Posted on: Friday, May 27, 2005

EDITORIAL
Public-private deals a boon for university

The cash-strapped University of Hawai'i has launched a bold new era in its long-term development that, if it works, will benefit both the university and the students it seeks to reach.

Rather than raise the money and build facilities on its own, UH is trying to create entrepreneurial partnerships with private developers on O'ahu, the Big island and perhaps other places.

Already, public-private partnerships have been proposed for a new cancer center near the medical school, for new dorms on the Manoa campus and for a West O'ahu campus in Kapolei. Now, the regents have authorized negotiations for a new community college in Hilo and a university "center" in Kona.

State money will go into both projects, but rather than going through the standard government construction process, UH will deal directly with private developers to put up the facilities.

This offers the prospect of both speeding up the process and saving the university money in the long run. While some forms of public-private partnerships are not that unusual, such as the building and operation of dormitories, other deals may involve creative bargaining that brings benefits both to the university and its private partner.

It is to the credit of the Board of Regents and the UH administration that these innovative ideas are being pursued. Done right, the winners will be the university, its students and faculty and the surrounding community.