UH would benefit from president with local roots

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents went on what these days is called a "listening tour" around the islands, tapping public opinion on how it should proceed in selecting a new UH president. What it reportedly heard from that taxpaying public was that surely there were a few suitable candidates for that Bachman Hall office within these shores.

The board ultimately has taken the correct course in acting on that advice, and now seems more likely to hire someone fairly homegrown. Turning the focus to local candidates is a rational step, and not only because it would avoid the estimated $75,000-$125,000 fee for hiring a mainland search firm.

At this stage in UH development, and with painful past missteps still visible in the rear-view mirror, it would make sense to have a leader already familiar with the university system’s strengths and challenges, as well as with the various personalities with influence over its future.

Also at this stage, five months after beleaguered M.R.C. Greenwood exited the president’s office, the regents need to take definitive action to propel the university forward.

David Lassner, currently serving as acting president, certainly should be seen as one of the front-runners for the job, based on this analysis. Lassner’s been with the university for most of his career and would bring stability to a system that has been rocked by various crises in recent months.

The regents also must consider others from within the system, or who have familiarity with its many complexities.

A series of community meetings on the selection is finished, but there will be another chance for the public to weigh in this week: The regents’ Committee on Presidential Selection will meet at 8 p.m. Thursday at Bachman 113. Those interested in testifying during the public comment period should call in advance (956-8213), or alert the board secretary at the meeting when they arrive. There’s more information on a dedicated website (hawaii.edu/presidentialsearch).

The regents are sure to get an earful. Residents across the state, as well as those within the university community itself, have some strong feelings about what attributes UH needs in its top administrative ranks.

For some, a Hawaii orientation would further the university’s role in educating on sustainable societies. What’s needed, said political science professor Louis Herman in his written testimony, is "a president who has a global perspective rooted in respect for the Earth and ocean wisdom of our traditional Hawaiian culture." That perspective was shared by members of the undergraduate student government, as well.

But in addition to the more esoteric reasons for a Hawaii-based selection, there are the basic nuts- and-bolts problems that someone familiar with UH operations might be able to handle more nimbly.

For example: UH has fallen behind notoriously in its campus facilities maintenance work, and the backlog has overwhelmed other development plans. The system is now pledging to attack that problem and needs someone able to stay on top of the management team assigned to it.

UH has taken a lot of heat for keeping a top-heavy administration that, critics fear, has not done enough to boost efficiency; rising costs, they say, ultimately are paid by students through tuition hikes. Various factors, including collective bargaining and sheer bureaucratic inertia, have impeded change.

Whoever ends up on the short list of candidates, what’s most essential is that he or she have the leadership skills to enable organizational change. The status quo no longer suffices, if UH is to succeed as a research institution that supports Hawaii’s economy, and as an educational resource to coming generations.