Housing director at UH resigns

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

Margit Misangyi Watts, who has presided over one of the most difficult jobs at the University of Hawai'i campus — housing director — has resigned from the position to go back full time as director of the Rainbow Advantage and Freshmen Seminars programs.

These were positions she also carried during her 15 months as interim housing director, but which she said are becoming more demanding and need more attention.

Watts said it was her decision to leave the housing post.

"The chancellor really wants me to get back involved in academic affairs and putting real effort in first-year programs. I put them on the back burner and I felt I needed to get back to them in terms of my own professional career," Watts said.

"I've got some ideas about putting together a center for student learning, to do a lot more supporting of students by offering them opportunities to do research, to get the kind of tutoring they might need, or mentoring from faculty — a whole range of things. The time has come with our new vice chancellor of academic affairs to move in that direction."

Associate housing director Janice Camara will serve in an acting capacity until a new interim director is appointed in the next few weeks, Watts said.

Watts' position had been plagued by problems in the past year, from the shortage of almost 1,400 dorm spaces last summer for incoming fall students to the shutdown of 214 rooms in Gateway House last January to replace the 40-year-old building's aging transformer, to power failures caused by the Oct. 30 flooding from Manoa Stream.