Shidler College of Business

My biggest issue with Shidler is hands down the counseling. I would have graduated much earlier if they would’ve been more accommodating and direct with what I needed to do. I also, was not too thrilled with the education I received. I definitely received a better education from my «public» high school (on mainland) then from here. I think the reason I disliked it so much was because I was paying out-​of-​state rates. Paying as much as I did for a UH education is shameful. Cost of education is way too inflated. That being said, Shidler is much nicer than any other UH school

We are a small state with a small population and limited revenue and charitable contributions. So, to have one of our own graduates of UH have so much loyalty, aloha and generosity, to give back, like Jay Shidler is beyond awesome. Rome was not built in a day. Things will definitely improve, Reid, Ka’imi, Curtis and Val.

I am not a business student in the Shidler College of Business, so I’ll just be commenting on the facilities themselves. I’ve had many classes in Shidler, so I feel I have perspective enough to write a review.
First of all, compared to the majority of the other buildings on the UHM campus, Shidler has to be in the top 5 in terms of appearance. Yes, the bathrooms are old, but you don’t feel like you’ll be raped while using them like you might at, say, Spalding. The classrooms are pretty well maintained, but they’re definitely nothing to hold your breath at. The labeling of the «buildings» (they’re all interconnected but labeled A, B, C, etc.) is confusing and unnecessary. I also don’t understand what the architects were thinking when they decided to keep it a depressing shade of gray. Every time I walk through the halls, or sit on any of the benches outside the classrooms, I feel like I might get hurt falling down because everything is made of harsh and unforgiving variations of concrete.
In the end, choosing to have class at Shidler versus the majority of the other buildings is a no-​brainer. Honestly, I would rather be surrounded by (overeager) chipper business students than dust and 100 year old cork boards in other buildings.

Total buyer’s remorse after graduating from the Shidler College of Business. I got my bachelor’s in Entrepreneurial Studies, based on the advice of a counselor, that generalists are now highly sought after. I think they were just trying to boost enrollment in their new major. My experience after graduating is that most companies are looking for specialists, not generalists.
In addition to what I feel is inadequate/​unrealistic counseling advice, I was thoroughly disappointed with the quality of the staff. Even at 300 and 400 level courses, the majority of my teachers were grad students working on PHd’s. They had no teaching experience, no educational skills, and didn’t seem to want to be there at all.
I understand that the facilities have recently been renovated. That’s great for the new students, but when I was there we had bust-​up carpeting, non-​functional bathrooms, and ghetto computer equipment.
If I could go back and do it all over, I WOULDN’T!

I am utterly disappointed with the education I received from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. (Please note that this review is based on my experiences as a marketing major.)
To offer a little background information, I transferred to UH in January 2008. It took three semesters to complete the required gen-​ed classes before I was admitted into the business college. Having heard positive things about the Shidler College of Business, I was excited to begin there… Looking back now, I can’t say that this school prepares its students for the competitive job market.
My biggest issue is with the lack of adequate computer training in software associated with the marketing career field. SPSS, SAS, SQL, Oracle, Adobe, LexisNexis – programs I think marketers need to be proficient in, that aren’t offered for credit to marketing majors in the business school.
My advice to prospective/​current students: register for classes in ITM, management (project management), computer science, and communications. The extra work is definitely worth it.

Jay Shidler donated a lot of money to the College of Business at UH Manoa, hence the name Shidler, College of Business.
Thankfully for him, all the classrooms got renovated with new carpets, chairs, tables and better technology and equipment in the classrooms and the computer labs.
I remember some classrooms had broken down chairs and the carpets were coming apart that professors were tripping over it. Hazard!
The only thing that makes me scratch my head is that with all the money for renovations and repairs, why can’t a plumber come and fix the women’s toilets on the first floor in the C building? Seriously, there’s always one broken.
They should also bring in more food places because there’s only one place that has a limited selection of food choices and they usually run out of a lot of things by noon.
There’s a lot of tables and chairs for people to hang out, do homework or start a new business. There should be more electrical outlets (outside of the classrooms) though because I haven’t been able to find out in the courtyard or any of the sitting areas throughout.

