal, tenure, and promotion. They also establish policies governing the relationship between students and faculty, as well as student rights.
  • University Governance and Strategic Planning: The Senate plays a role in the university’s broader direction. This includes reviewing the university’s mission, strategic plans, goals, and budget priorities. They also participate in the recruitment and evaluation of top-level academic leaders.

    Faculty Senate Executive Committee – 2025-2025 academic year:

      • Cara Chang – Chair
      • Michael Cawdery – Vice Chair
      • Allan Nebrija – Secretary

      Issues Before the Senate

      Fall 2025 – Spring 2026

      • Explore the opportunities presented by the transition of Leeward CC Chancellor as Chancellor of the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu.
      • Continue engagement with General Education policy and the shared UH General Education curriculum proposed for Spring 2026. 
      • Support our faculty and high-quality distance education in the new Learning Management System, Lamakū. 
      • Support Faculty and Staff in the Banner Transition. 
      • Explore ways to increase campus participation with and in the Leeward CC Faculty Senate.

      Fall 2024 – Spring 2025

      • Continue engagement in ongoing efforts to revise General Education policy and create a shared UH General Education curriculum.
      • Support our faculty and high-quality distance education as we transition to the new Learning Management System, Lamakū, and prepare for our upcoming accreditation process.
      • Continue engagement in the UH Presidential Search process and other executive academic administration searches.
      • Explore ways to increase campus participation with and in the Leeward CC Faculty Senate.
      Previous Issues Before the Senate

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2023 – Spring 2024

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2022 – Spring 2023

      • Work with other campus Authorized Governance Bodies (AGBs) to revise the current campus budget and planning process and associated timelines.
      • Review and vote on Leeward CC’s revised mission, vision, and Strategic Plan.
      • Review and vote on proposed revisions to the University of Hawai’i General Education curriculum.
      • Continue to monitor and communicate faculty concerns with facilities with campus and UH System administrators.

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2021 – Spring 2022

      • Advocate for participation in the evaluation of academic executive leadership at the campus and system level, as protected by Part I, Section 8 of UHPA’s Reference Section 20 (R-20).
      • Monitor and advise on the college and UH System’s resource and budget planning.
      • Communicate progress on UH General Education curriculum revisions.
      • Resolve facilities problems identified in our Faculty Senate memo of 30 April 2020.
      • Continue to ensure that all divisions and academic units are represented on Faculty Senate committees.

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2020 – Spring 2021

      • Resolve facilities problems identified in our Faculty Senate memo of 30 April 2020.
      • Advise in the search for an interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
      • Revise the Leeward CC Faculty Senate’s Bylaws.
      • Ensure that all divisions and academic units are represented on Faculty Senate committees.
      • Advise on the college’s operating budget.

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2017 – Spring 2018

      • Providing input into the system-wide transition, by Fall 2018, to the new CES (Course Evaluation System).
      • Participating in the review of the Budget and Planning Process at Leeward Community College.
      • Provide input into the Revised Shared Governance Policy at Leeward Community College.

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2016 – Spring 2017

      • Input collection to investigate the benefits of a transition from current teaching schedule to a two-day a week teaching schedule.
      • The formation of an Oral Communication Focus Board and the Oral Communication Hallmarks.
      • Revise the Leeward Faculty Senate’s Charter and Bylaws.
      • Please Acknowlege the MOA between UH Adminstration, UHPA, and UH Faculty Senates

      Issues before the Senate for Fall 2015

      • Input collection to investigate the benefits of a transition from current teaching schedule to a two-day a week teaching schedule.
      • Consider the formation of an Oral Communication Focus Board and the Oral Communication Hallmarks.
      • Revise the Leeward Faculty Senate’s Charter and Bylaws.

      Faculty Senate Meetings

      Leeward Community College Faculty Senate meetings are open to all faculty members. Leeward students, administration members, staff members, members of the Leeward community, and others can request an invitation to address, raise an issue with, present information to, or observe the Faculty Senate.

