Instructional Approach
At Windward Community College, we recognize that every student brings unique goals, strengths, and learning styles to our campus. To honor these diverse perspectives, we offer flexible learning options, varied course formats, and supportive pathways tailored to help you thrive.
Whether you are building fundamental skills or preparing for advanced study, our programs are designed to meet your specific goals:
- Earn a Degree or Certificate: Complete an Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), or specialized Certificate of Achievement (CA) or Certificate of Competence (CO) in career and technical education (CTE).
- Transfer to a Four-Year University: Build a seamless pathway toward a bachelor's degree at UH Månoa, UH West O'ahu, UH Hilo, or other four-year institution.
- Advance Your Career: Acquire practical, in-demand skills for workplace entry, career advancement, or industry credentialing.
- Explore Personal Enrichment: Expand your horizons through courses designed for lifelong learning and personal growth.
- Strengthen Academic Foundations: Build essential college-level and professional skills and strategies.
Learning Environments
To accommodate your diverse schedules and learning styles, Windward offers courses across a variety of formats:
- Face-to-Face Instruction: Traditional, in-person learning on campus providing direct interaction with faculty and peers in classrooms, labs, and studio spaces.
- Online Asynchronous (Distance Education): Coursework completed entirely online without scheduled class meetings, allowing you to access lectures, assignments, and discussions on a schedule that fits your life.
- Online Synchronous (Distance Education): Live, real-time virtual class sessions held via online conferencing at scheduled days and times, combining online flexibility with real-time faculty and peer interaction.
- Hybrid / Blended Learning: A combination of in-person campus meetings and online instruction, giving you hands-on interaction alongside flexible online coursework.
General Education Mission Statement
Windward Community College provides an open door to a comprehensive general education through which students enhance basic tools of inquiry for understanding themselves and the world around them, develop their capacity to expand and apply knowledge, and cultivate more creative and meaningful lives. With an orientation to Hawai‘i and its unique heritage, general education at Windward Community College includes:
- Global and Cultural Awareness
- Critical Thinking and Creativity
- Communication
- Information Literacy.