Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:40:59 -1000
From: Roger Lukas <rlukas@hawaii.edu&>
Subject: BoR minutes re Manoa Chancellor Office
SEC colleagues:
As promised, and for our edification, here are the relevant excerpts from the Board of Regents meeting minutes regarding the establishment of the Office of the Chancellor of Manoa. The first excerpt required painful editing to eliminate a character that was substituted for the missing long A in Manoa, and which caused copying to fail at every occurrence of the word Manoa. This copy failure meant that I couldn't use the search and replace feature!
Regards,
Roger
Establishment of the Office of Chancellor for the University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Special Advisor Masumoto informed that at its meeting on July 21, 2000, the Board of Regents directed the Administration to "... provide the Board with a plan to address the issue of a separate Chancellor of UH-Manoa at one of its fall meetings, provided the separation is made without incurring additional costs."
Under the current organizational structure of the University, the President is directly responsible for the operations of the Manoa campus while heading the University of Hawai'i System. This structure was approved by the Board in 1985 amidst long standing complaints from Manoa about excessive "red tape" and administrative bureaucracy. As a result, the major objective of the new organizational structure was "... to combine the Manoa campus-wide functions with those of the President's Office thereby reducing the number of levels of review." Despite this change however, dissatisfaction with the administration of the Manoa Campus continued unabated and actually increased. After undergoing two reviews on this matter by the Legislative Auditor in 1987 and 1988, the University invited Ernest L. Boyer, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, to prepare a report on the governance of the University. Boyer found that:
"Complaints about 'bureaucracy' have been replaced by complaints about 'fairness.' Indeed, many asked if it was possible for an administrator responsible for one campus also to carry the weight of the entire system."
Boyer further described the structure as "unusual, perhaps unique" and noted that "Any administrator would have great difficulty responding to the expectations of a major campus while serving as leader of the system." Boyer concluded however, that "... the president is, in fact, energetically seeking to achieve these dual objectives and we conclude that this is not the time for the University of Hawai'i to go through yet another major administrative shake-up." He further suggested that:
"This does not mean that the issue should permanently be put aside. But the effectiveness of the current arrangement can, we believe, be evaluated more objectively later on. Therefore, we suggest that the statewide administration of the University of Hawai'i be formally reviewed by an outside consulting team in two years. Thus, five years will have passed since the new organization was created, and this should provide enough time for a track record to be established."
While a formal review by an external consultant was never conducted, a discussion memo was transmitted to the Board in 1992 by former President Albert Simone which includes his assessment and recommendations on the dual role of the President. The discussion memo addressed the impact of certain critical changes in the University's operating environment and their resulting influence on the effectiveness of its organizational structure. More specifically, President Simone noted that the demands on the Presidency for leadership and direction at both the systemwide and Manoa levels had increased dramatically since 1985. Based on the cumulative effects of these changes, he concluded that a change in the University's administrative structure was necessary and proposed that the dual role of President and Chancellor be separated:
"After a great deal of deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that now is the time to once again separate the roles of the President of the University of Hawai'i System and the Chancellor of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, so that one person will hold the title of President and the second person the title of Chancellor. I believe combining the two roles was the right thing to do in 1985. There was a situation and a set of problems that existed at that time which could be best addressed with a single person holding both roles. I think those issues have now been resolved, circumstances have changed once again, and it is now opportune to return to a situation in which these two roles are separated."
On April 21, 1999, the Manoa Faculty Senate passed a resolution from the Manoa Faculty Senate, "Recommending a National Search for and the Appointment of a Chancellor of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa" The resolution recommended that "... the Office of Manoa Chancellor be separated from its current configuration with the Office of the President of the University of Hawai'i." On May 25, 2000, the Manoa Council of Deans and Directors joined with the Faculty Senate in supporting the appointment of a separate Chancellor for the Manoa Campus:
"The proposed structure brings UH-Manoa into parity with the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu, the University of Hawai'i Community Colleges, as each of the other entities currently has its own Chancellor. The structure provides increased clarity for the distinctly different natural roles of Chancellor and President and benefits the students, the system, and the State in allowing increased opportunity for fulfillment of our respective missions."
Similar comments in support of a separate Chancellor for Manoa have also been heard from other campuses. On June 7, 2000 for example, the Chair of the UH-Hilo CAS Faculty Senate commented that:
"We are virtually unanimous in the conviction that the appointment of a separate Chancellor for UH-Manoa is in the best interest not only of UH-Hilo and UH Manoa but of the entire UH System."
Historically, the concept of a Chancellor for the Manoa Campus, separate from the position of President, has generally enjoyed widespread and popular support in the University community. Now however, the matter of actually separating the day-to-day governance of the Manoa Campus from the System Administration has taken on a new sense of importance and urgency as preparations to conduct a search for a new President begins. Accordingly, this is an opportune time to make a decision on this issue and incorporate the results of that decision into the requirements for a new President. Mr. Masumoto recommended that the Board approve the establishment of the Office of the Chancellor, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, separate from the position of President, University of Hawai'i.
Regent Bergin moved to approve in concept the establishment of an Office of the Chancellor, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, separate from the position of President, University of Hawai'i, provided the separation incurs no additional costs and with the further understanding that reorganization and implementation plans along with appropriate organizational charts and budgets be submitted to the Board for its consideration by its meeting in January 2001 and that no reorganization nor assignments shall take place until such plans are approved by the Board, as presented in President's Memorandum No. 81 (Agenda), Item A-2, dated September 22, 2000. Regent Kim seconded the motion which was unanimously carried.