      To request an invitation, email Cara Chang, Faculty Senate Chair.

      Meeting Dates, 2025-2026 Academic Year

      All meetings will be held online via Zoom video conference unless otherwise noted.

      • Fall 2025:
        • Wednesday, September 3
          3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
        • Wednesday, October 1
          3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
        • Wednesday, November 5
          3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
        • Wednesday, December 3
          3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
      • Spring 2026:
        • Wednesday, January 14
          3:00pm – 5:00pm
        • Wednesday, February 4
          3:00pm – 5:00pm
        • Wednesday, March 11
          3:00pm – 5:00pm
        • Wednesday, April 15
          3:00pm – 5:00pm
        • Wednesday, May 6
          3:00pm – 5:00pm

      Click on a button to view current and previous files.

      Current Senators: Fall 2025 – Spring 2026

      Last Name First Name Term Email Division/Unit Committee
      Barnett Franalyn 2024-2026 franalyn@hawaii.edu Student Services DE and Student Affairs
      Biddle Ashley 2024-2026 ammorris@hawaii.edu Social Science Budget and Planning
      Carreira Ching Donald 2024-2026 donaldc@hawaii.edu Language Arts Assessment, Faculty
      Cawdery Michael 2024-2026 cawdery@hawaii.edu Social Science Exec
      Chang Cara 2025-2027 cmchang@hawaii.edu Language Arts Exec
      Choi Jessica 2024-2026 choi@hawaii.edu Arts and Humanities Elections
      Florendo Leon 2024-2026 leonflor@hawaii.edu Student Services/Waianae Moku Student Affairs
      Gearhart-Edwards Anika 2024-2026 anikag@hawaii.edu Social Science DE; Budget and Planning
      Gross Pete 2025-2027 grossp@hawaii.edu Math and Science Assessment
      Inoshita Ann 2025-2027 ati@hawaii.edu Language Arts Curriculum
      Kahn Natalie 2025-2027 nwahl@hawaii.edu Academic Services Curriculum
      Labby William 2024-2026 wlabby@hawaii.edu OCEWD Legislative Relations
      McKenzie Marie 2024-2026 mariemm@hawaii.edu Social Science General Education
      Moody Mellissa 2025-2026** moody7@hawaii.edu Business Faculty
      Nebrija Allan 2024-2026 anebrija@hawaii.edu Academic Services/Student Services Exec/Student Affairs
      Oberheu Donald 2025-2026* oberheu@hawaii.edu Lecturer Lecturer Mentor Group
      Ojiri Reina 2025-2027 rmojiri@hawaii.edu Math and Science Legislative Relations
      Padasdao Bryson 2025-2027 brysonep@hawaii.edu Math and Science Curriculum
      Shih I-Chia 2024-2026 shih@hawaii.edu Math and Science Faculty
      Ruiz Kalei 2025-2027 kalei.ruiz@hawaii.edu Student Services Student Affairs
      Takamatsu Heather 2025-2027 haihara@hawaii.edu Student Services Student Affairs
      Verdugo Kiani 2025-2026*** verdugok@hawaii.edu ASUH Budget and Planning
      Washington Syreeta 2025-2027 syreetaw@hawaii.edu Student Services Legislative Relations
      Wyatt Danny 2025-2027 dwyatt@hawaii.edu Waianae Moku AIS
      Yamamoto Irwin 2025-2027 iyamamot@hawaii.edu PAT Faculty
      Key:

      Executive Committee Members (in bold)

      * Lecturer’s Group
      ** FS Chair Appointment (one-year term)
      ***Student Government

      Committees

      Faculty Senate Standing Committees (AY 2025-2026)

      Faculty Senate standing committees are listed in the Faculty Senate Charter and Bylaws and are considered a permanent part of the Senate. Standing committee members generally change when new officers are elected, but the committee’s purpose, function, and duties do not change.

