EDITORIAL
UH must live up to its full potential
The departures, whether voluntary or not, of several of the high-profile associates Evan Dobelle brought with him when he came to the University of Hawai'i raise fresh questions about Dobelle's own tenure.
This presents an issue that should be of paramount importance, not just to the university but to the entire community.
The plain fact is that if Dobelle leaves UH now, either by quitting or through action by the Board of Regents, it would be a disaster for the university.
This is not because Dobelle is irreplaceable, but for the signals it would send about institutional instability.
Dobelle was brought in with specific instructions to make change at the university. If he leaves short of his contract period, the assumption would be that those who resist change have prevailed.
Many would also conclude that Hawai'i has been unable to shake its reputation for having a highly politicized environment where downtown politics matter more than what is good for the campus.
What top-quality academic administrator would want to step into a situation like that? The search for a replacement for Dobelle would be difficult, indeed.
It is imperative that doubts about Dobelle's tenure be lifted immediately so he can continue with the work he has started. This will take support and accommodation not just from the campus community, but from the larger business and political communities as well.
UH vital to state
A thriving University of Hawai'i system is vital to the economic and social health of the entire state. That goal is impossible if there is a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the university's leadership.
It must be said that the responsibility for today's situation is broadly shared.
Dobelle has contributed to the situation, in part through a brash — some say cocky — personal style that has grated in this more laid-back Island-style environment. And even his supporters have come to believe that he made a major political mistake by stepping into the last governor's race with his endorsement of Democrat Mazie Hirono, who lost to Republican Linda Lingle.
Also, Dobelle has irritated his immediate bosses, the Board of Regents, for what they believe is a failure to keep them fully in the loop on all hiring, academic and budget decisions.
While Dobelle may see this as an attempt to micromanage his administration, the fact is that the regents have a right to demand such information.
A recent, generally friendly, special report from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges made that point explicitly, suggesting that a "partnership" between the board and the president requires "regular and substantive" reports to the board.
The same report urges a "stronger and clearer" policy on political endorsements to avoid the appearance of "political partisanship."
But the regents are hardly without blame, either. It has been apparent that many on the board have an agenda, if not to get rid of Dobelle, then at least to bring him to heel.
Many suspect this goes back to Dobelle's endorsement of Hirono, since some of his harshest critics have been Lingle appointees.
And there has been the sense that some of the Regents appear more concerned about who Dobelle hires and what he pays them than whether the work is getting done properly.
Dysfunctional relationship
At the end of the day, one gets the sense of a dysfunctional relationship that is holding the university back.
What must be remembered is that the University of Hawai'i — the entire system, not just Manoa — is more important than either President Dobelle or the current Board of Regents.
It belongs to all of us. And the entire community, business and political as well as educational, has a right to demand that it live up to its potential.
It is imperative that all those involved in governance at the university, including the president's office and the regents, give the public a clear view of where they are going, what they expect and how they will bring stability at this most important institution.
This is particularly so in light of rumblings of another faculty strike — a destructive and unwinnable situation for all involved.
The quality of many people and programs at UH, from big-time athletic leaders to internationally recognized scientists and researchers, suggests that our university is clearly able to play in the big leagues.
The key question now is whether we truly wish to be world class. If we do, it is time to get beyond petty politics and push for our true potential.
The choice seems obvious.
