Minutes & Agendas

1995-1996

University of Hawaii at Manoa Faculty Senate, September 20, 1995

Architecture #205

Presiding: Co-Chair Kiyoshi Ikeda, Manoa Faculty Senate Executive 
Committee

Senators Present: Belinda Aquino, James Brandon, Barry Brennan, John 
Casken, Gaye Chan, David Chappell,Joanne Cooper, Joel Cohn, Linda Cox, 
James Dator, Steven Dawson, Austin Dias, Dolores Foley, Gregg Geary, 
Richard Guillory, Kathryn Hoffmann, Ruth Horie, Kiyoshi Ikeda, Wayne 
Iwaoka, Alison Kay, Adelheid Kuehnle, Barry Labonte, Bruce Liebert, Burt 
Lum, Fred McKenzie, Chrisopher Measures, Karen Meech, Robert Meyer, Jane 
Moulin, Cynthia Ning, C. S. Papacostas, Karen Peacock Thomas Pearson, 
Teresita Ramos, Jurgen Sang, Leon Serafim, Janice Shoultz, James Silva, 
Thomas Speitel, Patricia Steinhoff, Victor Stenger, John Stimson, Glenn 
Teves, Jane Tribble, Alice Tse, Rosemarie Woodruff, Ming-Bao Yue

Senators Absent: Sandra Chang, Marilyn Dunlap, Joel Fischer, Patricia 
Fryer, Patrick Gilbert, Sue Hanson, Patrick Henry, William Lampe, Nancy 
Lind, Margaret Maaka, John Melish, Marian Melish, Ralph Moberly, Deane 
Neubauer, Peter Nicholson, Stephen O'Harrow, Victor Olgyay, Nicholas 
Ordway, Neva Owens, Robert Paull, Thomas Ramsey, Raul Rudoy, Joseph 
Stanton, Lorrie Wong

Senators Excused: Donna Rae Ching, Patricia Edelen-Smith, Robert McLaren, 
Marita Nelson, Aiko Oda, Judy Weightman, Roy Wilkens

Visitors: Senior Vice President Carol Eastman, Assistant Vice President 
Thomas Bopp, Joshua Cooper, Alan Shimada, Van Hiyakumoto, Shawa Chun, 
Masaaki Marler, Patrick Nakamura, Tad Saiki, Jean Okazaki, Helen 
Josephine, Miles Cheung, Karen White, Ken Lincoln, Anne Bush, Bobby Higa, 
Glenn Man, Candace Fujikane, Ruth Hsu, John Pincince, Brian Guevara, Alma 
Trinidad, Greg Harada, Richart Nettell, Pat Omandam, Stephen Page, Sheila 
Foreman, Mark Enomoto, Irene Ellorin, Alton Cheong, Anne Smoke, Iris Lo, 
Onofre Abad, Barbara Ige, and others whose names were not readable.

The meeting was called to order by Co-Chair Ikeda at 3:06 PM.

The minutes of August 18 were approved as submitted (with the exception 
that Adelheid Kuehnle should be marked as present and not absent).

Co-Chair Ikeda opened the meeting with several announcements:

President Kenneth Mortimer has agreed in principle to meet with the 
academic community during the Faculty Senate and Congress meetings 
scheduled for October 18 .

Prior to that meeting, three Workshops/Teach-ins will be scheduled in 
October with Senior Vice President for Financial Affairs Eugene Imai, 
Director Rodney Sakaguchi and others of their staff to explain to 
faculty, students and staff the Manoa and UH System Budgets.  The purpose 
of these Workshops/Teach-Ins is to help the Faculty fully to understand 
the past, present and future budget situation.  The Workshops/Teach-Ins 
will review the budget, and budget cuts, over the past five or six years 
and show the distribution of the budget in the various categories of 
Instruction, Research, Service, etc., and the proportionate cuts in each, 
and between Manoa and the rest of the System.

These meetings will be held on different days and times in October and in 
different places on campus so as to ensure that all interested faculty 
members can receive and think about this information before the meeting 
with President Mortimer on October 18.

Co-Chair Ikeda also said that he will ask Pres. Mortimer to present at 
the October 18 meeting his vision of UH Manoa as a research university 
which must operate within the budget restraints of the next three to five 
years. 

Co-Chair Ikeda then announced an auction of goods and services to be held 
on behalf of the Aloha United Way.  All faculty members are urged to 
indicate what goods or services they are willing to contribute to that 
auction by sending a message to Room 413 of the Student Services 
Building.

Prof. Ikeda called the attention of the Senate to a matrix which he had 
prepared on "Programs at Risk" (attached) as a consequence of current and 
proposed budget cuts.  He asked each Senator to review that matrix and 
try to gauge the impact which the cuts might have on the units listed.

Three students were then invited to make statements to the Senate.