      Keep your Student record updated

      Meet with my academic advisor

      • Make sure you’re going to meet all of your degree requirements.

      Keep your student record updated.

      Academic and Institutional Support (Danny Wyatt, Chair)

      Academic and Institutional Support (AIS) Committee

      Members (AY 2024-2025):

      • Kelsie Aguillera (FS Chair)
      • Kelli Brandvold
      • Donald Ching
      • Darci Francis
      • Anika Gearhart-Edwards
      • Michael Scully
      • Heather Takamatsu
      • Patrick Leddy (Co-chair)
      • Ralph Toyama (Co-chair)
      • Marcela Bator
      • Cayshia (AP) Alapa (ASUH Student Rep)

      BYLAWS

      ARTICLE V. Standing Committees
      SECTION 2. Academic Support and Institutional Support Committee

      A. Functions

      1. Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning policies and procedures on academic and institutional support services to faculty, staff, and students.
      2. Consult with members of the Administration as needed.

      B. Membership

      1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
      Assessment (Donald Carreira Ching, Chair)

      Mission

      The Mission of the Assessment Committee is to:

      1. Facilitate: Work with the Administration and the Office of Planning, Policy, and Assessment (OPPA) to facilitate the assessment process and establish a culture of assessment.
      2. Communicate: Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate on policies and procedures relating to assessment.

      For Leeward Community College’s current policy on assessment, please read Policy L5.210.

      Membership (AY 2024-2025)

      1. Petersen Gross (fall chair)
      2. Donald Carreira Ching (spring chair)
      3. Summer Barrett
      4. Cara Chang
      5. Keala Chock
      6. Erin Thompson
      7. Jayne Bopp

      Meeting Dates

      The Assessment Committee will meet on the following Wednesdays from 9 – 10 am:

      • September 11 
      • October 2 
      • November 6
      • December 4

      Completing Course Assessment

      Instructors, please submit course learning outcome (CLO) assessments on Anthology. For instructions on how to complete and submit your course assessments, please view the Course Assessment Worksheet. To view the current course assessment progress, please view the Course Assessment Progress Sheet. If you have questions about course assessment, please email Petersen Gross, Faculty Senate Assessment Committee Chair.

      Budget and Planning (Ashley Biddle, Chair)

      Members

      • Ashley Biddle (co-chair)
      • Anika Gearhart-Edwards (co-chair)
      • Alyssa MacDonald
      • Lexer Chou
      • Junie Hayashi
      • Gholam Khaleghi
      • Summer Barrett

      Bylaws

      ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

      SECTION 3. Budget and Planning Committee

      A. Functions

      1. Consult with and advise the Administration on matters relating to projected budgets and current expenditure plans.
      2. Consult with and advise the Administration on matters relating to future plans for programs, personnel, facilities, and equipment.
      3. Work with the Administration to establish goals and monitor progress toward their attainment.
      4. Review and make recommendation to the Senate concerning policy relating to campus resource allocation and use.
      5. Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate on the Campus Institutional Priorities (IP).

      B. Membership

      1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members
      Curriculum Committee (Bryson Padasdao, Chair)

      View the Curriculum Committee website for listings of the committee’s membership, responsibilities and contacts, along with detailed information and guides to create or modifiy curriculum outlines.

      Members (AY 2024 – 2025)

      • Secretary: Nikki Manuel
      • Curriculum Support Coordinator: Luca Preziati
      • Academic Services: Allan Nebrija, Natalie Wahl
      • Arts and Humanities: Phil Jung, John “Kalei” Laimana
      • Business: Evelyn Wong, Marie “Kinu” Silva
      • Language Arts: Donald Carreira Ching, Ann Inoshita, Kelly Kennedy
      • Math and Sciences: Michael Bauer, Jennifer McFatridge, Igor Niktin
      • Social Sciences: Marie McKenzie, Celina Herrera
      • Student Services: Amy Amper, LeeAnn Egan, Jean StarRue-Pe“ahi
      • Professional Arts and Technology: Rober Oshita, Curtis Furumoto
      • Waianae Moku: Darwin Bohnet
      Distance Education (Anika Gearhart-Edwards, Chair)

