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Leeward provost
resigns abruptly

The community college
faculty and staff are
'absolutely shocked'

By Suzanne Tswei
Star-Bulletin

In a departure that has surprised the faculty and staff at Leeward Community College, Provost Sharon Narimatsu, the college's top administrator, resigned last month after two years on the job.

"Everybody was absolutely shocked and stunned. We didn't expect it, we didn't see it coming. We are left with an awful lot of questions to ask," said Douglas Dykstra, assistant dean of instruction.

Narimatsu cited personal reasons but did not give specifics in her resignation, said Marilyn Walsh, college spokeswoman. Narimatsu's resignation was effective June 16, the same day she turned in her resignation to her boss, Joyce Tsunoda, chancellor for University of Hawaii's community colleges.

Attempts to reach Tsunoda and Narimatsu were not successful.

Mark Silliman, Leeward's dean of instruction, is the interim provost. Silliman said he had worked closely with Narimatsu and the resignation caught him by surprise, too.

Silliman described Narimatsu as a leader who "was very good and very strong in going out and involving the college in work-force development for the community."

Narimatsu had been a UH faculty member and administrator for about 25 years and became Leeward's interim provost in 1998. She was named permanent provost in December. Silliman said a search for a new provost likely will begin early next year.

Narimatsu was popular and her resignation has been the "topic of discussion" for days on campus, Dykstra said. He had seen her the day after her resignation but was not aware she had resigned, he said.

"I came in on a Saturday and I saw her cleaning out her office. She said not a thing about problems or her plans for the future," he said.

Dykstra said he learned of her resignation by email. In the message, Narimatsu thanked administrators for doing a good job and ended it by saying she was certain that they will work well with a new provost, he said.

"I didn't think anything of it when I was reading the message. Then there was that stinger in the tail. I didn't know what to make of it," Dykstra said.