Establishment of an Office of the Chancellor for the University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Special Advisor Masumoto said in September 2000, the Board of Regents approved in concept, the establishment of an Office of the Chancellor, University of Hawai'i at Manoa (UHM), separate from the position of President, University of Hawai'i. The separation was to incur no additional costs and with the understanding that no movement would take place until reorganization plans, charts, and budgets were first approved by the Board.
In accordance with the Board's directive, reorganization and implementation plans were developed and distributed throughout the University community for comments and recommendations. Where there was consensus, the draft was modified to reflect valid suggestions and concerns. The most significant change to the draft proposal was the inclusion of a transition schedule to insure that a new Manoa administration is implemented on a timely basis and with the involvement of the new University President.
The Board's policy on establishment and reorganizing of units stipulates that reorganizations affecting students and other clientele must be approved by the Board. It is, therefore, recommended that the Board approve in concept, proposed reorganization and implementation plans providing for an organizational structure of the Office of the Chancellor, UHM.
Upon approval by the Board, the proposed reorganization would create six new positions in the Office of the Manoa Chancellor. Recruitment to fill these positions would be initiated to whenever the Office of the Chancellor becomes operational. Concurrently, 10 Executive/Managerial positions at the system level with major responsibilities for the administration of the Manoa campus would be abolished and one position redescribed. The six new positions would be: (1) Chancellor, University of Hawai'i at Manoa; (2) Vice Chancellor for Academic Services; (3) Vice Chancellor for Instruction and Research -- 1 of 2; (4) Vice Chancellor for Instruction and Research -- 2 of 2; (5) Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; and (6) Vice Chancellor for Administration.
Additional managerial level positions may be created and filled by the Chancellor with the prior approval of the new President and, as appropriate, the Board. As functional realignments between the system administration and UHM are implemented, related support personnel may be reassigned to corresponding positions or units in the new UHM administration. No additional resources are being programmed for the staffing and operation of the UHM Chancellor's Office.
The Manoa reorganization would enter a second phase once the organizational structure of the Chancellor's Office is approved by the Board. In this phase, the new Chancellor would facilitate extensive discussions within the Manoa community in order to solicit input and recommendations for the development and adoption of an internal Manoa organizational structure. This discussion would include such issues as responsibilities and span of control assigned to Vice Chancellors, reporting lines for Deans and Directors, and the establishment of new subunits within the Chancellor's Office. In considering the degree to which authority and responsibility is delegated to UHM, the proposal recognizes the University's enhanced constitutional status and the urgent need to decentralize decision-making authority in order to extend the benefits of autonomy to the individual campus level. In so doing, this aspect of the transition is intended to affect all campuses on an equal basis.
A major consideration in this plan is the selection and appointment of a new President, which is expected to occur around March 2001. Given the importance of the new President's input and role in the establishment of a new Manoa administration, the proposed plan is based on an optimal transition schedule for the appointment of both a new President and a permanent Chancellor for the Manoa campus. However, alternative actions are also proposed in the event that the optimal transition schedule is not met.
In the optimal transition schedule, the search process for a permanent Manoa Chancellor would be initiated upon the Board's approval of an organizational structure for that office. This would allow for a final selection of a Manoa Chancellor by the new President, hopefully in the Fall of 2001. The new President would then decide on the appropriate schedule for implementing the reorganization plan. An Interim Chancellor and management team could be appointed in the event that the optimum schedule cannot be realized. In either case, it is recommended that a coordinator and transition team be appointed to work with the new President to facilitate the orderly transfer of functional responsibilities, personnel, funds, and other resources as necessary from the System administration. In those instances where an affected unit performs both System as well as campus functions, the new President would determine the apportionment of resources.
The proposed reorganization and implementation plan should meet the directives as expressed by the Board at its September 2000 meeting, with one exception. The Board had originally called for a budget on the assumption that significant transfers of funds would be required from systemwide support appropriations to Manoa as a result of the reorganization. Current budgets, however, already reflect most of the affected units within Manoa's appropriation. Nevertheless, the administration will adhere to the Board's requirement that this reorganization incur no additional costs to the University.
Dr. David Miller, Professor of English and Faculty Senate Chair, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, expressed concerns that the reorganization would remove resources from the system and assigned solely to Manoa. He asked that some attention be given to making the rest of the system whole, particularly UH-Hilo and whether establishing a Vice President for Academic Affairs would serve as a barrier between the Hilo Chancellor and the President. He also questioned whether the $140 million for the medical school would be removing all capital improvements' allocation for the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and the Community Colleges, particularly its West Hawai'i project.
Chairperson Yao thanked Dr. Miller for sharing his concerns and asked the administration to take them into consideration.
Regent Weiner moved to approve the proposed reorganization and implementation plan for the Office of the President, University of Hawai'i, and Office of the Chancellor, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, with the understanding that this action shall remain within existing resources and subject to applicable policies and statutes, as presented in President's Memorandum No. 84 (Agenda), Item A-1, dated January 19, 2001. Regent Nunokawa seconded the motion.
Regent McElrath expressed the concern that the reorganization was top heavy and would be duplicating functions at the President's level.
Upon call, the motion was unanimously carried.
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