Manoa Faculty Congress Minutes of February 18, 2009
Architecture Auditorium

Chair Klaus Keil called the Congress to order at 3 p.m.

Minutes from the October 15, 2008 Congress Meeting were approved.

1. President Search Progress Report: Donna Tanoue, former Regent and currently Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee

            Tanoue began by reading from Malamalama (UH Press, 199x ) on the importance of “faculty input” during a president search.  She urged the faculty to send names of the “best and brightest” qualified candidates they know soon:  BOR would like to receive 2-4 candidate names from the Search Committee by July.

            The Search Committee seeks “the fullest transparency possible.”  Its public meetings are announced 7 days in advance.  Its website provides progress reports. It has held several “listening sessions” on criteria. Its search firm has already contacted 200 individuals as potential or possible candidates. Formal review of candidates begins 2/20. The committee is currently looking at traditional and non-traditional candidates; it welcomes email on the search. 

Questions/Observations from Congress members

Observation:  UHM’s faculty is most concerned about candidates’ academic credentials.  But we are also concerned about candidates’ fiduciary knowledge, since economics play a critical role in the total university culture.

Response (Tanoue): I share the concern.

Question:  How are indigenous peoples’ voices to be heard by the search committee?

Answer:  Your concern is noted. Note the committee membership. We welcome all input.

Q: Was the current consulting firm used in the Dobelle search?

A: No.

Q: What is ‘confidential’?  Was it confidentiality that got us Dobelle?

A: Both the search firm and the search committee must do thorough vettings; either one alone may be inadequate to the task. Confidentiality does not disallow vetting.

Q: Why your timeline?  A lot of faculty are not around during summer.  Is the decision going to be made without faculty seeing the candidates?

A: We are mindful of that.

2. UHM Chancellor’s Report: Virginia Hinshaw

            Hinshaw offered her reflections on her learning process here. She noted that UHM is far more important to the state of Hawai‘i than were the other universities at which she has worked.  She talked of her primary goals. She remains committed to working with the faculty to resolve issues with UHM facilities; Arts and Sciences; campus priorities (of special interest to the legislature); the lack of a permanent vice chancellor for academic affairs; UHM’s budget; alumni; support for students and their families.

            A text of Hinshaw’s prepared remarks can be found at the following link:

Chancellor Hinshaw's Report to the Congress

Question from Congress member

Q: What will our cuts involve?  Where will cuts come from?

A: Not filling positions is a cut. Our cut could be more than $20M; however, we may benefit from federal Stimulus Package options. I want to support people, but we can only support people “so far” if cuts are severe.