Posted on: Tuesday, June 15, 2004

EDITORIAL
Dobelle's evaluation must put UH first

A critical point in the future of the University of Hawai'i arrives today when the UH Board of Regents begins its discussion on the future of President Evan Dobelle.

Our only hope is that the regents take this matter slowly and carefully since the stakes involve not just Dobelle but the university itself.

It's no secret that some of the regents have been unhappy with Dobelle, for his spending patterns and for what they see as a lack of communication with the board on university initiatives.

This was made clear in last year's evaluation of the president.

In an effort to get away from personalities, the board hired an outside contractor to conduct a review of the president's performance and prospects. That evaluation will be discussed, for the first time, in today's closed session of the board.

What will follow is a rather lengthy process in which the regents will respond to Dobelle's self-evaluation, then he will respond to their comments and eventually a formal evaluation will be produced.

The regents clearly have a right, indeed an obligation, to see that the university has the kind of leadership they want. Ideally, they will be able to make their expectations crystal clear, and Dobelle will have the chance to meet those expectations, should he so wish.

But if the perception is that the regents are unhappy with Dobelle for personal or political reasons, the university as a whole will suffer.

Those are the stakes on the table today. This is not about the Board of Regents or the university president; it is about the University of Hawai'i and its future.