UH-Manoa chancellor In stark contrast to the secret selection process that brought Evan Dobelle to the University of Hawaii, the two final candidates for the Manoa chancellor position spent two days last week meeting with an assortment of potential constituents.
candidates face public
Evan Dobelle listens to comments
from the community and hopes
to make his pick soonBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comLynn Jelinski, president of an academic consulting firm, and Peter Englert, pro vice chancellor and dean of science, architecture and design at Victoria University in New Zealand, had private meetings with student and faculty governance groups, administrators and community members and gave public presentations that are also available on the university's Web site (www.uhm. hawaii.edu) along with their credentials.
While Dobelle was not confirmed as a candidate until his appointment was approved by the UH regents, chancellors at the UH-West Oahu and Hilo campuses say the finalists at the chancellor level are generally named before one is selected.
UH-West Oahu Chancellor William Pearman said he would expect any serious candidate to be willing to face public scrutiny.
"If you don't want to be identified and if you don't want to come, you're not a real candidate."
For the most part, members of the UH community have appreciated the opportunity to meet the candidates.
John Radcliffe, associate executive director of the UH Professional Assembly, said the open process has been "a fair opportunity to meet students, to meet faculty and to have potential constituents ask questions and have them answered."
"I think Dobelle has been more open and has been more accessible and just plain more faculty-centered than we've had the privilege of having in the past," he said.
The faculty union will not be making recommendations, Radcliffe said.
Dobelle will review comments from UH community members and make a decision as soon as possible, perhaps by time the Board of Regents meets on Thursday and Friday. He said that he would like to be able to inform the faculty by commencement exercises on Sunday.
UH Regent Walter Nunokawa said the board will approve the candidate Dobelle selects.
"That's the president's call and we respect that."
Faced with two candidates with similar profiles as educators and scientific researchers, Dobelle said the decision will be difficult.
It will come down to how he perceives their values and integrity. Dobelle wants a chancellor who is "never going to spin me, the press, the faculty, the Legislature, students, deans," he said.
Dobelle approaches the selection in terms of team-building and finding the right person at the right time. His mission is to "try to determine who is best for the students and who would be best to release the potential of the faculty."
"I'm not looking for a highflier," he said.
University of Hawaii
