Bill would expand board, shift power
| • | Another regent resigns at UH |
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
The University of Hawai'i Board of Regents would grow from 12 to 30 members, with most of the appointing power residing not with the governor, as it does now, but in the UH Foundation board, under a bill introduced yesterday by Rep. Kirk Caldwell.
"It takes power away from the Legislature and governor and gives it to the administration, and personally I think that's where it should lie," said Caldwell, D-24th (Manoa). "They should be left to do the things they need to do, and we should stop micro-managing. I want to take politics out of this."
Caldwell said the bill would also call for 10 members of the board to come from outside Hawai'i — with five from foreign countries — opening up the possibility of bringing in top Mainland and international education experts, or those with major business interests.
Gov. Linda Lingle has suggested appointing people from outside Hawai'i to the board, but she has not yet done so.
Additionally, Caldwell's bill would mandate quarterly rather than monthly meetings; 18 members appointed by the business-oriented UH Foundation board and 12 by the governor; and six-year terms rather than the present four to allow greater continuity.
"They spend two to three days getting ready for a board meeting, one to two days implementing what was decided and basically that's one week," Caldwell said. "And it's too much for the administration. That's one-quarter of every month spending time for a regents meeting rather than doing what they should be. It's crazy."
Such a change would require a constitutional amendment, Caldwell said, and he has introduced a bill to allow for that.
He has also introduced a bill that would give UH full financial autonomy, which it lacks now while the state judiciary has it.
The measure would enable the university to issue bonds for its own projects, and would mean it would lobby the Legislature directly rather than having its budget first go to the governor for approval.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
