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The BYU-Hawaii Institutional Assessment program — dedicated to encouraging each academic and administrative unit at the university to submit and update plans listing specific outcomes — presented its annual best practices awards during a March 28 luncheon to:

Students interested in enhancing their résumés by learning how to create highest-quality digital media projects may soon do so in BYU-Hawaii's completely refurbished Media Production Center (MPC).

Members of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team, who conducted an Educational Effectiveness Review of BYU-Hawaii from March 26-28, shared a brief, "very positive" oral report with university administrators and faculty before departing campus.

BYU-Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelwright [pictured at left] and Vice President of Administrative Services Michael B. Bliss met with interested faculty and staff on March 25 to answer questions about the university's recent decision canceling plans to demolish 26 homes on Moana Street in Laie and build 52 new replacement units on those lots.

With the 50th and last annual reunion of the Church College of New Zealand set for next month in Temple View and the impending closure of CCNZ [New Zealanders pronounce the letter 'Z' as "zed") at the end of 2009, the annual conference of the Mormon Pacific Historical Society (MPHS) from March 21-22 on campus focused on the rich heritage of the Latter-day Saint high school and some of its ties to BYU-Hawaii.

Elder Michael J. Teh, of the First Quorum of the Seventy, shared with students in the March 25 devotional the importance of combining diligence both in studies and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to fully realize the potential of President David O. McKay’s prophetic vision for BYU-Hawaii.

To Sasa Zibe's father, education and hard work were second to none. He continually instilled these ideals in the mind of his young son. "When I was little, our home was so small and we didn't have much, but my father still taught us that if we worked hard and got a good education, we could change things for ourselves."

Aimed at exposing BYU-Hawaii students to the opportunities available through entrepreneurship, the annual Business Plan Competition and Entrepreneurship Conference, hosted by the Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship (CIE), was a success, according to students who were involved.

BYU-Hawaii Career Services invited Brett Butler, general manager of Del Monte's Star Kist™ Tuna manufacturing plant in American Samoa, to speak to School of Business students on March 20 about the issues and challenges he faces running the largest single packing operation of its kind in the world.

BYU-Hawaii history professor Isaiah Walker drew on some of his surfing skills in his March 18 devotional address in the Cannon Activities Center to encourage university students, faculty and staff to ride life's waves of belief.

Nickoma Ing was born in the rural town of Gisborne, on the North Island of New Zealand. As a child, this little girl, in this little town, had big dreams for herself. She dreamed of one day being able to get an education from a prestigious university and of dancing professionally. Little did this girl know, that with some hard work and perseverance, her dreams would one day be realized in big ways.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — In a great game that was neck and neck until the final minute the BYU-Hawaii Seasiders' memorable season came to an end in a 73-67 heartbreaking loss to the tournament hosting team, Alaska Anchorage, today. This match-up of two talented teams came down to the wire as it was a two point game with under a 30 seconds to go and both teams scrambling to try to take advantage. In the end the number-four ranked team in the nation pulled away in front of a packed house at home.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Pac West Conference MVP forward Lucas Alves scored 18 points, but it was a cast of BYU-Hawaii team members that helped the lowest seeded team remaining in the West Region to continue their winning ways and keep their Cinderella dreams of winning the tournament alive with an 83-62 win over conference rival Chaminade University to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — All seven games from the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball West Regional tournament will be televised live and video streamed over the Internet for free at goseawolves.com as well as NCAAsports.com.

John Muaina, Vice President of Human Resources at the Polynesian Cultural Center, shared his experiences as a young student worker as well as an international recruiter and diplomat to encourage today's BYU-Hawaii students to be "no more strangers" in his March 11 devotional address in the Cannon Activities Center.

Brigham Young University Hawaii Tennis Coach David Porter joined a very elite group of coaches today as his women's tennis team defeated Dixie State 9-0 to give Porter his 1,000th career win as a head coach.

A proposal by two TESOL [Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages] majors and a Latina classmate to establish an English language school in Merida, Mexico, won the $5,000 grand prize in the 2008 BYU-Hawaii Mark and Laura Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship (CIE) business plan competition on March 7. Visiting entrepreneurs who earlier participated in a two-day business conference on campus acted as judges to also award six other cash prizes in the university's annual business plan competition.

The BYU-Hawaii President's Council met with interested faculty, staff and students at 7:00 a.m. on March 6 in the Little Theater to answer a range of questions from the floor and also pre-submitted by email. For example: