UH-Manoa seeks
chancellor

Candidates for the interim
position make their case in
front of university faculty

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii faculty packed the School of Architecture auditorium yesterday to hear five candidates for interim chancellor for the Manoa campus.

"I was impressed with all of them and their sincerity," said Craig Chaudron, professor of second-language studies. "But I'm not sure if anyone should be subjected to being interim chancellor."

He said the interim position may not have any influence to make changes in a short time frame, and President-designate Evan Dobelle may simply appoint a permanent chancellor instead of an interim one.

When Dobelle succeeds Kenneth Mortimer on July 2, the president of the 10-campus UH system will no longer be the Manoa chancellor, overseeing the campus' daily operations. The chancellorship had been merged with the presidency in 1985.

The nominees, according to Barry Baker, president of the faculty senate and chairman of the Executive Committee, are Rosanne Harrigan, dean of the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene; Charles Hayes, interim dean of the College of Natural Sciences; Randy Hitz, dean of the College of Education; Deane Neubauer, professor of political science and director of the Globalization Research Center; and Alan Teramura, professor of botany, dean of the Graduate Division and senior vice president of research.

Baker said faculty members had been asking for their own chancellor for years.

At yesterday's meeting, faculty members said they wanted advocacy by the interim chancellor.

Although Dobelle will appoint a Manoa faculty member to the interim position while a nationwide search for a permanent chancellor is conducted, faculty members were invited to comment on the candidates by e-mail.

Carolyn Gotay, associate professor of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, was pleased to have a say, commenting, "I can't remember the last time we were asked for our input."

Gotay said she thought the candidate should combine both research and instructional perspectives.

"Teramura has a better grasp of what the system is like now and where it might go," Chaudron said. "Deane Neubauer has the longest experience and roots in Manoa as an academic."

Dave Sherill, associate professor of educational psychology, said although all the candidates seem competent, Neubauer has institutional knowledge from being at UH for 30 years.

Sherill pointed out that Neubauer spoke of the importance of each of the components of the UH system.

"There has been a competition between Manoa and the other campuses," Sherill said.

He said Neubauer had more of a system identity, "where we all work together. And that's going to be a real challenge for the new president."

Others said they were undecided on whether it was important to have institutional knowledge represented, but most seemed to think all the candidates were competent.

Although the position is temporary, one candidate, Charles Hayes, said the job might lead to appointment as permanent chancellor.

"While that makes sense, if that's the case, we need to have another panel and other candidates," said junior specialist Wendy Pearson of the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies. "There are people that are possibly considering the permanent position."

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University of Hawaii