“As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”
— Donald Rumsfeld
I cannot count the number of times in the last several months that I have heard some piece of this quotation in reference to the coronavirus, the state budget, and the future of just about anything. The number of unknowns, known or otherwise, has created considerable anxiety, and those of us in positions of leadership wish for nothing more than to be able to reassure people that we will get through this. There is no doubt, however, that we will need to change, both in the short- and long-term, in many ways. That is a known known.
Another known known is that the University of Hawaii at Hilo will be open for students in the fall. We are working to provide as many options for students and faculty alike that we can, so that each can participate as their educational and personal goals require. Students can do some classes in person, with adequate physical distancing, or they can opt to do everything online. We know that for many of our students, online learning is a boon because it gives them more flexibility in their schedules, allowing them to work around other responsibilities, such as child care and jobs. We also know that some of our students from the continent might prefer to stay home until the worst of the pandemic passes and our state quarantine is lifted.
For many other students, however, online learning is challenging, either because of limitations to their access to wi-fi and equipment or because they feel more engaged when they can have in-person experiences with faculty and fellow students. Hence our need for flexibility to make sure each of our students can stay on their planned pathway to a degree.
As we did in spring, we will lend out laptops to those who need and have our computer labs open for use. We know students choose UH-Hilo for our hands-on learning opportunities, and we plan to provide those in as safe a way as we can, enforcing physical distancing and mask wearing and by cleaning spaces more often and more thoroughly. We will be asking all members of our campus community to check in daily with an app to verify that they are feeling healthy, not running a fever, and have not been exposed to COVID-19. We will work closely with the state Department of Health, and we are developing protocols to protect potential spread within our community.
Still, there are many known unknowns. We do not yet know how many students will be able to attend this fall. We do not yet know if we will be able to host sports this fall. NCAA and the PacWest conference are carefully studying student safety and health concerns, and we will make decisions shortly.
We do not know when our Performing Arts Center and ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center will be fully open to the public again. For these facilities, we continue to closely monitor state and county guidance and we will not go back to “normal” operations until we are assured it is safe to do so.
And, of course, we do not yet know for certain when our state quarantine will be lifted, nor do we know when there will be a vaccine available.
Yet it is my job to remain hopeful — hopeful for our university, hopeful for our island, and hopeful for our state. Education remains the most important step for many of our residents to a better life.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo can also contribute to the economic and culture future of our island. Our staff and faculty are dedicated to the success of our students, and we take great pleasure and pride in watching them thrive. We also are invested in the continued resilience and flourishing of our community.
And that is, without a doubt, a known known.
Bonnie D. Irwin is chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Her column appears monthly in the Tribune-Herald.