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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, December 13, 2002

Reorganization OK'd to bring parity within UH system

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle praised the Board of Regents for creating "a 21st century" organization when it approved a systemwide reorganization yesterday. The plan gives community colleges equality with the four-year campuses, streamlines student transfers and creates four high-paid senior positions.

After marathon sessions with student, faculty and union representatives over three weeks to iron out differences, there was unanimous accord yesterday that the redefined lines of communication, which include a new Council of Chancellors, would position the university system to attract more students, go after a vastly bigger share of federal research dollars and offer more opportunities to people seeking college degrees.

"This is the first reorganization of the system in 20 years," Dobelle said as he praised the regents for a year that has brought to the university a new strategic plan, a budget for the next eight years predicated on that plan and, now, a streamlined reshaping of the bureaucracy.

"It's a new day for these colleges that are all throughout O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands," said Dobelle. "Very rarely do you have a system of higher education where everybody has parity, because the missions are very different but they're all very much important. The only way to bring this state back economically is to have everybody feel they're all equally important and they are."

But three weeks ago the reorganization was under attack by the Manoa Faculty Senate who felt excluded from the planning process and was threatening to censure Dobelle because of it; by the student caucus which also felt it hadn't been consulted; and by the Hawai'i Government Employees Association which had questioned some of the lines of authority.

"There have been extensive meetings and discussions and compromises over the past weeks and there has been a determined effort by all parties to reach agreement," said Paul Costello, vice president for external affairs and university relations. "Everyone walked into this wanting to find a solution."

The reorganization provides for four new positions reporting directly to the president, including chief of staff, vice president for research, vice president for international education and vice president for student affairs. The students were particularly concerned that the vice president for student affairs have direct line access to the president, on a par with the others.

Salaries will be 80 percent of the national average for these positions, said Dobelle.

The reorganization also ensures an informal consultative monthly meeting between the president and a representative body of faculty senate leaders.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.