I graduated from the University of Hawaii from the School of Accountancy 4 years before the Great recession of 2008, back when the job outlook was better than the current state of affairs. *Flashback!* The UH president was Evan Dobelle and I got to shake his hand during commencement ceremonies that fall and I was so glad I got out with my bachelors degree and my sanity intact. The Shildler College of Business was just the College of Business @ UH Manoa when I was going to school there. It was after I graduated from there UH alum Jay Shildler donated a huge amount of money and they named the College of Business after him. The core business classes were at the College of Business building, which is basically on the left edge of the campus, as you can possibly get, along with the school’s main programs of marketing, accounting, information technology, human resources, among others.
Located at Malie Way and University Avenue, the College of Business has been one of the schools in the University system that had garnered international status, being named to the US News & World Report for international business top 10 in recent years. The faculty here is the best, and while I struggled to get by in my core accounting classes, I knew I could have done better, if I just tried. While accounting is not what I love to do, it is what is keeping me afloat in these financial times. The building itself is broken down by sub buildings, labeled A, B, C, D, E. I remember spending my days here, studying and trying to socialize among my peers, and also trying to just get a leg up in my life — when everything else seemed to fail around me. The facility isn’t world class, but it works in its creativity, its basic function, and it definitely serves its purpose in educating the world.
I knew that business school and especially accountancy was not for me when I entered my core business classes, but I endured. While I wanted to be a history or English major, I didn’t want to hear the end of it from my parents, so I just had to endure the struggle. In hindsight, it’s a bittersweet experience. The parking along Maile Way and the street parking on University Avenue is your best bet for parking to the College of Business and the surrounding buildings. If not, the surrounding residential neighborhood streets are good options too. I had joined the UH Accounting Club, but did not really socially interact with the club as much as I wanted to. Oh well. It’s in the past.
Nowadays, I come around the UH campus just for a bit of rediscovery when there’s really nothing to do at home, nothing to really buy at the shopping malls, and the beaches are crowded with people. Some gems that I use to frequent have become cool things to do. Sometimes, I hang around here @ the Shilder College of Business on the weekends or hang out at the Hamilton Library working on my novel.
A+

The best college at University of Hawaii at Manoa. They provide great clubs, class room environment, and professional experience. They allow students to be creative and express themselves in any form of business. Friendly students and most faculty are willing to help. Great place to learn and get a degree.

