Posted on: Wednesday, December 12, 2001

UH staff warned of layoffs as leadership shift begins

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

Termination notices will be arriving today in the mailboxes of approximately 205 non-union University of Hawai'iiManoa employees, giving them one-year notice that they can be replaced.

Interim Manoa chancellor Deane Neubauer — one of those getting a notice — said more than 90 percent of the personnel likely would by retained by President Evan S. Dobelle.

The notification is part of the procedure mandated by the Board of Regents, which the president had said was coming. It's the beginning of the process that will put Dobelle's stamp on restructuring the bureaucracy at Manoa to make it more functional and efficient.

A Hartford, Conn.-based private consultant hired by Dobelle recently reported to the regents that the university was bogged down with "gatekeepers" who blocked potentially good projects rather than smoothing the way to make them work. Such actions are counterproductive to the kind of growth and potential he envisions for the university system.

Along with issuing termination notices, Dobelle has imposed a systemwide hiring freeze for all but faculty positions. He asks that chancellors in the system let him know if they want to make an exception.

"Discussion of exceptions to the moratorium are left to chancellors of the system, with the provision that if they do hire somebody they have to let the president know what the justification is," said UH spokesman Jim Manke.

"It's not for presidential approval," said Manke, "just for information."

Manke defended the moratorium and said it was "understandable in light of the state's fiscal condition, and anticipated cuts in which all departments will share."