The first was Brian Guevara who represents a coalition of student groups 
concerned about the budgetary situation.  He urged the Faculty to join 
with the unified students in planning and carrying out appropriate action 
aimed at restoring necessary funds and preventing further cuts.

Mr. Guevara introduced Greg Harada, ASUH President, who discussed 
planning for a Funeral March to the Governor's Office scheduled for 
October 31 which will denounce the Death of Education at the University 
of Hawaii.  He hoped that Faculty would join with students in that March.


Joshua Cooper, Co-President of the GSO, then reminded the Senate of the 
March on the Capital last year involving students, staff, and faculty 
from all UH campuses, and of the recent Read-In at Hamilton Library.  He 
said that Halloween seemed an excellent time to stage a Funeral March.  
But he said we need to keep the momentum gained from the Read-In going, 
and not wait until October 31.  He mentioned the possibilities of some 
kind of activity at UH football games.

Co-Chair Ikeda responded that he knows of businesspersons, who are 
members of the UH President's Club, who would also like to join with 
faculty and students in protesting budget cuts and promised to give a 
contact name to the student groups.

He also reminded the Senate of the article, written by Co-Chair Kay and 
himself, which appeared in the newspaper recently, and of an article in 
Pacific Business News which will be out shortly.

Returning to the "Program at Risks" matrix, Prof. Ikeda reminded the 
Faculty that the Senate has the responsibility of guaranteeing academic 
quality in all programs offered by the University.  This is carried out 
primarily in three ways:
	1. The review of proposals for new programs, including gaining 
assurances from the Administration that any programs adopted must be 
adequately funded for the life of the program.
	2. The review of all existing programs on a seven year cycle.
	3. Whenever significant enhancement, or downsizing, consolidation, or 
closing is threatened or impending, to indicate what the impact of these 
actions will be on the overall academic quality of the University.

While the decision to enhance, or downsize, a program is the 
responsibility of the Administration, it is the responsibility of the 
Faculty to assure continued and improved academic quality.

Prof. Ikeda stressed that when the Focus on Manoa Plan or any new or 
revised strategic plans are considered by the Administration, it is 
essential that the faculty be involved before they are presented to the 
Board of Regents.

Prof. Ikeda asked if this was going to happen in the case of some 
strategic plans which he understood were going to be presented to the BOR 
shortly without faculty review.

SVP Eastman replied that the BOR had directed the President to present a 
draft plan concerning Priorities to the November meeting of the Board.  
It is only a draft, and not a proposal, and the President hopes and 
intends to have proper faculty review even before it is presented as a 
draft, but certainly before it becomes formal policy.

C. S. Papacostas asked who made the Program at Risk document (Prof. Ikeda 
said he did) and whether the list of Legislatively-Mandated programs, 
requested by the Senate last meeting, had been provided by the 
Administration (Co-Chair Kay said such a list had been provided, but it 
might not entirely be the one we really wanted to receive).

Prof. Ikeda then read from the BOR Charter the section concerning the 
responsibility of the Board and the Faculty for quality education.

Karen Peacock from the Library rose to thank those people who supported 
the Library in the Read-in of last Friday. She supported the plans for 
the October 31 March.  And she was glad that the Senate was following the 
proper procedures of moving from CAP to the SEC to the President and then 
to the BOR. But she said we must move more quickly than that. "We need 
action now." She made it clear that the Library had been "ordered" to 
reinstate its previous hours, but without being given any new money to do 
so. So the Library had to divert internal funds and personnel from other 
needed services in order just to keep the Library open as "ordered."  In 
the meantime, no new books have been bought this year, 700 periodicals 
have been canceled.  "The library is a shadow of what it was a year ago".  
The budget has been cut 25%, 20 staff members who retired have not been 
replaced, and eight temporary and emergency hires have been released.

"I am secure," she said.  "I have tenure. But if I don't speak up, I am 
being irresponsible. We must act now."

This was greeted by sustained applause.

Co-Chair Ikeda said that he understands from what the President has said 
that the book and periodical purchasing freeze is due to a serious 
cash-flow problem facing the University, and that once that has been 
solved, money will be released to the Library for purchases.

Jane Moulin from Arts and Humanities wanted to know how the Senate 
proposed to respond to Prof. Peacock's impassioned plea.

Victor Stenger suggested that we should not try to ask the President (or 
Governor) for new money, but rather for him to move money from lower 
priority units in the University to the Library as the top priority of 
the Faculty Senate.

After some discussion, SVP Eastman explained that a lot has happened 
recently, none of which is good.  Until last week, the President expected 
that $2 million would be released to it, but because the Judiciary did 
not meet the cuts requested by the Governor, there was no $2 million for 
the Governor to release to the University.