I graduated from the Shidler College of Business with a degree in Finance a couple of years ago. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed my time here. This is the one building on campus that looks like a huge prison. Big, tall, a million bricks painted grey, full of solitude and confinement. But inside the building is a nice courtyard with tables and benches. There’s also a nice green grassy area where one of the wings of the building used to stand some years ago but was knocked down due to some engineering/​planning fault of the land or something. Not sure.
The classrooms over here are great. Most of them on the first floor have comfortable computer chairs and are equipped with computers with projectors for easy PowerPoint lectures. The lecture halls are also big and seating is theater style with the chairs getting higher the further back you go. This helps with visibility and the acoustics of these lecture halls are great which accommodates to the speaker a lot. They also have a small little coffee kiosk called The Bean Counter which serves coffee, tea, and snacks.
The classes provided here are definitely limited. I don’t know if it has changed but these are my experiences when I went here. I know that they cut classes due to the campus wide budget cuts which did not help or provide for students who wanted to graduate by a certain time. Consequently, students will have to pay for an extra semester or two to just get the classes that they need. They can’t help this considering this is a UH Manoa problem, not a Shidler problem. The lesson? Register for classes right when they open up or have an upperclassman who has an earlier registration time hold the class for you.
***Quick Tip*** JOIN A BUSINESS CLUB!!!
The biggest thing that made my experience an amazing one was joining a business club. There were about ten clubs when I was there and I think there are more now. I joined the Financial Management Association and maintained to be a member all four semesters when I was in Shidler. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of FMA for numerous reasons. I got to socialize with other students not only in my major but also with other students in the college. I’ve made so many friends through FMA and a lot of them to this day, I still hang out with and keep in contact with as well. I also got to serve on their executive board which helped me with my leadership skills and also helped provide a lot of career opportunities. It opened up internships which in turn opened up a career in financial advising which I’m doing to this day. I’m not going to go over the details of what each club does and what they provide to their members. Check out the business clubs and make it an adventure to find out which club best suits your needs. These clubs are here to serve you and to help you to bridge that gap from the classroom to the workplace.
As for the advising and counselors provided here, I’ve heard mixed reviews. Some students say that they are really pissed off at the counselors because they planned there classes wrong and now they have to take an extra semester or two to graduate. As for my experience, mine was positive. I did my research and planned out my classes with my counselor and fortunately, got to graduate on time. My advice is to do your own research and due diligence alongside with the counselors advice to make sure your time here is productive and efficient.
The professors here are great. They’re very knowledgeable and helpful with their lessons. They come to the classrooms with years of real life experiences and advice. And as with any college or school out there, you’ll always have those few professors that aren’t so great.
***Second Quick Tip*** Go to
to check the reviews on the professors that you might be taking.
Final Comments: Definitely a great program that they have here. Join a business club as this will surely enhance your experience. Join a good one though. I also know that our International Business program that we have here is first-​class. I think our IB program was rated #12 in the country when I was there. As always, do your due diligence with everything to make sure your experience here is a great one.
Overall Rating: «EXCELLENT» I’m glad I went here. If you plan to work in the business community in Hawaii, build your network and relationships with the professionals and businesses that come down to the Shidler expos, interviews, and workshop provided as this may help you to have a bigger advantage over people that went to business schools in the mainland. Hawaii is such a small place and a lot of the time, getting hired here is all about the people you know and the networks you’ve built. So take full advantage of the «ins» that the Shidler College of Business provides.

First time here, but it’s a nice facility. They have there own coffee place right as you enter (cleverly called «The Bean Counter»). The ladies bathroom could really use some attention though (uhum).
They have a REALLY big banner in the courtyard… kind of overkill, but a nice area overall.

I’m not a business major but alot of the classes for Political Science are held in the building. I don’t know alot about the college but I love the actually building.
The auditoriums are huge and the chairs are very comfy. The acoustics in here make it so that the professors don’t have to use microfones ands usually a good thing. The only downside to this building is that it’s freezing!
My favorite thing about this building is the coffee place. I just got some strawberries there last night and it was delicious. The food their is great for a café and the coffee is strong here. Which is good because I usually I need to stay awake during class!
Parking here is good at night and it’s only 5 dollars. Make sure you pay though because they usually have atleast four rent-​a-​cops there ticketing cars. Paying 5 dollars is a lot better than paying 20 dollars for a parking ticket.

I graduated from the Shidler College of Business May 2011. I majored in Business Marketing. I really enjoyed my experience here at Shidler. There’s a good balance of relationships between students and professors. The professors are more than helpful, I have developed a lot of lasting relationship with them. I also love how Shidler has a variety of school clubs students can join :). AMA Baby!

UH CBA (4 star)
Since this is where I received my undergraduate, I thought it would be a good idea to write a review.
Pros: Provides various ‘specified’ areas of interest ranging from international business to more specific courses to qualify for your CPA or CFP.
Hawaii is diverse (culturally), but the CBA… Shidler College of Business… takes it to another level. Lets just say…‘far east movement.’
Great advising services and assistance ranging from internship to career development and placement.
I’ve had some extremely insightful instructors who gave me real life experiences and personal recommendations.
In state is still cheap, so get over it.
Cons: Parking is ridiculous for all undergraduates. The walk from the parking structure is a biotch. It’s literally from the bottom of the campus ALL the way up. If you park at the church on University, then it’s a brisk walk to the College of Business.
Some professors don’t speak eng-​erish as their first language, so learning difficult concepts can be defeating.
Classes fill up tooooooooooo fast, so sometimes you end up taking summer classes or settling for electives to graduate on time. Ridonculous… if you really need to take specific classes.
Overall this is a great PUBLIC university. You are studying in Hawaii! Frkin come on… what’s not to like?