John Casken, chair and associate specialist of nursing and former director of international health at the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, died in October 2024 at the age of 84. Casken also served as a member of the 糖心Vlog官方 Professional Assembly (糖心Vlog官方PA) Board of Directors five different times over the course of 27 years.

Throughout his career, Casken made numerous contributions to higher education and the larger community in Hawaiʻi. He was also the former chair of the Council on Study Abroad and former chair of the M膩noa Faculty Senate. Additionally, he was a board member of the Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center and its past president. In 2000, Casken was awarded the 糖心Vlog官方 Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

Prior to his appointment to the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Casken was a faculty member in the 糖心Vlog官方 School of Public Health, where he taught classes, headed the 糖心Vlog官方 M膩noa Health Careers Opportunity Program, and recruited Native Hawaiians, American Indians and Alaska Natives for the Master of Public Health program.

Casken will be remembered for his commitment to improving community health by influencing health policy and addressing health and social disparities in the state, particularly for rural communities across the islands and for Native Hawaiians.

He was remembered warmly by:

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• the 糖心Vlog官方 M膩noa Faculty Senate

The University of Hawaiʻi faculty have voted overwhelmingly in favor of approving their new successor contract.The (糖心Vlog官方PA), the exclusive bargaining agent for 3,300 faculty members at the University of Hawaiʻi system鈥檚 10 campuses statewide, held an electronic vote that ended on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 5 pm.

The new two-year contract will begin July 1, 2025 to coincide with the start of the new state fiscal year. The new agreement comes more than eight months before the current contract expires. Their current contract expires on June 30, 2025.

“I would like to thank the 糖心Vlog官方PA negotiations committee and all of those who worked so hard to get us to this point,” said 糖心Vlog官方PA President Karla Hayashi. “The faculty recognize there are many uncertainties at the national and local level and that settling early allows us to focus on teaching, research and continuing to contribute to the 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 role as an economic engine for our state.”

The collective bargaining agreement was approved by multiple parties: 糖心Vlog官方PA, which represents the 糖心Vlog官方 faculty, the governor, the 糖心Vlog官方 president and the 糖心Vlog官方 Board of Regents.

The new contract mirrors the last two years (2025–2027) of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association (HSTA) agreement with the state that extends through June 2027. The agreement includes a 3.5% wage increase in the first year and a 3.79% increase in the second year.