Since ground breaking on February 12, 2011, the Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language building has definitely begun to take shape. A building to house the University's expanding Hawaiian Studies program was identified as a need more than a decade prior to the department achieving collegiate status in 1998. The College's rapid growth produced UH Hilo's first Master's and Ph.D. recipients as it gained national prominence as a leader in indigenous language and cultural revitalization, added new programs like linguistics and witnessed a surge in enrollment.
The Legislature approved $28 million during the 2010 legislative session for the project and is estimated to be completed this summer.
