Ulana Pilina: Powering Communication and Connection for a More Peaceful, Just, and Informed Community

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Ulana Pilina

Strategic Plan of the School of Communication and Information 2026–2031

  • Adopted by SCI Faculty on May 8, 2026

Foundational Context: An Engine for Social Action

The School of Communication and Information (SCI) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa represents a strategic convergence of five units—Communication, Communicology, Journalism, Library and Information Science, and the Matsunaga Institute for Peace.1 Formed in 2022, SCI is uniquely positioned within the College of Social Sciences (CSS) to fulfill the college’s unified goal of creating the next generation of global game-changers who address fundamental questions about human behavior and improve the human condition by transforming science into social action.2

Communication, Communicology and Library & Information Science also comprise three of the five units in the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Communication & Information Sciences (CIS), along with the Department of Information & Computer Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences, and the Department of Information Technology Management in the Shidler College of Business.  The CIS PhD Program is governed collectively by these contributing units, and all units contribute resources for the maintenance of the Program. Faculty in all SCI units serve on CIS PhD student committees.

This strategic plan for 2026–2031 moves beyond the initial phase of administrative merger toward a future of “collaborative autonomy.”1 It aligns the School’s growth with the Strategic Plan 2023-2029: Hawaiʻiʻs University for Today and Tomorrow, which focuses on meeting state workforce needs, and the Mānoa 2015-2025 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes the university’s kuleana (responsibility) to Hawaiʻi and the world.3,4. By integrating the five unique but related disciplines of Communication, Communicology, Journalism, Library and Information Science, and Peace and Conflict Education, SCI provides the essential toolkit for students to navigate and lead in a globalized society.

Mission 

The School is guided by the Mānoa 2025 vision, E Hoʻomālamalama I Kō Mālama (Cultivating the potential within each member of our community) and He Lamakū O Ke Aloha ʻĀina (A leading light of aloha ʻāina for Hawaiʻi and the world).4 This vision positions SCI as a student-centered hub that summons traditional and contemporary knowledge systems to care for the land and the people of the Pacific.1
 
The mission of SCI is to advance scholarship in communication, information, and media; build and sustain relationships; and contribute to a more peaceful, just, and informed society, summarized by the motto “Communication · Connection · Community”.5 The School operationalizes this mission through three primary foci of action:

Strategic FocusFocus AreaIntended Social Impact
Information LiteracyCritical evaluation of media, news, and digital systems.Empowering an informed citizenry and mitigating misinformation.1
Communication Competency for Peaceful and Inclusive DiscourseStrengthening human connection and interpersonal skills through education in peaceful communication, conflict transformation, and community engagement.Equipping UH Mānoa students for leadership and professional success while fostering more peaceful communities.1
Socially-responsible use of Information and Communication TechnologiesCultivating skills to use information and emerging communication technologies effectively and responsibly.Preparing UH Mānoa students for career success in the rapidly changing world with new information and communication technologies.

Core Values in Practice

SCI’s identity is sustained by five core values, collaboratively identified by faculty to serve as an ethical compass for all research, teaching, and service:1

  • Informed & Engaged Citizenry: Researching and teaching civics as a responsibility of self-governance.
  • Applied Knowledge & Wisdom: Understanding the lived experiences of stakeholders and adapting to a changing communication ecology.
  • Collaboration: Leveraging collective skills through joint research, authorship, and team-teaching.1
  • Honesty & Integrity: Adhering to strict ethical guidelines and maintaining transparency in their decision-making.
  • Respect: Embracing the diversity of students and colleagues in expertise, research, culture, and language.

Strategic Pillar 1: Communication for Social Impact and Community Well-being

In alignment with the College of Social Sciences’ focus on “transforming science into social action,” SCI prioritizes research that addresses critical societal challenges. SCI is committed to applying communication and information theories to improve public well-being and social equity.

Translational Research for Social Action

SCI faculty, along with students they work with, engage in multidisciplinary research that seeks to solve complex problems through message design, information management, and community engagement.

