Poor stewardship by UH leadership has turned into an embarrassment

While local media outlets have provided some details concerning the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and Director Michele Carbone, the real story behind this debacle, and numerous others, is the persistently questionable leadership decisions within the university system.

Consequently, the accumulation of other missteps — such as the "Wonder blunder"; the removals of Evan Dobelle, Virginia Hinshaw, M.R.C. Greenwood, Herman Frazier and Jim Donovan; the land-use issues such as at UH-West Oahu and the loss of the medical school’s parking lot; the perpetual Athletics Department debt; and the failure to address accrued campus maintenance — have allowed UH to become low-hanging fruit for sport in the media.

In turn, once broadcast, these administrative decisions have left the public scratching its head, and many of us simply ashamed of our state institution.

For example, in spite of 20-plus grievances filed against the director (all of which have vindicated the faculty), it appears Carbone is worthy to continue receiving an annual salary of $412,000 — but is unworthy to receive an employment contract and must now take on two additional administrators?

It is simply poor stewardship on the part of UH.

While top-heavy management grows, more than 50 percent of the instructors at the community colleges are part-time employees with no hope of full-time employment (about $60,000), let alone tenure. Interestingly, if only Carbone’s salary were parceled out to community college students, it would allow an additional 137 students to attend school for the full year.

Not surprisingly, while 86 percent of Cancer Center faculty deemed Carbone unqualified for the directorship, it was Hinshaw (and presumably others) who removed him from the unranked bottom of the pile and placed him as head of the center.

It appears that good deeds come full circle though, because Hinshaw, a (nonactive) flu expert with no proven track record in cancer research or grants, now has her golden parachute in the tenured form of overseeing a cancer center and Carbone’s work.

As we enter a new legislative session, the manifestation of these frustrations will no doubt play out in the appropriations for UH, of which the faculty and students will ultimately bear the brunt for the missteps of the Board of Regents and UH administrators. Most likely, resultant budgetary shortfalls will then require the faculty to write even more grants (on top of their saturated schedules) in order to subsidize and shore up UH resources removed by the Legislature, all the while pushing student teaching and training further to the margins.

As a proud graduate and faculty member of the UH system, I am embarrassed when folks come to me in order to discuss the drama associated with UH rather than the excellent programs and students we produce. It is now clear that habitually poor decisions on the part of UH continue to erode the faith and dedication of the rank-and-file faculty and staff — and the general public.

Like it or not, over time UH has put dollars before students, and while the Legislature, faculty and students are responsible for these funds, seemingly illogical choices made by the UH administration are allowing these funds to continue to slip away.