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About KCC > Special Emphases - WAC | KITE | KAPE | Service

Special Emphasis

Kapi'olani Community College is committed to making every educational experience challenging, informative, useful, and geared to each individual's needs. Learning is more than information; it is the process by which you acquire the tools so that you can apply your knowledge wisely and successfully. During your college experience, you will be strengthened in several important skills that comprise the college's institutional emphases:

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC +)

This college-wide emphasis includes both writing and thinking. It provides a multidisciplinary approach to writing as a mode of learning - a way of organizing thoughts, understanding concepts, discovering connections, and articulating and communicating ideas. Writing, thus, is a powerful tool that can assist understanding of course content and improve critical thinking. But writing does not exist in a vacuum. It is ultimately connected with other aspects of language use - reading, speaking, and listening - and has a social as well as individual dimension. Instructors from Liberal Arts and technical, occupational and professional programs are encouraged to integrate writing, reading, and thinking strategies into their course objectives and activities.

Writing Intensive (WI) Courses
Kapi'olani offers a selection of courses which are designated as Writing Intensive. These courses stress learning through writing. They meet KCC's requirement for the A.A. degree and UH Manoa's baccalaureate requirement. Faculty interested in offering WI classes may contact WI Coordinator.

Kapi'olani Information Technology Emphasis

Research suggests that students who have access to technology excel in their chosen career or educational field. The Kapi'olani Information Technology Emphasis (KITE) is KCC's commitment to the development of knowledgeable and capable students for the 21st century information and interactive age. KCC provides an environment where students and faculty utilize technology in their learning activities; computer labs are located throughout the campus where fast, convenient Internet access is readily available.

Asia Pacific

Hawai'i is a multicultural society and Kapi'olani Community College recognizes the need for an education that embraces cross-cultural perspectives. The Kapi'olani Asia Pacific Emphasis (KAPE) is a curriculum-wide effort - incorporating workshops, special activities, language courses and multicultural studies--to stimulate cultural understanding through comparative studies of American, Pacific Island and Asian societies.
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Service Learning

Service-learning is a teaching and learning method that connects meaningful community service experiences with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. Service-learning enhances what is taught by extending student learning beyond the classroom and providing opportunities for students to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real life situations in their own communities. Most Kapi'olani students (nearly 2,000 since January, 1995) choose to serve at more than 70 nonprofit organizations and schools in the East Honolulu area. Critical reflective journaling links the students' service experience to the course curriculum. Students are encouraged to serve at least 20 hours per semester and for more than one semester.

What's new for students and faculty? Service Pathways are specific community projects developed here at KCC and in partnership with UHM faculty.

The Service Pathways are:
1. Community Safety
2. Environment
3. Healthy Lifestyles
4. Historical/Cultural Preservation
5. International
6. P-20 Education
7. Senior Wellness

KCC's Service-learning emphasis has received substantial national recognition from the American Association of Higher Education, American Association of Community Colleges, National Society for Experiential Education, Campus Compact, and the Centers for Disease Control. For more information about this exciting and innovative teaching-learning strategy, contact the Service Learning Coordinator.