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Mortimer resigns
from UH
Expressing optimism about the
Bio and key events
university but shaken by problems,
he will leave July 1, 2001
'Timing seemed right'
Text of resignation speech By Helen Altonn
Star-BulletinKenneth Mortimer, president of the University of Hawaii for seven years, announced his resignation today, saying he believes both he and the university "are ready to enter new phases of our lives."
"Having successfully moved the university toward the goals I've had for it, and considering my personal goals at the age of 62," Mortimer said, he will leave the presidency July 1, 2001.
He said he will help "to bring the Mauna Kea Master Plan and the university's autonomy status to fruition" during the next year. And he will assist his successor in moving "into this incredibly important job," he said.
"In other words, over the next year, I'll be fully dedicated to ensuring that the University of Hawaii will celebrate its centennial in a few years as one of the nation's great state universities."
A news conference was announced this morning by Mortimer "to discuss the future of the university" after word of his resignation had spread across the Manoa campus.
J.N. Musto, University of Hawaii Professional Assembly executive director, sent a message to UPHA's board yesterday saying Mortimer would announce Monday that he has resigned from UH but would remain until a successor was found.
Gov. Ben Cayetano said this morning that Mortimer will be remembered for many achievements, including "helping to secure the autonomy that will allow the university to steer its own course into the new century."
Harold Masumoto is expected to assist with the university reorganization and transition to a new president.
A former UH vice president of administration, Masumoto directs the UH Research Corporation and recently was given added responsibilities to move to Bachman Hall and assist Mortimer.Mortimer was appointed as UH's 11th president in March 1993. His current five-year contract runs through June 30, 2003, with an annual salary of $167,184.
He formerly was president of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. He and his wife, the former Lorraine Murai, bought a home in Bellingham last fall. He said then that they planned to divide their time between Hawaii and Washington after he retired. Meanwhile, they have been renting the $522,000 home.
Sen. David Ige, Education and Technology Committee chairman, said he is disappointed that Mortimer is leaving.
"I think he's done a good job under very, very difficult circumstances. Look at his budget, which has gone from about $350 million to about $280 million or something."
Ige said UH "has been transformed" under Mortimer's leadership, with increased autonomy, responsibility over more of the fiscal operations and "just the retooling, reorganizing and fund-raising."
Mortimer said that with community support, the UH Foundation endowment has been increased nearly threefold.
He said the past seven years "have been benchmark years" for the UH, and it is in a better position "to be a major player in driving the new economy, to develop the skilled work force that will participate in the economy and to grow an ever more prosperous and educated citizenry."
Mortimer said the last legislative session "brought the university to the threshold of realizing one of my dearest dreams for it." Residents will be able to vote for constitutional status for UH in November, "giving it an unprecedented measure of flexibility and autonomy," Mortimer said.
Despite gains, however, his presidency has been shaken by severe budget problems, a demoralized faculty, grousing about his leadership and some recent calls for his resignation.
Two major UH management decisions led to his resignation decision, according to several university sources.
First was an unpopular move to drop the School of Public Health. UH regents backed Mortimer, but the decision proved controversial with UH community supporters.
Regents voted last year to reduce the school to a program in the Medical School despite a task force recommendation that the school be kept. Mortimer pressured the regents to cut the school, saying it was too expensive to maintain.
"He's done a lot of damage," said John Casken, assistant professor of public health, "and I guess in terms of the School of Public Health, he's wrecked that and a lot of issues in the state."
When the UH administration's recommended student tuition increase was rejected by the regents in March, it was a signal to Mortimer that he had lost the regents' backing, sources said.
Some faculty members demanded an explanation and apology from Mortimer for having sheriff's deputies present during a nonviolent student demonstration over the tuition increases.
The quiet, low-key president has been at odds with the faculty over management of UH-Manoa. He is Manoa chancellor as well as UH president, and the faculty has demanded a separate chancellor.
Mary Tiles, UH professor of philosophy and faculty Senate president, said her reaction to Mortimer's resignation is mixed.
"The timing is unfortunate, in the middle of trying to sort out a lot of problems," she said. "There has been a lot of dissatisfaction with the leadership of the university -- not just the president.
"We have a wonderful system where you can't actually say who's responsible for anything," she said, listing the involvement of the governor, regents and legislators, as well as the president.
"It's easy to point at the president but it's not always clear he's been the problem."
Regent Ah Quon McElrath said she was surprised at Mortimer's resignation.
She acknowledged that the president's job is tough, "given the fact that we went through such terrible financial strain. ... I think under the circumstances he did very well."
University observers note that success in the role of UH president may be virtually impossible, with the president beholden to many masters.
There are at least four committees in the state Legislature plus the Board of Regents, the Associated Students on each of 10 UH campuses, three labor unions and the faculty Senate, all demanding accountability.
Harold Morse contributed to this report.
Ka Leo O Hawaii University of Hawaii
| | |
Became the 11th president of the University of Hawaii system in March 1993. Also serves as chancellor of the University of Hawaii-Manoa and chairman of the Western Athletic Conference Board of Directors. Kenneth P. Mortimer
SALARY: $167,184 and free residence at College Hill.
EXPERIENCE: President of Western Washington University. Vice president and vice provost of Pennsylvania State University.
EDUCATION: English degree from University of Pennsylvania. Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance. Doctorate in higher education from the University of California-Berkeley.
