Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: News

More than 1,500 University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa students are expected to graduate at the end of this semester. Years of these students' experiences, memories and successes will be commemorated in the three-hour ceremony.

Commencement is a celebration that acknowledges years of hard work. It is a time when students realize they are no longer pupils, but alumni. It is a moment when students can reflect on their time here at the university. A moment when family, friends and even lovers meet up.

Rustin Saole, a communications major, found all of these here. Coming here as a freshman over four and a half years ago to play football, he did not expect to meet his future wife.

"I met the love of my life my freshman year. We got married last year, and now we have a 5-month-old daughter. Wow, time does go by so fast," the Warriors linebacker said.

Saole knew he made his time here well worth it. From meeting the woman he loves to helping the Warriors' to an undefeated record, he has a lot to look back on.

"The knowledge learned and the perseverance you need to survive college will definitely carry out towards your life," Saole added.

With graduation imminent, Saole said he is excited to move on. Never expecting to get a degree, he said the hard work and time he poured into attaining it was well worth the effort.

Striving for that degree

According to statistics, UH Mānoa students seem to be consistent in their efforts to earn a degree at the university.

"Commencement numbers this fall are very similar to the numbers of last fall," said Ronald Cambra, the assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate education.

This consistency is especially good for the state of Hawai‘i, which is typically where UH Mānoa graduates stay to apply their education.

"Hawai‘i is the single largest job source for our graduates," said Peter Garrod, the dean of the university's graduate division.

Despite this, the school's success and retention rates are lower than the benchmark average. In a comparison of UH Mānoa to its peer institutions from fall 1990 to fall 2004, the university's success rate over four years was 66.2 percent versus the benchmark average of 73.4 percent. The success rate includes graduation and continuation rates.

This is something university officials acknowledge and are trying to reverse.

"Graduation rates at this institution are typically lower." Cambra said.

However, he also added that recent changes in graduation requirements five years ago should help increase the school's graduation rates. Cambra said students now graduate with an average of six to nine credit hours less and that students can track their progress through a new degree audit system. He believes the school's graduation rates may improve over the next few years.

Still, for those who will be graduating this semester, like Rustin Saole, the experience is unforgettable. Saole said the best time of his life was probably here at UH Mānoa.

"I've really matured," he stated.

The fall centennial commencement will be held on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 9 a.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Commencement speaker: Barry Weinman, managing director and co-founder of Allegis Capital, as well as general partner of AVI Management.

*Those graduates who are participating: report by 8 a.m. to Stan Sheriff Center loading dock. All graduates must register to participate in the ceremony by Dec. 11.

Tickets: No tickets will be issued. Guests are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. Gates will open at 8 a.m. Please try to limit the number of your guests to five or six people. We strongly recommend that your guests arrive early, as the doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will be closed when the arena reaches maximum capacity.

No balloons or strollers are allowed into the arena for safety reasons. Also, advise your guests that photographs and videos may only be taken from their seats.

Parking: All campus parking will be free, and all parking areas, except the area near the ROTC buildings will be open to the public. Please note that the road leading from the Wai‘alae entrance will be closed. The road will reopen following the ceremony for exiting only. Plan to arrive early, as there will be considerable congestion surrounding the campus entrances. Those needing disability parking are especially encouraged to arrive early.

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