Ian: How is the current budget situation affecting UH-Manoa, and how do these budget cuts compare to what other universities across the country are facing?

Virginia Hinshaw: Many of our nation's other major research universities, like UH-Manoa, are certainly also suffering budget cuts, but our cuts appear proportionately among the largest.

Unfortunately we are facing an economic crisis on our campus, throughout our state and beyond. The reality is that budget cuts at UH-Manoa over the next two fiscal years will total at least $66 million, or 26 percent of our general fund budget of $260 million. Requested federal stimulus funds of $14.7 million each year during the biennium would help alleviate the reductions and offer bridging opportunities, but we have to recognize that these are one-time funds and are not yet in our hands.

Kaili: As a proud graduate of UH-Manoa, I am concerned with the seriousness of the budget cuts that will impact UH-Manoa. I do not believe that the union's proposal of a 5 percent payroll reduction will make any difference, so will you be forced to look at other resources to make up the difference — research funds, reduce courses, raise fees, or develop creative ways to make money?

Hinshaw: University of Hawai'i negotiations with public employee unions are being conducted at the UH system level in conjunction with the governor rather than by individual campuses. However, a spending reduction of 5 percent — whether achieved through pay cuts or furloughs — will help but will not be enough to meet our projected budget cuts. We will still have to make significant changes at the campus level.

We hope the current negotiations can conclude soon so that we can move forward.

Many universities are using such tools as furloughs (often eight to 12 days for one year), retirement/separation incentives, pay reductions and even elimination of entire schools. Our options are really limited because of the rapid nature in which the cuts must be implemented, the tremendous size of the cuts, the available resources, and the limited flexibility of personnel actions.

Hikai: I think UH-Manoa has too many units and can realize immediate and significant financial and operational benefits through consolidation/reorganization. This might help prevent/reduce painful layoffs/furloughs. Companies reorganize all the time to adapt. How about UH-Manoa? What do you think?

Hinshaw: Since last fall, our campus has been planning improved campus efficiency and cost savings, both through our prioritization and budget planning groups. The prioritization is directed at establishing our academic priorities and is already proving helpful in establishing high priority areas and meeting budget challenges even before the process is completed. These discussions also encompass possible program reorganizations, mergers and eliminations to improve efficiencies.

The Budget Workgroup has focused on meeting cost reductions through holding on filling positions to increasing charges for services to reducing utilities and other costs. However, the bigger impacts will take time, yet we need to make reductions quickly. This means we must reduce the number of people supported on general funds.

We are trying to distribute the sacrifice and not unfairly call on a single group to make up this massive shortfall. A cut of this magnitude will seriously harm UH-Manoa's ability to provide core services to our students, require impacting reductions in faculty and staff, and potentially diminish our ability to serve Hawai'i as the university's flagship academic and research campus.

Elements3: With all the bad news coming out of UH (budget cuts, layoffs), is there anything good to report from Manoa?

Hinshaw: There is actually much excitement and a great deal to celebrate — signs of forward movement.

A few examples: Ching field — a wonderful public-private partnership between the Ching Foundation and the state Legislature to help the campus. While the Ching gift is the largest gift ever for athletics, the outcome is really directed at supporting a range of campus and community programs, from intramural sports to Special Olympics. Another one: the opening of Frear Hall — a wonderful new dormitory loaded with features for sustainability, welcomed our students this year and truly shouted the message of being a destination of choice.

We are also currently renovating other dormitory spaces, which are sorely needed, and constructing an athletics recreation center to support student life. We are finishing a major renovation of our music complex where students and community members gather by the thousands for events during the year. We want people to be on the campus and to enjoy that experience in many ways — from the smorgasbord of learning delights to the enjoyment of culture, the arts and athletic events. This is the citizen's university.

Christine: What are you doing to improve the university's academic standing and overall reputation? I am a high school teacher and I don't see our top kids putting UH at the top of their list for universities. They all set their sights on going to the Mainland, which is not good in the long run for our economy or our community.

Hinshaw: There are many activities to encourage our students here to view UH-Manoa as their destination of choice. We are educating students and their parents about the nationally ranked programs available at UH-Manoa; we are also providing additional incentives for our top Hawai'i scholars to attend (guaranteed housing, increased academic advising, additional academic support services such as honors, learning communities and more merit scholarships). We know that these efforts will help them in their decision-making to join our Manoa 'ohana. We also have great respect for the counselors and their role so we have increased our interactions and also providing more information to them.

Darnell: Not much has been said about the community colleges. I know that enrollment has increased, what kind of effect do you see the budget cuts having on our community colleges?

Hinshaw: UH-Manoa works very closely and partners strongly with our community colleges, so they are very important to us. The community colleges, thankfully, were spared from the large cuts that UH-Manoa took by the legislative and executive actions. However, they will certainly be affected by the governor's proposed additional $30 million cut.

Lehua: In light of everything that is happening, what are your future goals for the Manoa campus? How do you want UH to be perceived?

Hinshaw: I have three goals on which I continually work, and those are for UH-Manoa to serve as:

1. A destination of choice for great faculty, staff, students, the citizens of Hawai'i and beyond;

2. A global leading research university solving society's problems;

3. A respectful, inclusive community that nurtures and supports diversity.

UH-Manoa provides a great multicultural global experience in a Hawaiian place of learning — and we surely want to keep and build on that.

Julia: With the reduction of 500 course sections at the UH-Manoa campus, has there been discussion on how the cost of constructing the West O'ahu campus has on the rest of the UH campuses? Do you feel that the West O'ahu campus remains a high priority in these tough economic times?

Hinshaw: The decision to build West O'ahu was made a good while ago and obviously is still moving forward, although somewhat slowed at this point. It is true that folks are concerned about how little money is available for UH to even sustain, must less build, at this point. On the other hand, a recent discussion I had with our Faculty Senate Executive Committee focused on how UH-Manoa could assist West O'ahu because of their challenges, thereby demonstrating our ability to be a resource and part of the solution.

James: Are you working with the city regarding the rail transit going to UH or is there a committee representing UH? Will the students and/or faculty have a say in the matter?

Hinshaw: The UH-Manoa community has testified before the City Council on the need to have a UH-Manoa transit stop, which is included in the second phase of the plan. It would be great if it happened sooner to meet sustainability goals of our faculty, staff and students, as well as our neighboring communities.