  • Social Equity and Health Literacy: Investigating how communication behaviors can mitigate disparities in marginalized communities. This includes collaborations with the UH Cancer Center and the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health to design digital health strategies for linguistically vulnerable populations.
  • Environmental Literacy: Translating scientific data into accessible community information. SCI seeks to expand interdisciplinary collaboration for teaching, research, and service to nurture and sustain the health of our environment and humans.   
  • The Science of Trust: Addressing the trust crisis in public information. Faculty explore how media exposure shapes behavior, focusing on restoring credibility in institutional and community communication.
  • Connection: SCI serves as a connective tissue for social science research, modeling the “team-science” approach necessary for addressing the changing needs of the state.1 SCI faculty collaboratively pursue research and scholarship in areas such as sustainability, community resilience, and the ethical impact of emerging technologies.2

Strategic Pillar 2: Strengthening and Reimagining Democratic Community

This pillar addresses the crisis of misinformation and the erosion of civic engagement, directly supporting the CSS goal of producing graduates who are equipped for leadership in public and private enterprises.

The Information Literacy Imperative

SCI serves as the university’s leader in information and communication literacy—the ability to reflectively discover, produce, and value information and communication.7

  • Central Hub for Information, Media and News Literacy Education: The School strives to become a centralized hub for effectively educating UHM students to become critical consumers of information, media and news.   
  • Journalism and News Integrity: The Journalism program focuses on responsible storytelling and source credibility, ensuring students can navigate community issues with ethical rigor.

Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation

The Matsunaga Institute for Peace provides students with practical skills in nonviolent communication and mediation, preparing them to be effective “game-changers” in their communities.

  • Indigenous Peace Practices: Integrating Native Hawaiian practices like Hoʻoponopono as a framework for intercultural communication and conflict transformation.4
  • Expand Conflict Transformation Education: Building on the recently created concentration in Conflict Resolution and Civic Leadership within the Interdisciplinary Studies, work towards creating a Bachelor of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Civic Leadership by 2031.  We hope to work towards establishing an independent B.A. degree in Conflict Resolution and Civic Leadership.  
  • Social Impact Education: Exploring a “Social Change Certificate” that integrates courses from all five programs, focusing on advocacy and leadership.1

Strategic Pillar 3: Enhancing Human Communication Competency Across the University

A major recent initiative of the School is to better educate the broader UH Mānoa student body in human communication skills. This effort recognizes that interpersonal competence is the foundation of both professional success and civic health.

Scaling Human Connection
SCI is working to expand its reach by offering skill-based education to students across all disciplines at UH Mānoa.

  • University-wide Skills Requirement: SCI faculty are engaging with the Faculty Senate and General Education committees to advocate for a communication skills requirement that ensures all graduates can effectively manage social dynamics and create understanding.
  • Communication and Leadership Education: Develop a competency-based microcredential on “Leadership and Collaborative Communication.  Work towards raising awareness about the importance of communication and leadership education, and serve as the hub for communication and leadership education at the University. 
  • Professional Pathways:  Serve as a focal unit for providing students with leadership tools for relational management and persuasion in diverse professional settings, thus preparing our students for professional success after graduation.

Strategic Pillar 4: Socially Responsible ICT and Pedagogical Innovation

A core strategic focus of the School is the socially-responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The School seeks to cultivate among UH Mānoa students the skills to use information and emerging communication technologies effectively and responsibly. The School aims to lead efforts to use these tools to enhance the human condition rather than degrade it. 

Ethical Technology and Socially-Responsible ICT

  • Promoting Responsible Use: SCI is committed to teaching and promoting the socially-responsible use of ICT, ensuring students understand the ethical implications of digital systems and information flow.
  • Addressing AI and Digital Ethics: SCI builds on long-standing efforts within our programs to address a broad range of policy, governance, and ethical considerations through existing course content and targeted AI literacy modules that can be integrated into courses across programs to address the contemporary challenges of complex, multicultural contexts.
  • Sustainable Digital Systems: Researching how various communities create digital systems that are sustainable and resistant to the oppressive harms often built into modern society.
  • Ethical ICT Research Practices: The SCI Programs and the CIS Interdisciplinary PhD Program provide a broad-based, human-centered sociotechnical perspective on ICT research theory and practice.

