University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu
Former name | West Oʻahu College (1976–1989) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Maluna aʻe o nā lāhui āpau ke ola ke kānaka (Hawaiian) |
Motto in English | "Above all nations is humanity" |
| Type | Public college |
| Established | 1976 |
Parent institution | University of Hawaiʻi |
| Accreditation | WSCUC |
| Endowment | $491.36 million (2023) (system-wide) |
| Chancellor | Maenette K. P. Ah Nee-Benham |
| President | David Lassner |
Academic staff | 123 |
| Students | 2,944 (spring 2018) |
| Location | , Hawaii , United States 21°21′19″N 158°03′23″W / 21.3552°N 158.0564°W |
| Campus | Large Suburb, 300 acres (1.2 km2) |
| Newspaper | The Hoot |
| Colors | UH West O'ahu Red Black |
| Nickname | Owls |
| Mascot | Pueo |
| Website | westoahu |
The University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu (UHWO) is a public college in Kapolei, Hawaii, United States. It is part of the University of Hawaiʻi system. It offers baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts and professional studies. UHWO opened in January 1976. In 1981 it was accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission or its predecessor. In 2007, the school added first- and second-year subjects, becoming a four-year college.
In 2019, UHWO was the fastest-growing public baccalaureate college in the US. It has one of the most diverse student populations among four-year public institutions, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. It is the university's newest campus. It was established in part to provide access to higher education in Leeward Oʻahu. UHWO supports the study of Hawaiian language, history and culture.
The college offers only undergraduate education. It enrolled 3,182 students in fall 2018, many from Leeward Oʻahu. UHWO also reaches students around the state with its Distance Learning program. About 10 percent of UHWO's enrollment listed another island as their permanent address. As of 2017, UHWO had the highest percentage of distance and online courses and programs and the highest percentage of part-time students in University of Hawaiʻi.