Aloha UHPA Members,
Please see below for upcoming virtual UHPA Member events and workshops open to all UHPA members. We encourage you to attend and look forward to connecting with you.
Mahalo!
As part of the UHPA Board of Director’s mission and goal to have an active and engaged membership, UHPA is conducting a series of workshops to help members become better informed and empowered. These workshops aim to build a strong member network by strengthening its connections and increasing the dialogue, conversations, and interactions on important topics concerning faculty and the academy it serves.
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Thursday, November 13: UHPA AI Townhall
AI in Higher Education – A conversation worth having
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education is rapidly evolving and often a volatile issue, and rightfully so. AI has the potential to influence or impact intellectual property rights, teaching practices, and how students learn. These are not abstract concerns as they go to the very heart of our professional identity and academic values.
Rather than dismiss AI outright or allow internal or external AI developers and policymakers to determine how it reshapes our profession, UHPA will be holding a town hall meeting for members to share their experiences, insights and concerns about AI’s potential impact.
This will not be a forum to finalize a position on AI, but an opportunity to listen, learn, and engage. It will be a meeting of human minds, a chance for UH faculty to collectively explore what matters most, what boundaries should exist, and how we can shape the responsible integration of AI into our work. As many have wisely noted, “…just because something could be done, does not mean it should be done.”
This conversation is an essential first step in building a shared understanding and collective vision for how AI intersects with our profession.
If you plan on attending, please RSVP by Wednesday, November 12th by emailing Kathy Yamashita at kathy@uhpa.org.
What: UHPA AI Townhall
When: Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:30 am
Where: Zoom (link will be sent once you RSVP)
Who: UHPA Members ONLY
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Check Out the New UHPA AI Chatbot!
UHPA has launched an UHPA Chatbot to enhance member support, designed to provide immediate, 24/7/365 assistance. Accessible on the uhpa.org website in the top right-hand corner labeled “Ask UHPA AI Agent,” the tool can answer common questions on topics such as the contract, membership and member benefits, UHPA leadership and AFT, and staff contact information. The chatbot is an evolving tool, and we encourage all members to test it out and share feedback to help refine it. Feedback can be sent to uhpa-bot-feedback@uhpa.org.
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Monday, November 17 – Department Chair Workshop
UHPA is pleased to announce a dedicated UHPA Member-only workshop for Department Chairs. This session is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of your roles, responsibilities, compensation structure, and procedural obligations as defined by your UHPA/BOR Unit 7 2025-2029 Agreement and related University policies.
If you plan on attending, please RSVP by Friday, November 14th by emailing Kathy Yamashita at kathy@uhpa.org.
What: Department Chair Workshop
When: Monday, November 17, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:30 am
Where: Zoom (link will be sent once you RSVP)
Who: UHPA Members ONLY
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Monday, November 24: Contract Free-For-All
We’ve heard your requests and know how crucial it is to understand the UHPA/BOR Unit 7 2025-2029 Agreement. Because of this, UHPA is conducting a UHPA Member-Only contract workshop designed entirely around your questions and priorities – you set the agenda by providing us with your top three questions or topics you would like discussed ahead of time. See more details below.
We look forward to seeing your submissions and engaging in a highly focused, valuable conversation.
If you plan on attending, please RSVP by Friday, November 21st by emailing Jamie Mow at jmow@uhpa.org. In your RSVP, submit your top three (3) contract questions or topics that you want to see covered.
To ensure we focus on the most pressing issues for membership, we will:
- Collect and collate all submitted questions and topics.
- Rank the questions and topics based on how frequently they are requested.
- During the workshop, we will go through the top-ranked areas in detail, covering as much ground as possible in the 1.5-hour session.
Please have your Unit 7 Agreement on hand during the workshop.
- What: Contract Free-For-All
- When: Monday, November 24, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:30 am
- Where: Zoom (link will be sent once you RSVP)
- Who: UHPA Members ONLY