Report gives UH president high marks

University of Hawaii President David Lassner received high marks on his latest performance evaluation by the Board of Regents but again requested no salary increase.

Lassner, who just completed his second year as president of the 10-campus system, previously served as the university’s longtime information technology chief. He was appointed president July 1, 2014, after serving in the post on an interim basis for nearly a year. The board said at the time that his appointment would be “continuous” and subject to annual evaluations.

In its review, Jan Sullivan, chairwoman of the Board of Regents, said the board considered a self-evaluation along with anonymous input from university administrators, faculty and faculty leaders, student organizations and members of the public. The board also conducted an internal survey of its 15 members.

“The board reviewed and acknowledges a variety of opinions and comments that were received,” Sullivan said Thursday after regents emerged from a lengthy executive session during its monthly meeting. “In addition, the board recognizes the substantial challenges that confront the university, in particular the challenges that are presented at the Manoa campus. We commend the president’s dedication to the university to continue to address the pressing issues that we face. The board supports the president and looks forward to making strong progress in the current year.”

Some of the challenges include a growing repair and maintenance backlog that tops a half-billion dollars, flat or declining enrollment at some campuses, turmoil in the athletic department and UH Cancer Center, and the perennial fight for more state funding. Still, the university has been awarding more degrees and improving its on-time graduation rates.

Under board policy, the president’s evaluation covers five areas: academic management; administrative management; budget, planning, financial management and fundraising; internal relations with faculty, staff, administrators, students and the board; and external relations with the governor, Legislature, donors, other government officials and the community.

Sullivan said that at the president’s request regents did not consider a salary adjustment this year. Lassner, who earns $375,000 as president, made the same request last year.

“I think I’m well paid, and I think it becomes a distraction when people talk about my salary instead of what we’re trying to do,” Lassner told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

He said his agenda for the year ahead includes two sets of goals: one for the UH system and one for the Manoa campus. That’s because the board last week approved a recommendation from Lassner that he serve as interim chancellor of Manoa, effective Sept. 1, with no additional compensation.

He will replace outgoing interim Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman, whose appointment expires at the end of the month. Bley-Vroman, formerly dean of the College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, did not want an extension and will return to a faculty position.

In making the recommendation, Lassner emphasized that he’s committed to continuing the search underway for a permanent chancellor.

He said some of his goals as president include “continuing to move the whole system forward and building our strategic directions: educating more students, continuing to stimulate our innovation initiative (a plan to develop Hawaii’s research industry into a major economic sector), making progress on facilities and trying to build a collaborative plan together.”

Lassner added that he wants to improve the university’s performance in the areas of business processes, sustainability and generating new revenue sources.

“As interim Manoa chancellor,” he said, “I think … Manoa’s in a great position to really focus at excelling as the great research university that it is.”