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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, December 14, 2003

EDITORIAL
Board-Dobelle rift risks future of UH

It is in the nature of universities that there is a level of, say, creative tension between their presidents and their policy boards.

So a certain amount of tension between University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle and the current UH Board of Regents would not be surprising. But the public disagreement between the Dobelle administration and the regents goes far beyond what might be expected.

Toxic relationship is feared

The fear is that the relationship between the president and the regents could become so toxic, so disagreeable that the only solution is to end it. And in that scenario, the one to go would be Dobelle, not the current Board of Regents.

That would be a disaster for the university. For years, UH has struggled to overcome a reputation as a place where local politics matters more than academics.

Rightly or wrongly, if Dobelle is pushed aside over differences between himself and the board, that reputation will be reinforced. What potential candidate for the presidency of a public university would want to step in as a replacement? Already, public universities across the country are having a hard time finding strong candidates for this difficult job.

The plain fact, then, is that Dobelle and the Board of Regents must find a way to work together for the greater good of the university and its future.

That calls for flexibility on both sides.

The record shows that the day-to-day relationship between the university administration and the regents has been relatively productive. But below the surface harmony is a level of tension that has to be harmful to the overall health of the university.

It showed up most recently over the matter of Dobelle's annual evaluation by the board. Some regents have been pushing to make this evaluation public, a proposal Dobelle has objected to in the strongest of terms.

Public deserves clear vision

While it might not make sense to publish the evaluation itself, the public has a right to know where the vision and direction of the board and Dobelle differ. While we do have a strategic plan for the university, the public deserves a more focused statement representing both the board and Dobelle that sets out a distinct and coherent joint set of expectations for the Dobelle administration.

If the regents lack confidence that Dobelle can meet such expectations, they should tell him (and us) and pay the expensive price in terms of a contract buy-out it will take to make the change. If not, they need to work cooperatively with Dobelle to make necessary performance changes.

To some degree, Dobelle must take responsibility for whatever coolness there is between himself and the current majority on the board.

Dobelle had different style

Part of it is simply style. Dobelle brought to the university a certain East Coast brashness and confidence that does not fit well with the Hawai'i style of humility and quiet consensus.

But Dobelle also made certain hard decisions that led to uncertainty and — perhaps in a few cases — fear on campus. This included his issuing of pre-emptive termination notices to large numbers of nonunion administrators.

And then he somewhat brusquely shook up the leadership team at the university, leaving out some longtime campus leaders and bringing in a high-priced cadre of his own.

On the other side of the coin, the Board of Regents appears to have an agenda designed to bring Dobelle to heel, if not to force him out. Members of the board have been openly critical of Dobelle without clearly stating what alternative they would prefer.

Politics plays a role

Some suspect the working majority on the board has a political agenda, since they were appointed by Gov. Linda Lingle. Lingle, as everyone remembers, was more than annoyed during the recent gubernatorial campaign when Dobelle publicly endorsed her opponent, Democrat Mazie Hirono.

But it must be said that the previous board, largely appointed by Democrat Ben Cayetano, also had its differences with the president. It would be a mistake to lay this all on local politics.

At the end of the day, both Dobelle and the board must get beyond their short-term differences. What is at stake here is the reputation and future of Hawai'i's only public system of higher education.

After years of budget squeezing, faculty union unrest and ennui, UH is poised for growth and greatness. It has a degree of autonomy (won largely through the efforts of former President Kenneth Mortimer) that should enable it to make creative and independent choices.

To lose that potential to petty politics, personality differences or power games would be a shame this state should not be asked to endure.