Regents to revise rating process
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
The University of Hawai'i Board of Regents has set up a task force and may hire one or more outside consultants as well as a private attorney to assist in its next evaluation of President Evan Dobelle because of "the magnitude and significance" of the third-year performance review.
"We want to do it in the most fair and consultative manner," said regent Kitty Lagareta, chairwoman of the new task force, and of the personnel committee.
No cost for the extra hiring has yet been determined, according to board chairwoman Patricia Lee.
As part of its monthly meeting yesterday, the board set out a new process to evaluate the president's performance. Lagareta said if a summary of the evaluation is made public, that would be decided "in consultation" with Dobelle, in light of practices by peer institutions and under the guidelines of Hawai'i's open records law.
The second-year review done last summer has been a bone of contention between Dobelle and the regents, with Dobelle calling into question its methodology and some regents calling for him to release its results despite long-standing university policy to keep personnel matters private.
Yesterday Dobelle told the board he would be "very pleased" to have people review his latest year's performance in an open way.
"As long as it's done with openness and transparency, I'm happy to have anyone and everyone comment on my performance," said Dobelle. "I have no problem with that at all. My concern is secrecy ... and abiding by sunshine laws."
In a letter this week to board chairwoman Lee, the Office of Information Practices found fault with some of the methods used for the last evaluation, noting that sunshine laws had been violated as had the president's right to choose to ask for meetings held to conduct the evaluation to be open. The committee meetings were held in executive session, during which the agenda was changed without notice.
The board has pledged to go forward "with expert guidance" and is looking to have any consultant it hires provide a survey of how comparable peer institutions conduct their evaluations "so that we can tailor our evaluation process to current 'best practices,'" said Lagareta.
The task force will be able to do its own fact-finding when necessary, said Lagareta, in order to help the board gather the information necessary for "a comprehensive and balanced evaluation" of the president's third-year performance. Additionally, regents will be "personally involved in soliciting information from individuals," she said.
Lagareta said the board would set up a schedule for the interviews, determine confidentiality and consult with the president "as to whom we should interview."
Lagareta also said the consultants hired could seek information on the president's performance through questionnaires, surveys, group meetings with students or staff, or any other method they suggest.
The board has asked the president to provide a self-assessment by April 1 to be used as part of the review.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