PERSONAL: Married Lorraine Murai, a graduate of Roosevelt High School, more than 35 years ago and has one daughter. An avid squash player.
Some of the events at UH during Kenneth Mortimer's term as president Major events
NOV. 1992 -- UH Board of Regents appoints Kenneth P. Mortimer as the 11th president of the UH system and chancellor of UH-Manoa.
By Jaymes K. Song
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‘Timing seems
By Susan Kreifels
to be right. I’m
still healthy’
Star-BulletinUniversity of Hawaii President Kenneth Mortimer said today the future of the school is looking brighter, making this a good time to announce his resignation a year from now.
He told the Star-Bulletin the decision was totally his own.
"The Board of Regents doesn't want me to leave," he said in an interview in his office before a scheduled news conference. "There should not be any taint about the board having any concerns. There was nothing forced about this, except me doing the John Wayne act.
"This is more about Ken Mortimer than the University of Hawaii. I always said I would stay at least five years, then it would be year to year."
The contract for Mortimer, who just finished his seventh year as UH president, runs through 2003. In a recent meeting with Star Bulletin editors and reporters, he was very upbeat about the future. For the first time under his helm, he didn't face a budget cut. The university saw a record fund-raising year, as well as a winning football season.
Also significantly, the issue of the UH's constitutional autonomy will be put before voters this fall.
"I wouldn't do this (make an announcement now) if I thought things were negative or there was another year of cuts," he said.
He also said it's time to develop another strategic plan for UH, since the last one was decided five to six years ago. "It's very important for a new leader to be here and implement it," he said.
Mortimer faced a series of tough issues in the past year. He and the Board of Regents sat through hours of protest, tears, shouting and the occasional scuffle.
He won his battle to close the School of Public Health, but lost his attempt to raise tuition when the regents voted it down in March. His administration came under fire when it called in marshals on campus to stand by in case protests turned ugly. More development of observatories on Maunakea, a sensitive issue among native Hawaiians, is still being considered.
However, Mortimer said those issues did not lead to his decision. "That's just part of a president's life in a university. If it bothers you, you shouldn't take the job."
Although he said the regents tried to talk him out of leaving, "the timing seems to be right. I'm still healthy. I'm still looking forward to a rich and rewarding life."
Ka Leo O Hawaii University of Hawaii
Good morning, and thanks very much for being here this morning. Remarks By UH President
May 5, 2000
Kenneth P. MortimerSeven years ago, when I became the 11th President of the University of Hawaii, I addressed the university community at a ceremony that was held to honor excellence in teaching, research and community service.
The event served as my official inauguration, and offered me the first formal occasion to lay out for the university and the people of Hawaii my vision for this institution.
In my remarks, under the title Momentum Toward Greatness, I recommitted this institution to its most important function-education.
I proposed at that time that the university focus on what we can do best and proceed to deliver on that potential.
I offered the thought that this university could achieve its potential only if we established a fundamentally different relationship with state government.
I believe these past seven years have been benchmark years for the University of Hawaii.
We have worked hard to develop a sharper focus on our priorities. Through a careful and consultative process, we have developed strategic plans for all of our campuses, and we now function in a more coordinated manner as a true university system.
And as a result of this clearer focus, we have continued to grow and mature as the state's primary institution for higher education, in spite of substantial decreases in our state appropriations and the state's weak economic base.
We have moved aggressively to supplement state support with private giving, allowing the university to provide an extra margin of quality to many of our already excellent programs. with the strong support of our community leaders, we have increased the UH Foundation endowment nearly three-fold.
And we have -- with the close of this last legislative session -- brought the university to the threshold of realizing one of my dearest dreams for it. In November, the people of this state will be able to vote for constitutional status for the university, giving it an unprecedented measure of flexibility and autonomy. This is a status enjoyed by the finest public universities in the nation, and I thank the legislature for its strong support in bringing the university to this point.
As we move further into the twenty-first century, the university is much better positioned to be a major player in driving the new economy, to develop the skilled workforce that will participate in that economy, and to grow an ever more prosperous and educated citizenry.
And as I asserted at my inauguration seven years ago, we remain committed to this university's most important function-educating our students so that they may proudly carve out their place in an increasingly competitive world.
These changes have come about through strong dedication to a larger vision. I believe we have now set the stage for that vision to become a reality. It is the perfect time therefore for me to institute one more transition...that is, the passing of the leadership of this university to another person.
I have, therefore, told the Board of Regents that I will stay as president only one more year, and that my departure will be effective July 1, 2001. The board has been generous in its support of my leadership, and has in fact asked me to reconsider. However, having successfully moved the university toward the goals I've had for it, and considering my personal goals at the age of 62, I feel strongly that both the University and I are ready to enter new phases of our lives.
This is an institution that I love, in a place that I love. So let there be no doubt that I will continue to work as hard as I ever have on behalf of this university.
Over the next year, I'll be busy helping to bring the Mauna Kea Master Plan and the University's autonomy status to fruition. And of course, once a new President is selected, I'll be assisting that person in the transition into this incredibly important job.
In other words, over the next year, I'll be fully dedicated to ensuring that the University of Hawaii will celebrate its centennial in a few years as one of the nation's great state universities.
Ka Leo O Hawaii University of Hawaii