      Functions

      1. Serve as the primary voice of the faculty senate in matters of Distance Education on the Leeward CC campus;
      2. Help promote the development of distance education courses to ensure that their content and design are appropriate to the medium;
      3. Develop and recommend policies and procedures that provide technical and academic support to ensure distance learner success;
      4. Develop and recommend policies and procedures that provide technical and academic support for faculty who teach distance education courses;
      5. Develop and recommend best practices for distance education teaching;
      6. Develop outcome assessment measures that describe and evaluate the success of the distance education program and provide the data on which future recommendations can be made, and
      7. Review facilities and equipment needs periodically, and make appropriate recommendations.
      8. Membership:
        1. The Committee Chair is a Faculty Senator appointed in accordance with Bylaws;
        2. Members should be faculty with experience teaching a DE course;
        3. At least one non-faculty member (e.g. APT, Administration, etc) that is involved in the Leeward CC DE program

      (Reference: University of Hawaii – Leeward Community College Faculty Senate Charter and Bylaws, Article IV, Standing Committees, Section 10. Distance Education Committee)

      Membership (Academic Year 2024-2025)

      • Archer, Lu’ukia
      • Barnett, Franalyn
      • Chang, Cara (chair)
      • Eligio, Jeff
      • Gearhart-Edwards, Anika (Vice Chair)
      • Hayashi, Junie
      • Hirata, Brent
      • Inake, Rachael
      • Jovenal, Dianne Joy
      • Lum Ho, Lauren
      • Meyer, Edward
      • Wong, Evelyn
      • Moses, Tasha

      Meeting Dates

      The Distance Education committee will meet on the following Tuesdays from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm via Zoom: 

      • September 17, 2024
      • October 22, 2024
      • November 19, 2024
      • January 21, 2025
      • February 18, 2025
      • March 25, 2025
      • April 15, 2025
      Elections Committee (Jessica Choi, Chair)

      Members (AY 2024-2025)

      • Reina Ojiri (co-chair)
      • Michael Cawdery (co-chair)
      • Matthew Egami
      • Alyssa MacDonald
      • Igor Nikitin

      The Senate Faculty is made up of 22 elected members. 11 senators are elected each year to serve a two-year term. All faculty in rank C-2 or higher are eligible to be nominated for the general election. Elections are made accessible to all faculty in rank C-2 or higher and all lecturers teaching 8 credits or more at Leeward Community College.

      The election period begins on the first Monday of November and ends on the following Monday by 4 pm. Elected senators will be acknowledged in a campus-wide publication no more than one week after the completion of the election. Newly elected senators will take office during the first regularly scheduled faculty senate meeting of the academic year following their election to office.

      View Faculty Senate Elections Procedures (approved, 09-07-2022)

      Bylaws

      ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

      SECTION 11. Elections Committee

      A. Function

      1. Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning policies and procedures relating to its electoral process.
      2. Conduct the General Faculty Senate elections.
        1. Research and verify the number of Faculty and lecturers on the roll for eligibility at the beginning of the Fall Semester.
        2. Solicit eligible faculty members to run for the Faculty Senate.
        3. Advertise/distribute a list of candidates to all Faculty members as follows: three weeks prior to election week and twice prior to election week.
      3. Conduct the Faculty Senate Executive Officers elections.

