Committee on Professional Matters

A resolution on the conduct of classified research at the University of Hawaii

1. WHEREAS: The conduct of certain acceptable types of classified research, in the presence of proper governance and oversight, can benefit both the University of Hawaii and the polities of which we are a part;
2. WHEREAS: The conduct of classified research, in the absence of proper governance and oversight, can also significantly degrade the academic ambiance of a university by, for example:
   • Allowing external agencies to bar certain students from research activities for which they cannot obtain clearance;
   • Permitting faculty and student research that may not be examined and properly taken into account in tenure and promotion decisions and in certification for academic degrees;
   • Permanently preventing the publication of research findings and even wholly concealing the existence of research activities;
   • Compromising the approval and review procedures routinely used to ensure that proper academic standards are observed: i.e., human studies, research ethics, animal care, hazardous materials, etc.
3. WHEREAS: There may be opportunities to support the conduct of classified research in way that respect the four areas of concern listed above as A-D;
4. BE IT RESOLVED: That the UH Administration submit to the Manoa Faculty Senate, for its approval, a draft of policies and procedures that adequately address the four areas of concern listed above.
5. BE IT RESOLVED: That the Manoa Faculty Senate stands ready to cooperate with the Administration in drafting a satisfactory policy.