The impulse is good: including more voices of key stakeholders — faculty, students and staff — in the process of selecting a new University of Hawaii president. And the UH Board of Regents did power up the microphone for those voices as members of an advisory group to provide recommendations.

At the same time, the regents’ decision to leave final voting to the board does make sense. The board must be called on to account for its choice, but the plain fact is that giving every constituency a vote would make for a cumbersome and likely ineffective process. Simpler is better.