President Lassner fighting for $24M for University of Hawaii budget

University of Hawaii President David Lassner is fighting to maintain $24 million in state funding for UH that disappears July 1, while facing “antipathy” from three state senators, including the chairs of the Senate’s finance and higher education committees.

“It doesn’t help to have three very powerful senators who have expressed their antipathy to my leadership in the primary decision-making positions for the university’s budget,” Lassner told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream program Friday.

State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz (D, Mililani-Wahiawa- Whitmore Village), chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, on Thursday announced highlights of the committee’s version of the state budget, known as House Bill 300.

Lassner said he still needs to get more details about the latest UH budget proposal. But Dela Cruz’s Thursday highlights made no mention of a specific $24 million being extended to UH. The money is part of a restoration of cuts made during the financial turmoil of the COVID-19 years. But it disappears once the current fiscal year ends June 30 unless it’s specifically added to the next fiscal year budget.

Dela Cruz sent the Star- Advertiser a list of UH budget recommendations but said there is still time in the legislative session for Lassner and UH to lobby for the $24 million they think is missing.

“There’s still bills in play,” Dela Cruz said. “If there’s bills when he can add an appropriation, he can still ask.”

Lassner did not identify any senator by name during his Friday appearance on “Spotlight Hawaii,” but the committee chaired by Dela Cruz includes Sens. Michelle Kidani (D, Mililani Town-Waipio Gentry-Royal Kunia) and Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi-Fort Shafter-Red Hill), who also chairs the Senate Higher Education Committee, where she has frequently tangled with Lassner and other UH administrators.

In a Feb. 12 article in the Star-Advertiser, the three senators questioned Lassner’s leadership amid “calls for my resignation,” he said. Lassner called their published comments “a Super Bowl Sunday surprise.”

“I’m not going out of my way to put myself in front of the three senators,” he said. “I’m certainly not avoiding them.”

In turn, Hawaii’s congressional delegation and Gov. Josh Green have thrown their support behind Lassner.

Lassner said he has been gratified by others in the community who “have thanked me for my work and what I’ve been doing. … I’m really proud of what we’ve done. UH is in a great place.”

UH in the past two years has welcomed record numbers of freshmen students, Lassner said, and philanthropic donations are up. But he wants the Legislature to fund expansion of the Hawai‘i Promise Scholarship program to UH’s three four-year universities in Manoa, West Oahu and Hilo.

The program currently provides free in-state tuition for qualified students attending the UH system’s seven community colleges. The scholarships cover tuition, fees and an allowance for books and supplies. But based on senators’ comments Thursday, Lassner said that expanding the scholarships seems unlikely.

He also wants to increase the budget to hire more faculty across the UH system to train the next generation of isle workers, especially health care specialists.

Asked about alternative sources of revenue if it doesn’t come from the state, Lassner said UH historically has raised tuition in times of recession, but the UH Board of Regents this year decided that “we will not respond to financial challenges by raising our tuition rates. We need to find other sources of revenue.”

One source would be increasing enrollment, especially out-of-state students who pay more than residents, and “ramping up philanthropy.”

Asked about the search for the next UH athletic director, Lassner said he hopes that a “relatively small and nimble” search committee gives him a handful of names “from many tens of applicants.” He would like to recommend a finalist at the May regents meetings.

Lassner pushed back on accusations that he configured the search committee because he’s already made his choice.

“That is simply false,” he said. “It does me no good to have pre-selected anyone before I know who’s willing to apply for the job.”

Lassner called being UH’s athletic director the “second-hardest job in the University of Hawaii given the expectations of community members and the opinions of community members and leaders. … We’re looking for a great leader, no question.”