      B. Membership

      1. Membership also includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
      Faculty Committee (I-Chia Shih, Chair)

      Members (AY 2024-2025)

      • Donald Carreira Ching, Language Arts
      • Jia Jia Garcia, Math and Sciences
      • Christina Keaulana, Social Sciences
      • Nicole Keim-Fortuno,Student Services
      • Mellissa Moody, Business
      • Reina Ojiri, Math and Sciences
      • I-Chia Shih, Math and Sciences (chair)
      • Danny Wyatt, Waianae Mokue
      • Irwin Yamamoto, Professional Arts and Technology

      Bylaws

      ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

      SECTION 5. Faculty Committee

      A. Functions

      1. Monitor, review, and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning any aspect of faculty academic activities, including sabbatical leaves, travel, evaluation, committee assignments, criteria for faculty contract renewal, tenure, promotion, ethics, peer review and student evaluation of faculty.
      2. Monitor, review, and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning policy relating to criteria for lecturer contract renewal, ethics, peer review and student evaluation of lecturer.
      3. Provide for an overview of policies and procedures of concern to the Faculty.

      B. Membership

      1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
      General Education (Marie McKenzie, Chair)

      Members (AY 2024-2025)

      • Bryson Padasdao (Curriculum Committee)
      • Blake Hunrick (Counselor)
      • Lu’ukia Archer (E Focus)
      • Michele Mahi (Oral Communication)
      • Marie McKenzie (Chair)
      • Sandro Jube (Diversification)
      • Cara Chang (Writing Intensive)
      • Tracie Ku’uipo Losch (Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific)
      • Jessica Choi (Arts and Humanities Division)

      General Education Boards

      The General Education Committee affirms the core designations that a course meets for the Leeward Community College AA core. There are six designation boards.  Each board works from agreed hallmarks to review core designation application.  A list of approved courses for each designation is maintained by the boards.

      General Education Boards websites:

      Legislative Relations (Syreeta Washington and Reina Ojiri, Co-Chair)

      Members

      • Donald Carreira Ching
      • Erika Molyneux  (chair)
      • Reina Ojiri
      • Christina Keaulana
      • William Labby

      Upcoming Hearing Announcements

      HB 1609 Status

      RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

      Requires the board of regents of the University of Hawaii to develop procedures for the full utilization of university facilities.  Requires the administration of the different UH campuses to collect and report data relating to facilities utilization.  Prohibits the UH board of regents from approving the construction of a new university building until a public hearing is held to discuss facility utilization and cost.

      HB 1613 Status

      RELATING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

      Grants tuition waivers to students at the community colleges who meet certain criteria.  Initiates the waiver program as a pilot project in a county with a population of less than 100,000.

      Bylaws

      ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

      SECTION 6. Legislative Relations Committee

      A. Functions

      1. Monitor and report to the Faculty Senate on legislative issues that affect faculty (i.e., retirement, healthcare, tuition waivers, academic and curriculum matters, etc.) and the university system.

      B. Stipulation: In performing this function, the Committee shall advise and cooperate with the College Administration to maintain productive relations with individual legislators and legislative committees. 8 Rev. 2016 C. Membership

      1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
      Student Affairs (Leon Florendo and Franalyn Barnett, Co-Chairs)

      Members

      • Leon Florendo (co-chair)
      • Franalyn Barnett (co-chair)
      • Darci Francis
      • Lexer Chou
      • Grant Helgeson
      • Jolyn Jardiolin
      • Jean StavRue-Peʻahi
      • Deja Lei Pacada (Leeward CC ASUH Rep)

      NOTE: The chair of the Student Committee of the Senate will convene the Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee (AGC).

      The Student Committee Chair asks the Academic Division Chairs for representatives for a “pool” at the beginning of the academic year.  If the Student Committee Chair is contacted regarding a grievance, then an Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee is selected from this “pool” by the Student Committee Chair plus 2 voting members assigned from the Student Government.  (Note:  Not all faculty in the pool will be selected.) The Student Committee Chair convenes the first meeting of this special committee; they will self-select a chair.  The Faculty Senate Student Committee Chair is not on the actual Ad Hoc committee, but can guide the SAG committee in following the SAG policy.  If there are two requests (from two different students), the FS Student Committee Chair will select another Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee from other faculty in the original “pool” created at the beginning of the year.  The Student Government will have to also select two representatives (could be the same or different students).

      2020-21 Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee Volunteers