Posted on: Sunday, August 22, 2004
COMMENTARY
UH fortunate for strong leadership
Regents deserve gratitude, trust for unpaid dedication
By Rosanne Harrigan and David Easa
As a group, University of Hawai'i faculty and staff have been relatively silent regarding the events surrounding the departure of President Evan Dobelle.
Rather than direct harsh criticism toward the regents for their actions, many of us have been quietly grateful for their ability to address this difficult situation with integrity and a deep commitment to promoting excellence at UH.
A new semester is about to begin. As we garner support for university activities and strive to improve morale for new and returning students and faculty, many of us feel it is now time to speak out on behalf of the regents for their willingness to work tirelessly to fulfill their mission of providing direction for the university.
They have worked on a volunteer basis to scrutinize the circumstances surrounding Dobelle's termination and to arrive at a solution that was financially responsible and ethically sound.
Most of the facts surrounding Dobelle's termination have not been released because of confidentiality terms agreed upon during settlement.
Yet, in the absence of fact, a number of recently published opinions have severely undermined the qualifications, integrity and intentions of the Board of Regents.
For example: David Shapiro, "Dobelle fiasco reflects on Lingle," Aug. 4; Robert M. Rees, "The meanings of the Dobelle incident," Aug. 8; William T. Kinaka, "Now the regents must resign," Aug. 9.
Much of the criticism surrounding the situation can only be characterized as mere speculation. As faculty and staff at the UH, we feel that we offer a perspective that should at least be considered in the balance of opinion.
In writing this joint letter, we have solicited opinions from individuals from diverse departments, giving voice to faculty who are, like the Board of Regents, devoted to fostering exceptional educational opportunities at the university.
First, we place a great deal of trust in the Board of Regents. These men and women are community leaders from all walks of life. They volunteer more than 100 hours each month for the sole purpose of promoting academic and professional excellence at UH.
Although they are rarely praised for their successes, they shoulder tremendous blame during difficult times. Some of us have worked personally with many of the regents, each of whom has consistently demonstrated intelligence, integrity and dedication to the university as an instrument of progress and innovation that is rooted in Hawai'i's tremendous strengths.
Secondly, during the last three years of Dobelle's tenure as president, many of us worked with both him and the Board of Regents to see the university through a difficult time. We witnessed many of the conflicts between these two offices of leadership. We can attest, therefore, to the justness of the claims by the Board of Regents that a breakdown in communication between the two offices contributed significantly to the end result.
We, the undersigned, have consciously accepted the action of the Board of Regents. We are grateful for their willingness to act honestly, quickly and responsibly to create an atmosphere that is conducive to higher learning.
We trust the Board of Regents to continue to support the unprecedented growth in student enrollment, national accreditations and research grants that stem from the academic excellence that abounds within the university.
The regents are the only leaders of this fine institution who serve voluntarily and who make great personal sacrifices for no personal gain. We ask the residents of Hawai'i to place their trust in the Board of Regents as do we.
Dr. Mary Ann S. Antonelli, professor, medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Marla Berry, professor and interim chairwoman, cell and molecular biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Dr. Patricia Blanchette, professor and chairwoman, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Dr. David Easa, professor, pediatrics and obstetrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Dr. William F. Haning III, associate professor, psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Dr. John M. Hardman, professor and chairman, Department of Pathology, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Rosanne Harrigan, professor and chairwoman, complementary and alternative medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Alma L. Keene, secretary, Office of the Dean, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Roger Lucas, professor, oceanography
Torben N. Neilsen, specialist, Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
Dr. Neal A. Palafox, professor and chairman, Department of Family Practice & Community Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Martin Rayner, professor, neuroscience, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Tom Schroeder, associate professor and chairman, meteorology/Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research
Mary Tiles, professor, philosophy
Alice Tse, associate professor, pediatrics and nursing, John A. Burns School of Medicine and School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
W. Steve Ward, associate professor, Institute for Biogenesis Research
Danny M. Takanishi, M.D., professor and chairman, department of surgery
Beatriz L. Rodriguez, professor of public health sciences and epidemiology
• • •
Fund-raisers at university vital asset to state economy
This article is excerpted from a commencement address delivered on Aug. 15.
By Frank Boas
The University of Hawai'i system currently has a student body of more than 68,000, and some 3,000 faculty on 10 campuses serving eight islands, and a budget of $1.4 billion, making UH the third-largest business enterprise in Hawai'i after tourism and the military.
I prefer to think of UH as a state-assisted university rather than a state-supported university. The reason for this is that each state dollar generates about $2 in extramural money.
As we look at history, we often find that we judge nations and institutions by the quality of their leaders, who are most often considered to be very controversial by their contemporaries. George Washington was universally disliked in England. Abraham Lincoln was hated in the South, and Franklin Roosevelt was detested by conservatives.
Even Hawai'i's holy man, Father Damien, was severely criticized by the hierarchy of his own church, which is now in the process of making him a saint.
So it is with UH presidents — although I do not for a moment want to suggest to you that any former UH president remotely qualifies for sainthood.
Since I arrived in Hawai'i in January 1988, I have known and worked with three UH presidents: Al Simone, Ken Mortimer and Evan Dobelle. Each was controversial, each had his own particular vision for the university, and I believe wholeheartedly that all three have made lasting and positive contributions to make the University of Hawai'i a great university.
As we all know, if great institutions survive and prosper, it is because they thrive on what is positive and discard what is negative.
The lesson which I have learned from recent events is that before the start of a search for a new UH president, the people of Hawai'i might first wish to reconsider the selection process for the UH Board of Regents.
I personally believe that the time has come for the establishment of a nonpartisan commission to nominate the regents of the University of Hawai'i.
The essential element in any institution of learning, in my view, is the positive interaction between students and faculty.
We are now starting the new administration of acting President David McClain. I share the hopes of many that his appointment will, in due time, be made permanent.
I have been privileged to know Chancellor Peter Englert from the moment he was appointed, and I am impressed by his accomplishments as both a scientist and administrator.
I have also been privileged to know Dr. Edwin Cadman, the dynamic dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, who came to UH from Yale University. We regularly learn of the cutting-edge scientific research that Cadman so vigorously promotes at the medical school.
As reported recently, income from licenses of UH discoveries rose 51 percent to $800,000 this past year, up from $530,000 one year ago. By converting research into royalties-producing patents, UH plays a key role in the growth and diversification of Hawai'i's economy.
It is no coincidence that the University of Hawai'i was able to raise $150 million in a first-ever UH bond issue for the new medical school complex at Kaka'ako. The money actually was raised in a matter of hours.
For me, UH does not belong to the state, but rather to the people of Hawai'i — to all of us.
Like many others who care deeply about this university, I was encouraged that at the urging of the two accrediting bodies with jurisdiction over the UH system, significant management responsibilities are being restored to the UH administration, thereby once again allowing it to function in a normal, appropriate and more efficient manner.
Essential to this public/private-sector partnership is the University of Hawai'i Foundation. Under the able leadership of Chairman Howard Karr, a graduate of the UH College of Business named by the university as a distinguished alumnus, and President Donna Vuchinich, an experienced and highly successful fund-raising professional, the foundation plays a vital role in raising private funds for the university.
Frank Boas, a retired international attorney, serves on the board of the University of Hawai'i Foundation.
