University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel and UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos hosted a virtual budget forum on October 7 to provide clarity on the UH Mānoa budget and the broader university budget process. More than 470 people tuned in for the 95-minute session, which began with detailed presentations and concluded with a Q&A segment addressing 20 questions from the audience.
A central focus of the discussion was the consolidation of the 16% reserve funds, as required by Board of Regents policy, into a single account managed at the UH System level beginning in the 2025–26 fiscal year. Previously, these reserves were held separately by individual campuses and units.
“That money was, by definition, reserves, never intended to be spent or touched outside of an exigent financial situation approved by the Board of Regents,” said Hensel. “It didn’t change the percentage level required to be held in reserves; it simply moved those funds into a central account to enable us to respond to the emergency situation we’re in.”
Hensel acknowledged that the change has caused some confusion across the 10-campus system, and emphasized that no funds were “swept.” Syrmos noted that some units had been relying on reserve funds for operational needs and recognized concerns about potential cash flow shortages.
“I want to assure everybody that we will work with them to mitigate those shortages,” Syrmos said. “We’ve been coordinating with the president and CFO and will request support from the system if needed.”
Budget forum presentation
The forum opened with remarks from Hensel, followed by a state and system overview from Vice President for Budget and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Kalbert Young, a UH Mānoa-specific budget presentation by Chief Business Officer Sandy French, and a discussion of next steps led by Provost Syrmos.
They outlined how legislative appropriations, tuition revenue and other funding sources support UH’s operational and strategic goals. Young provided context on how state revenues and federal funding influence the university’s overall budget, while French detailed how funds are directed at the campus level. Syrmos emphasized the need to align fiscal decisions with UH Mānoa’s academic mission and research excellence.
“We are working hard to address grant terminations and structure our programs to protect positions and mission-critical services,” said Hensel, regarding the cuts in federal funding for research and student support. “The positive news is that UH remains financially stable. We are in a position to be thoughtful and deliberate as we navigate this moment and ensure the institution continues to move forward.”
Budget 101 video series
The forum is part of UH leadership’s ongoing effort to enhance fiscal transparency and campus engagement.
In addition, UH has launched a new Budget 101 video series featuring Young, offering an accessible overview of how the UH budget process works across all campuses.
The videos are available on the UH Budget and Finance website and UH News.
Note: Portions of the recording experienced audio issues. We are working to replace those segments once a full recording is located.
