Editorial
UH is getting a double shot in financial arm

Good news came in two's for the University of Hawai'i yesterday, with the announcement that it solidly exceeded expectations in its most ambitious fund-raising effort ever and with word that UH won a $181 million Air Force contract to operate the Maui Supercomputing Center.

The two events underscore important changes at the university, as it struggles to win political and financial autonomy.

The four-year fund-raising drive generated more than $110 million in new money for scholarships, new academic enterprises and its endowment. What is particularly impressive is the increased pace of giving.

Less than a decade ago, the pace of donations to the University of Hawai'i was running at about $10 million a year; today it is closer to $30 million and growing.

This ambitious fund-raising effort represents, in an important way, a gift from outgoing President Kenneth Mortimer, who made the task of creating more financial independence for UH a top priority.

Mortimer was a leader in the effort to create greater political and legal autonomy for UH, an effort that culminated with approval of a new constitutional grant of autonomy in last fall's elections.

But autonomy means little if the university does not have the resources to back it up. That's why this campaign has been so important.

It sends two signals: First, that UH is capable of generating more of its own resources and, second, that autonomy was not simply a scheme to take state money without accountability.

The deal to manage the supercomputer underscores what has already been a bright spot at UH: its ability to win substantial research and technical awards in scientific fields.

The contract to manage the Maui computer (the University of New Mexico had it before) means more than income for UH. It also means research opportunities for its scholars and a feather in its cap as a high-tech leader.

The growing financial independence of the University of Hawai'i is a crucial part of its efforts to climb into the top ranks of public universities in the nation.

This effort must be supported by lawmakers and policymakers within the state administration. That means, if anything, upping the amount of state support UH gets to go with its increasing private resources.

Gov. Cayetano has signaled his understanding of this, with the release of some $647,000 in additional state support to match increased distributions from the UH endowment.

Let that be just the start of a culture that rewards the university for its achievements, rather than punishing it by taking away with one hand what the other gave.