Dobelle’s salary University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle makes almost double the national median salary of chief executives of state higher education systems, according to this year's Chronicle of Higher Education almanac.
well above median
The new UH president makes
roughly what heads of
universities like Princeton doDobelle discusses
plans with lawmakersBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comDobelle makes $442,000 a year. The median salary was $255,000 a year based on a 1998 survey, the report says.
It was more than the Princeton University president's salary during the 1998-99 school year, but $14,000 shy when benefits are included.
Dobelle has publicly referred to his own salary as comparable to the national average, but an article in the Nov. 24, 2000, edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education shows his salary is more on par with presidents at private Research I and II universities like Princeton. The article ranked the top 10 highest-paid presidents at private Research I and II institutions.
According to that article, the highest-paid president, Judith Rodin of the University of Pennsylvania, earned $655,557. The median was $393,288.
UH spokesman Jim Manke said the Nov. 24 article was a factor in the presidential selection committee's salary discussions with Dobelle.
It reaffirms what Dobelle has said about his salary being comparable to other college presidents and the same as his compensation as president of Trinity College in Connecticut, he said.
When UH President Kenneth Mortimer left his post at the end of June, his position was split in two: UH system president and Manoa chancellor.
Mortimer's annual salary was $167,000, well below the national median. It was also below the median for chief executives of a single public institution, which is $225,454.Interim Manoa Chancellor Deane Neubauer, who is also the director of the Globalization Research Center, earns $238,800.
This year's Chronicle of Higher Education almanac showed that Hawaii also stands out in the area of minority enrollment.
According to the almanac, 72 percent of college students in Hawaii are minorities. California comes in second at 51 percent.
Hawaii's public university falls right in the middle when it comes to tuition, which at $2,965 remains below the national average of $3,351.
According to the almanac, which based its data from 1998-1999 academic year, UH-Manoa full professors' salaries lagged slightly behind the national average, part of the impetus for the 13-day strike in April. UH full professors make an average $77,989, the survey said.
However, when all faculty ranks (professor, associate professor and assistant professor) are considered together, annual salaries are about $2,100 above the national average.
Hawaii was one of 21 states that increased faculty salaries at rates above the projected rise in the national cost of living, the almanac shows.
Average UH community college faculty salaries -- $47,317 -- edged past the national average by $32.
Dobelle has said one of his main priorities is raising faculty salaries to effectively recruit and retain faculty.
Ka Leo O Hawaii
University of Hawaii
Evan Dobelle has begun making his rounds at the state Legislature. Dobelle discusses
plans with lawmakersBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comThe University of Hawaii president, who understands legislative support will be key to many of his plans for the UH system, is expected to meet today with leadership of the state House.
"It's more of a want-to-get-to-know-you kind of thing, and for him to be there to answer any questions people might have," said House Higher Education Chairman Roy Takumi (D, Waipahu).
Dobelle met with House Republicans yesterday, who came away from the two-hour meeting positive about what he brings to the university.
House Minority Leader Galen Fox (R, Waikiki) said Dobelle talked about the overall change in the responsibility of the university president.
The job is different than it was under retired UH President Kenneth P. Mortimer and is now more tailored to serving the whole community, Fox said.
"I think his whole style is to bring people in, and to get them working together and have them understand what the university is trying to do for the community and what it needs in the way of resources," Fox said.
State Rep. Guy Ontai (R, Mililani) said he was impressed with Dobelle, who elaborated on his recent public statements such as building a four-year campus on Maui and a new football stadium in Kapolei with hopes of football membership in the PAC-10 and hosting a championship.
For example, Dobelle said the Maui campus makes sense with regard to competition, if nothing else but to prevent any big mainland university from opening campuses on the neighbor islands.
Ontai, whose daughter is a UH-Manoa freshman, likes Dobelle's optimism and wants to work with him.
Takumi said legislators want to know more about Dobelle's initiatives, especially since he has said he will not seek additional funding this next legislative session.
Such optimism must be tempered with the reality that UH will need more money for unexpected expenses, Takumi said.
For example, he said, Leeward Community College needs between $2 million and $3 million in infrastructure funds to fix second-floor coral railings that are cracking. Takumi said that is a health and safety issue that must be addressed.
Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes
Legislature Bills
