Apple should be reinstated as UH-Manoa chancellor

We, student leaders of the Manoa campus, appreciate the Star-Advertiser’s Aug. 3 editorial seeking a full explanation from University of Hawaii President David Lassner for his recent firing of UH-Manoa Chancellor Thomas Apple.

Today we are writing to explain why we support our chancellor and want him reinstated.

Quite simply, Apple has an excellent record: His strategic plan has gained national recognition, graduation rates have increased, the libraries are now open on Saturdays, the STAR system is much improved, minimum graduate student pay is above the poverty line for the first time in many years, Manoa admission officers were placed on the UH Community College campuses, and nine new Native Hawaiian faculty have been recruited.

But it is also important for people to know how Apple has changed governance on campus. He personally meets with students and student government, and has organized a number of campuswide town hall meetings.

In a characteristic anecdote, one student emailed him last year, worried about an open electrical outlet he found in a classroom. It was fixed the next day.

Apple has greatly improved transparency and accessibility of the administration on the Manoa campus, and truly breathes and lives shared governance.

Any other university would have been thrilled to have a chancellor with so many accomplishments to his name, and such strong support from students, faculty and the community.

Instead, the UH leadership has decided to fire the most effective chancellor Manoa has had in recent history, two years into his five-year appointment. It did so without input from students and faculty, without a clear explanation, in the middle of summer break.

The current situation has left us deeply concerned about the future of UH-Manoa. Lassner has stated that he has no plan following the firing of our chancellor, except to consult with campus groups and other stakeholders.

Besides signaling the incompetence of Lassner, this also begs the question of what kind of person we can truly expect to fill this gap. Our chancellor was willing to open up communication with stakeholders of the Manoa campus and involve all of us in implementing the changes necessary to align spending with student needs.

Anybody appointed to take his place should be forewarned: If you stick your head out, if you want to make a difference, you will not survive. Can we expect anyone but a highly incompetent or corrupt administrator to follow in the footsteps of our chancellor?

In the meantime, no one seems safe. Students, faculty, administrators and staff have become afraid of reprisal. When people are too scared to speak, there is a serious problem.

The problems extend much beyond our Manoa campus. Evidence of corruption at the highest levels of the University of Hawaii continues to mount. The firing of our chancellor and the circumstances under which it occurred require an official investigation addressing some key questions:

» Why was it necessary to remove our chancellor?

» Why were students, faculty and key community members actively excluded from the process?

» Who, if not the students and faculty, really benefits from the firing of Apple?

» Was our chancellor undermined intentionally by administrators desiring his position?

» Was he fired for being a whistleblower?

» Is David Lassner qualified to be UH president?

It will take decades for our university to recover from this mess. But one simple action can immediately change the course of this debacle: Reinstate Apple with a mandate to clean up UH-Manoa. Lassner must provide our chancellor with whatever support he needs to meet this mandate. This will send a clear message: The University of Hawaii values sustained, progressive leadership, and prioritizes its students.

If done, Manoa students will finally feel somebody in UH leadership, beyond Apple, has listened and cared.