Dobelle stirs Evan Dobelle came to the University of Hawaii because he was interested in the challenge, but after a year on the job, he said he's surprised by just how hard it's been.
optimism in his
first year at UH
Those who work with him express
hope, but are waiting for resultsBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comSome things couldn't be anticipated, such as the Sept. 11 attacks and the economic slump that followed, leading to a 2 percent university budget cut.
On top of that, he's had to rebuild university optimism.
"I didn't realize the morale was so painfully low," he said.
"You can't lead people or inspire people to create ideas about the future if they just feel that nothing can be accomplished -- not only that nothing can be accomplished, but they feel contempt for the people in charge."
But Dobelle has made strides in raising the morale of a faculty that went on strike less than three months before he arrived.
"It's my impression that morale had never been lower in the 35 years I've been here," said Manoa Faculty Senate Chairman Michael Forman. "He's done a great deal to raise it despite this being a difficult year."
Noting that faculty are skeptics by training, Forman describes the attitude on campus as "hopeful skepticism."
"Let's see if he comes through."
This wait-and-see attitude is prevalent among those who welcome the energy and optimism Dobelle has brought to the university but are waiting for the follow-through.
Dobelle's timetable produces results, such as the completion of the Kakaako Health and Wellness Center within three years. "It takes 12 to 18 months to turn these things and then another 12 to 18 months to see the results you want to see," he said.
Student body president Mike Dahilig wants to see the details of Dobelle's ideas, but with a happier faculty and a winning year for UH athletics, "the attitude on campus has been upbeat and really positive and you can kind of feel the energy."
He just wonders how long the enthusiasm can be sustained without results to back it up.
Dobelle has won the faculty's praise by pledging, among other things, to raise salaries to at least the national median. Yet he has raised eyebrows by importing former mainland colleagues, paying them some of the highest salaries in the system: $227,000 for chief financial officer Wick Sloane; $184,000 for press secretary Paul Costello; and $105,000 for executive assistant Prescott Stewart. Sloane's wife, Betsy, who was part of Dobelle's administration at Trinity, is president of the independent UH Foundation.
UH Regent Billy Bergin, whose term ends today, said, "As outgoing chairman of budget and long-range planning, my personal concerns are probably primarily focused on affordability, as well as the qualifications, and it is my belief as a third-generation business professional in Hawaii that Hawaii shares with the rest of America a tremendous body of human resource talents at all levels."
He worries the university will not be able to continue to pay salaries at this level. He also expressed concern over Dobelle's plan to offset the cost of the new administrative position, including a new Manoa chancellor's office, by cutting the existing administration.
Senate Education Chairman Norman Sakamoto said he thinks higher salaries are positive, but "with the economy still as it is, I'm concerned about where those dollars (are going to come from)."
Sakamoto said that grade-wise, he'd give Dobelle a B. His ideas and optimism are good, but "following through, finishing the assignment is still yet to be determined, but he certainly has raised the energy level at the university system."
Bergin said Dobelle has demonstrated his role as a visionary, and he is optimistic that he can execute many of its plans. "I think that one must look at his broad array of ideas, projects, plans and missions and categorize them by practicality, doability, so to speak."
As a regent emeritus, Bergin said he will pay close attention to how the recently approved strategic plan is implemented, especially for the community colleges. He said it is important for the community colleges to continue providing access to postsecondary education for people in rural areas and those not ready to step into a baccalaureate institution.
When asked about the regents' relationship with Dobelle, Bergin responded, "I would say that the regents have been very accommodating, largely due to the leadership of Chairman (Allan) Ikawa, who is noted for his patience and accommodation of issues and people."
Ikawa declined to comment because the regents are in the process of evaluating Dobelle.
Lawmakers are reserving judgment until they see the university's budget in December. House Higher Education Chairman Roy Takumi pointed out that Dobelle stuck to his word and did not ask for any additional funds in the past legislative session, so his "hunch is he's going to make up for that in the coming year."
It would be better to evaluate Dobelle in a year in which he did request funding, Takumi said.
Legislators are particularly interested in whether Dobelle can raise $150 million for the Health and Wellness Center in Kakaako, Takumi said.
Dobelle's proactive approach helped persuade lawmakers to approve funding for the other $150 million during the post-Sept. 11 special session. The Kakaako project was part of a $700 million capital improvement package put forward by the university.
"I think for the university to come in with the CIP request when we met in special session, that caused some of us to shake our heads," Takumi said, adding that the session was called to address needs like unemployment benefits and welfare.
However, he added that Dobelle had the support of the governor, who has historically pushed construction projects as an economic stimulus.
Cayetano's evaluation of Dobelle's first year: "Under the circumstances, I think Dobelle is doing a fine job. I think he will take UH to a higher level."
The regents' approval of the strategic plan at their last meeting will allow Dobelle to begin restructuring, and take action on the letters he sent out on Dec. 16, which put all 216 executive and managerial employees on one-year notice.
Takumi said this kind of change generally comes with a new administration, but it did little to boost morale. "To kind of keep everyone on pins and needles for a year, that's tough for some people," he said.
Dobelle said he made similar moves at the last two universities he led, making cuts at the City College of San Francisco and adding positions at Trinity.
"I don't know which way it will go here and I'd like to hope that no one loses their job," he said. "Obviously the vast majority of these folks are academic administrators who have tenure, so they don't lose a job, they go back to the faculty, at certainly less salary."
In the next month, he plans to meet with senior staff so that he can rescind letters to the "stars." The senior staff has been instructed not to "give me the B-pluses and A-minuses, give me the stars, so everyone will go, 'now I understand what he's talking about' and other people will try to comprehend why they are the stars."
Dobelle said he regrets that the letters caused tension, but that part of the frustration is that he upended the way that business is done at the university by bringing faculty and students into the strategic planning process that administrators will implement.
"What they're used to doing is telling faculty and students what to do," Dobelle said. "I believe in faculty and students and I certainly believe in administrators, but I believe in administrators who implement plans on behalf of faculty and students, not who dominate institutions."
Dobelle brushes off criticism of his actions.
"People, if they can't find anything else to criticize, they feel an obligation to say something because not everybody can be perfect, and I'm certainly not perfect and they can't figure out what I'm not perfect at," he said.
But he feels validated by the recognition he has received. "People care passionately about the university. What they say to me is, 'Don't give up, don't give in, don't let them get you down.' I don't even know who they are," he said.
"There is a certain culture here where somehow things don't happen, and people in this state want things to happen and they want this university to happen into a great system, so I feel validated every day."
University of Hawaii
