Susan Murata Kazama, a 1986 graduate of the LIS Program, has been appointed as the interim chancellor at Hawai鈥榠 Community College. She brings with her an amazing wealth of experiences that spans more than 35 years in higher education at five 糖心Vlog官方 campuses. Among her achievements, Kazama served as interim vice chancellor of academic affairs at Kapi驶olani CC and Honolulu CC. In addition, she served as a program coordinator for continuing education at Kapi驶olani CC.
Born and raised in Hilo, Kazama attended 糖心Vlog官方 M膩noa where she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology before聽 pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in library studies. She began her career as a librarian at Maui CC, Honolulu CC, and 糖心Vlog官方 M膩noa鈥檚 Hamilton Library before assuming the library directorship at Kapi驶olani CC.聽 Kazama said that her experiences as a librarian contributed to her leadership skills that included fiscal management, organizational planning, and collaborative team building expertise. According to Kazama, working in libraries helped her to develop a solution-driven mindset.
As the newly appointed leader of Hawai驶i CC, Kazama has a dynamic vision for the institution. Her priorities range from improving student success and workforce development to expanding initiatives dealing with sustainability and strengthening campus safety. Of critical importance to Kazama is incorporating Native Hawaiian values in the curriculum. Toward this end, she has immersed herself in learning the protocols, leadership strategies, history and 驶艒lelo through the campus I Ola H膩loa Center for Hawai驶i Lifestyles.
Kazama plans to leverage and strengthen various initiatives that are unique to her campus. This includes a hula certificate, agroforestry management, and apprenticeships and non-credit programs offered in collaboration with different community organizations. With an eye on preparing students to live and work on the Big Island, Kazama鈥檚 plans focus on more career technical pathways for high school students who wish to earn college credential before graduating from high school.
Source for this information:
University of Hawai鈥榠 News (July 23, 2024)
Article: Susan Kazama Returns Home to Lead Hawai鈥榠 CC
Author: Katie Young Yamanaka
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