The $1 million Nagatani Academic Center (NAC), funded by the late UH booster Bob Nagatani, was constructed in 1999. The center was designed to offer student-athletes an accessible environment where they can concentrate on their academic pursuits. The NAC is equipped with two computer labs and remains open an average of 70 hours each week. The center also acts as a study hall for UH student-athletes and is the hub for meetings, study groups and one-on-one sessions with advisors and tutors.
In Fall 2002, the NAC annex, located on the second floor of the Athletics Complex, was opened to accommodate the growing needs of student-athletes. The annex houses a large central study area with three adjacent break-out rooms. Freshmen are required to meet in these mentoring or study group pods. The student-athletes as a whole log an average of 1,655 study hall hours each week.
The NAC provides each student-athlete with the opportunity to reach academic success. Furthermore, the center strives to ensure that each student-athlete is provided with the best chance of earning a degree. The success of this goal is reflected in the 75-percent graduation rate of student-athletes, which is ranked in the Top 25 among Division I public institutions.
Student-Athlete Academic Services
Academic and athletics go hand-in-hand for student-athletes at UH Manoa. To be successful in both areas, students must learn to balance the various demands in their everyday college life.
Student-Athlete Academic Services, part of the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, provides the academic support that student-athletes often need to maintain and fine-tune this balancing act. The SAAS advisors (assigned as team advisors) get to know their student-athletes well, assisting them in their academic and personal development. They help student-athletes register for appropriate classes each semester, choose a major, set goals and develop an academic plan towards graduation. SAAS staff also provide special programs and services to meet individual needs, including tutoring and academic mentoring to the approximately 500 student-athletes that participate in UH’s 19 intercollegiate sports.
SAAS advisors are specialist faculty who work closely with Dr. Ron Cambra, Asst. Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, and the Athletics Department staff in a collaborative effort to support student-athletes academically.