UH chancellor draws fire
over new housing chiefThe director's lack of experience
worries students and staff
The chancellor of the University of Hawaii's flagship campus has been criticized in recent weeks for firing the director of student housing.
Now, students and faculty members are questioning the chancellor's decision to appoint someone with no residential management experience to the housing position.
"It's extremely arbitrary and capricious," said Jill Nunokawa, a civil rights counselor at the university. "What kind of precedent is this setting at Manoa?"
Darryl Zehner, formerly the director of auxiliary and physical plant services at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, came to UH-Manoa two years ago.
In late September, Chancellor Peter Englert informed Zehner that his contract as housing director for the upcoming year would not be renewed.
For the remainder of his contract, Zehner has been reassigned to another position in which he will be helping to coordinate energy conservation programs on campus, UH spokesman Jim Manke said.
Margit Watts, director of the university's freshman seminar and Rainbow Advantage programs, was named interim housing director late last week.
She acknowledged having no experience with student housing, but said she's excited about her new position.
"I'm not a real property manager," she said. "But I doubt that there's a housing director anywhere in the country who is a Ph.D., who is an author."
The changes come as university officials are scrambling to find enough rooms for a growing number of students living in the dormitories.
Watts said that by next fall, she needs to find an estimated 1,000 more beds for incoming freshmen. That's as the university has already had to accommodate a 17 percent rise in student population over the past three years by putting students in Waikiki hotels and denying some on-island undergraduates university housing altogether.
Englert declined to say why Zehner was fired. Zehner could not be reached for comment.
Manke said there's a movement forming in support of Zehner's termination. He said Englert has been flooded by e-mails from people who agree with his decision.
But many of Zehner's supporters say that despite problems in the dormitories that include maintenance and policy concerns, there was no valid reason to remove Zehner.
They also say the move has prompted some student support managers to worry about the security of their own jobs.
"Everyone's stunned," said Amy Agbayani, director of the university's student equity, excellence and diversity office. "Morale is not very good."
