Regents to monitor
Dobelle’s research

University of Hawaii-Manoa Chancellor Peter Englert and the Board of Regents have a plan to monitor the progress of former UH President Evan Dobelle's research project.

But they are not saying what it is.

The regents met behind closed doors yesterday to discuss the status of the project.

Afterward, Chairwoman Patricia Lee would say only that Englert had presented a plan to monitor the former president's research, and "the board is comfortable with that plan."

UH-Manoa spokesman Jim Manke said the chancellor's office had no further comment.

Dobelle is being paid more than $125,000 a year for two years as part of the settlement that led to his resignation last summer.

But as the Star-Bulletin reported earlier this month, all Dobelle has turned in is a 1 1/2-page outline of a book proposal.

Dobelle also did not sign a November letter to indicate agreement with Englert's proposal to have the former president file quarterly reports on his progress beginning last December.

Rick Fried, Dobelle's attorney, said Dobelle and Englert are "in sync" about the project.

"Everything's fine. He (Dobelle) is going to do what he needs to do," Fried said.

In January, Dobelle started another full-time job as president of the New England Board of Higher Education.

Englert said there was a lot of work with the transition to the new job, but that Dobelle is focused on the UH-Manoa project.

Dobelle is proposing to write a book on the impact of higher-education institutions on their communities.

The regents fired Dobelle on June 15, then rescinded the firing. Dobelle resigned in August after a mediated settlement that paid him about $1 million in severance and his attorney fees, continued payments on a life insurance policy and provided for the two-year faculty position as a researcher. Dobelle also agreed to give up his right to tenure at the university.