UH plan decentralizes system
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
Administrative changes intended to make the University of Hawai'i system more of a team operation, less dominated by Manoa and with more autonomy for community colleges, will go before the Board of Regents this week.
The plan, developed by the UH Community College Operational Review Committee at President Evan Dobelle's request, would do away with the chancellor of community colleges in favor of a "Council of Chancellors" that would oversee the operation of the entire system, and, for the first time, give the administrators of all the community colleges equal status.
For students, the changes would result in smoother transfers from and among community colleges, including more consistent transfer of credits, and allow them to more easily take courses from several campuses simultaneously.
"This is sort of the next step in the evolution of the university system," said Michael Rota, vice chancellor for academic affairs for the community colleges, a step that would allow each community college to take on the responsibility for defining its own role in the community.
The plan would raise each of the community college provosts to the position of chancellor. The Council of Chancellors would report to Dobelle.
The plan is raising worry in some quarters that while community colleges will gain a stronger voice, they may be in danger of losing their identity as grass-roots trade schools close to the people.
"With any change there are a number of unknowns," said Rota. "Is this going to adversely affect the kinds of programs and services the community colleges have delivered over the years?"
Flo Wiger, acting provost at Maui Community College, who co-chaired the operational review committee, said there have been a range of reactions so far, with most of them positive. "Some people are just excited. Other people are tentative and saying, 'What does it mean?' and then others are saying it's not going to work," said Wiger.
"But we are at a point where we really are mature organizations and when you reach a particular level, the ability to sit down at the table with your colleagues is a pretty important concept. And that's never happened before."
Paul Costello, vice president for external affairs, said the plan would attempt to reduce the bureaucracy and allow each college to be what it wants to be, developing programs responsive to its own community's needs.
"This allows them to design and think through ways they can become closer to the community," Costello said. "The community college leadership is now going to be telling the president how they want to run their organization."
Costello said that the Community College Chancellor, Joyce Tsunoda, has built "the most impressive community college system in the nation," but now is a different time calling for a different form of governance.
Rota agreed with that assessment and said that over the last 20 years the community colleges "have really progressed in terms of the strength of the campus administration and focus."
Under the proposed changes, Tsunoda, who has been chancellor for the community college system for two decades, will move to a new position as vice president for international programs.
The plan calls for a series of vice presidents, equal in status, to also include:
- A vice president for academic affairs, a position filled by Deane Neubauer who served as interim Manoa chancellor before Peter Englert was appointed.
- A vice president for finance, a position filled by J.R.W. "Wick" Sloane, the chief financial officer.
- A vice president for community relations, a position now filled by Paul Costello.
- A new vice president for research and related activities.