UH aims to hit The Board of Regents got their first glimpse yesterday at a strategic plan that aims to bring the University of Hawaii system into the top tier of universities nationwide by 2010.
top by 2010
But the strategic plan calls for
No layoffs planned for UH admin
hundreds of millions in funding
By Craig Gima
cgima@starbulletin.comBut the improvements won't come cheap.
An additional $216 million in spending is proposed over the next two fiscal years. Among other things, the money would go to faculty pay raises, replacing outdated computer systems and to hire the equivalent of 628 full-time positions, including faculty for new initiatives and support staff for researchers and students.
The university is also asking for more than $660 million for construction and deferred maintenance on existing buildings over the two-year budget cycle. The construction projects include $171 million for the construction of the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus, $69 million for a new Computer Sciences, Film and Information Technology complex on the Manoa campus, and $1.4 million for land acquisition and planning for a new Culinary Academy at the old Cannon Club on the slopes of Diamond Head.
"We're asking people who have been saying we want the university to be a center of excellence to stand up with us and provide us the resources we need to do the job," said Paul Costello, university vice president for external affairs and university relations.
"The university is a major part of diversification of the economy. It produces great returns," he said.
The regents must still approve the strategic plan and the budget at their meeting next week on Kauai.
Regent Everett Dowling said he was impressed by yesterday's presentation, and he believes most of the board is in favor of the plan.
"We have a target now," he said. "We just have to figure out how to finance it."
The regents will also discuss how much money will be needed from the state's general fund and construction budgets. That request would have to be reviewed by the new administration of Gov.-elect Linda Lingle and approved by the Legislature.
The university system's current annual budget is a little more than $1 billion. About half of it comes from state funds.
"We're walking into this optimistically presenting the best case," Costello said. "We'll come against the reality of revenue."
J.R.W. "Wick" Sloane, the university's chief financial officer, said taxpayers will not have to pay for all of the increased funding. Some of it may come from research and other grants, the University of Hawaii Foundation and from tuition.
Sloane said no additional tuition increases are planned until at least 2006. He said the university will try to increase tuition revenues by increasing enrollment before considering raising tuition.
Workshops were held with faculty, students and community members on the different UH campuses to come up with ideas for the strategic plan.
At next week's meeting, the regents will also consider a plan to reorganize the UH administration.
Now that there is a chancellor in charge of UH-Manoa, the plan would allow UH President Evan Dobelle to oversee development of the entire UH system and creates an administrative Office of the President.
Three new positions -- a chief of staff, a vice president for research and a vice president for international education -- would be created.
The community college provosts also would become chancellors and sit on a new Council of Chancellors, which would report to the president.
The $613,000 cost of the reorganization will be offset by savings in not filling vacant administrative positions and other areas, Dobelle said.
Some highlights of the strategic plan for each campus
University of Hawaii-Manoa:
>> Improve libraries.>> Increase salaries to attract and retain top faculty.
>> Reduce $90 million in deferred maintenance on campus.
>> Expand existing programs like teaching, Hawaiian language and environmental science.
Community colleges
>> Have at least 40 percent of public high school graduates attend community colleges.>> Replace tuition waiver program with state-funded tuition assistance program for needy students.
>> Expand programs like health sciences, culinary arts and telecommunications and information technologies.
University of Hawaii-Hilo
>> Increase international student enrollment.>> Expand degree offerings in areas like veterinary technology, forestry and indigenous language and culture.
>> Build programs around the natural resources of the Big Island.
University of Hawaii-West Oahu
>> Build the university campus.>> Encourage public service and internships in the broader West Oahu community.
>> Provide international education programs for students.
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Current executives and managers at the University of Hawaii received notices Wednesday night that they will be able to stay in their jobs. No layoffs planned for UH
administrative positions
Star-Bulletin staff
As University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle reorganized his new administration, he sent letters to 206 executive and management employees last year, informing them their positions would not be renewed after Dec. 16 unless they were told otherwise.
Since last year, 20 of the 206 employees converted back to faculty or administrative staff positions, 21 left their positions and two people retired or were terminated.
Now that there is a reorganization plan, Dobelle informed the remaining 163 executive/management employees that their jobs will be renewed.
University of Hawaii