As a consequence, some units in the University are currently operating in 
the red, so it will be necessary to begin laying off people.  The idea of 
taking money from low priority units and giving it to the Library is 
great, but she is unaware of any unit that has the surplus to give to the 
Library.  "We did not want to cut the Library, but we had no other 
choice."

When the BOR passes a budget for the System on Friday, we will then be 
able to allocate what money we have precisely, and find out who is 
suffering the most and how better to reallocate the money.

Leon Serafim, Asian Languages and Literature, asked why the Judiciary 
could refuse the Governor, but the University could not.  Several people 
responded that it had to do with the Separation of Powers and the fact 
that the University was not as autonomous as the Judiciary is.

Brian Guevara wanted to know when the Administration would take its share 
of the cuts.

SVP Eastman said it had already cut itself 15%.  "I couldn't stand before 
you if that were not the case."   "Maybe you think we should take bigger 
cuts, but you may miss us then.  As the song goes, 'you don't know what 
you've got till its gone.'"

There was an exchange then between David Chappell of Religion and SVP 
Eastman concerning West Oahu, which has been much less damaged by budget 
cuts so far.  However, AVPAA Tom Bopp reminded everyone that the entire 
budget for West Oahu is less than the book acquisition budget for 
Hamilton, so trying to get more from West Oahu would be meaningless at 
best.  "There is not money anywhere in the UH System," Bopp said.

Christopher Measures of SOEST and SVP Eastman then had an exchange about 
where the money from Parking and from Housing went.  Both are 
self-financing units.  Measures felt that there must be plenty of money 
in the Housing account, but other voices expressed doubts.

What about the UH Bookstore? a voice asked.  Does their money go into 
General Funds?

No, said SVP Eastman.  It was in a Revolving Fund which has already been 
swept by the State when it cleaned out all revolving funds everywhere.

Patricia Steinhoff, Sociology, urged that all present create an 
environment of concern tomorrow and Friday at the Campus Center when the 
BOR is meeting.

The discussion then moved to a statement made by the UHPA President which 
appeared in the UHPA publication, "Board Notes".  The UHPA President 
there states that she told the Board of Regents that certain 
undergraduate courses should be removed from Manoa and placed in the 
Community Colleges.

Co-Chair Ikeda said that he had already spoken to Jim Kardash of UHPA 
about this and had been told the UHPA President's statement had been 
meant to be "positive." Prof. Ikeda pointed out that it certainly was not 
erceived as such by many Manoa faculty members.

Victor Stenger said that a letter protesting the UHPA President's 
statement had already been circulating on various email and listserv 
sites.

Co-Chair Kay said that there is a White Paper which delineates the duties 
and responsibilities of the Union and the Faculty Senate.  "We try to 
stay away from UHPA business, and they need to do the same.  This time 
they crossed the line."

Several voices demanded that we protest the UHPA President's statement.  
Others reminded us that our concern should be with the UH President and 
BOR, not the Union.

With that, two motions were placed on the floor and passed.

One stated that the Faculty Senate unanimously requests that the UH 
President immediately restore to the Library the funds necessary for it 
to function and operate effectively.

(Karen Peacock later thanked the Senate for this, and other, expressions 
of support of the Library.)

The second motion, also passed unanimously, directs the SEC to convey to 
the UHPA President the strong sentiment that the UHPA President 
overstepped the line between Union and Faculty Senate duties and 
responsibilities by suggesting that some undergraduate courses be removed 
from Manoa and placed in the Community Colleges.  This statement is to be 
sent to the President of UHPA, the President of the University, and the 
Board of Regents.

The discussion then returned to the question of how the academic 
community should keep pressure on the Administration and BOR for the next 
few days. 

Patricia Steinhoff again issued her call for a physical presence at the 
Campus Center where the BOR is going to meet.

Someone asked SVP Eastman if we should expect retrenchment of untenured 
faculty or not.  If so, what is the Faculty Senate going to do about it?

SVP Eastman replied, "No." At the BOR retreat last Friday and in 
yesterday's meeting of the Academic Council, it was agreed that no one on 
a tenure track will be released for the Spring 1996 Semester.  Beyond 
that, we don't know.  Retrenchment may be necessary if we are not able to 
raise enough money from tuition increases.

The Faculty Senate will be involved in any such retrenchment action.

The Union Contract spells out retrenchment procedures, and these will be 
followed.

Discussion then went back to the BOR and David Chappell presented a 
motion which stated that the Senate urges the BOR as a body and in person 
to ask the Governor to release more funds to the University of Hawaii, 
and to do so immediately, making the restoration of Library funds a top 
priority.

This also was unanimously passed.

Co-Chair Kay pointed out that it was her observation that this is the 
first BOR she has experienced that does seem genuinely concerned about 
the University and prepared to work to save and strengthen it.  Co-Chair 
Ikeda strongly supported that position.

There was no other new business and the meeting adjourned at 4:36 PM

Respectfully submitted



Jim Dator