Workforce-Ready Degree Pathways

The School leads in developing efficient degree pathways that meet the workforce needs identified in the UH 2023-2029 Strategic Plan, and is committed to the Mānoa 2025 goal of enhancing student success through innovative pedagogy and strong career preparation.1,3,4 The School works closely with various relevant entities within the University (e.g. CSS ACCESS, Vice Provost for Student Excellence, Workforce Development at the Office of the Vice President of Academic Strategy) to ensure students have holistic support throughout their academic journey.6

  • BAM (Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s) Pathways: We currently have “4+1” pathways in Communicology, allowing students to complete dual degrees in five years while saving on tuition. We will explore ways to promote this BAM program and increase enrollment. 
  • Community-Engaged Pedagogy: SCI integrates hands-on learning through platforms like The Mānoa Mirror, bridging the gap between the classroom and the workforce.
  • Centralized Internship Infrastructure: Streamlining internship oversight across all five programs to enhance regional workforce development.6

Strategic Pillar 5: Becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning

In line with the 2025 Mānoa Strategic Plan, SCI is committed to being an indigenous-serving institution grounded in aloha ʻāina.1,4 This is an essential component of the School’s identity and its kuleana to the people of Hawaiʻi.4  To normalize the use of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i in the state, SCI  adopted a policy in May 2024 requiring proper use of the languageʻs two diacritical marks in all public-facing communication, including all published journalistic, marketing, and public relations content shared with the broader community. SCI is further committed to promoting indigenous knowledge and support in our teaching, scholarship and services.  

Indigenous Knowledge and Support

  • Hawaiian Librarianship: The LIS program leads in investigating how aloha ʻāina can serve as a theoretical lens for information science, connecting indigenous practitioners with the academic community.8
  • Conflict transformation and Hoʻoponopono: The Matsunaga Institute for Peace integrates Native Hawaiian conflict transformation practices as a core subject, investing in these traditions as a framework for intercultural communication.1,4

Actionable Initiatives for 2026–2031

The School’s roadmap for the next five years is defined by concrete initiatives collaboratively developed during the 2024 and 2025 faculty retreats:5,6

  1. Central Infrastructure for Community-Engaged Pedagogy: Hiring a workforce development coordinator to link the curriculum to student research and regional needs.6
  2. Resource Documentation and Mapping: Creating a searchable directory of faculty research interests and a technical asset inventory to facilitate School-wide collaboration.6
  3. Building a Pathway Toward Shared Destiny: Develop a shared support system including staff resources for outreach, service learning, and internship to create a seamless experience for students and faculty across the five SCI programs.6
  4. Enhance Outreach: Developing a multiplatform promotion strategy to enhance the visibility of SCIʻs research accomplishments and student achievements.6

Conclusion: Fulfilling the Kuleana of Our Time

The School of Communication and Information stands as a synergistic unit connecting Hawaiʻi, the Asia-Pacific region, and the globe.1 This 2026–2031 strategic plan provides a roadmap for SCI to emerge as a leading light of aloha ʻāina, dedicated to producing the global game-changers Hawaiʻi needs to navigate a complex future.

By focusing on information literacy, human communication competency, information and communication technology skills, peaceful discourse, and community-engaged learning, SCI fulfills its responsibility to the people and places of Hawaiʻi.1 The School remains committed to a future where science, technology, and human understanding meet to create a more resilient, just, and compassionate world.

Works cited

  1. SCI Identity Session 2 Notes 11.30.22 v1.pdf
  2. CSS Website: https://socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/about-the-college/
  3. UH System Strategic Plan 2023-2029: https://www.hawaii.edu/strategic-plan/   
  4. Mānoa 2025: Our Kuleana to Hawaiʻi and the World Strategic Plan 2015–2025 https://manoa.hawaii.edu/strategicplan/
  5. SCI Strategic Retreat Facilitator Report 11.1.24.pdf
  6. SCI Strategic Retreat Facilitator Report 10.31.25.pdf
  7. Information Literacy – University of Hawaii Manoa Library Website, accessed January 26, 2026, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/library/teaching/information-literacy/
  8. Aloha ʻĀina in the Library and Information Science Program: Understanding and Being a Hawaiian Place of Learning – ScholarSpace, accessed January 26, 2026, https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/f4ba3269-bd1e-4390-b825-b101fad731ef