Maui Community College receives candidacy approval for first bachelor's degree

KAHULUI, Maui, Hawaiʻi — Maui Community College (MCC) recently received notice from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges‘ (WASC) Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities that its four-year degree, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Business and Information Technology (ABIT), has been recognized as a candidate for accreditation.

This candidacy approval for the ABIT Program is effective through July 15, 2009, and permits MCC to enroll students and implement the baccalaureate program this fall.

"ABIT represents our faculty and college‘s efforts to connect our students with entrepreneurial opportunities through e-commerce and other possibilities leveraging Maui County and the state‘s assets and telecommunications infrastructure," said Maui CC Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto.

Since 1993, bachelor‘s and master‘s degrees from UH Mānoa, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu have been offered to Maui County residents through the University of Hawaiʻi Center on the MCC campus. This is the first time that a bachelor‘s degree will be granted by a community college.

Also, the degree itself is unique within the UH system as it is a business degree, emphasizing small- to medium-sized business management, with a strong information technology component. It covers the two areas of high interest and demand amongst Maui County residents indicated in responses to a county-wide survey conducted in 2002.

The first two years of the program consist entirely of classes currently available at MCC. In addition, seven third-year courses are being offered to students this fall. Designed to be flexible, the degree allows students following the first two years of the curriculum to earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in Business Careers.

Visit www.hawaii.edu/maui/abit for more information about the program.

The ABIT Program of Maui Community College has been recognized as a Candidate for Accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001. This status is a preliminary affiliation with the Commission awarded for a maximum period of four years. Candidacy is an indication that the ABIT program of MCC is progressing toward Accreditation. Candidacy is not Accreditation and does not ensure eventual Accreditation.

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ABOUT MAUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

With the main 78-acre campus located in Kahului and education centers located in Hana and on the islands of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, Maui Community College is the only community college in the UH system that specifically serves the population of more than one island. Serving about 2,700 students, the college offers comprehensive opportunities and special programs. Because it is a tri-island college community, Maui Community College pioneered and developed expertise in distance education and technology, providing a model for the entire University of Hawaiʻi system.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI

Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawaiʻi is the state‘s sole public system of higher education. The UH System provides an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and community programs on 10 campuses and through educational, training, and research centers across the state. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawaiʻi, the U.S. mainland, and around the world. For more information, visit www.hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/maui/abit