UH president in hot seat
for not producing fundsDobelle has vowed to raise $150M
for a new medical school
State senators grilled University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle yesterday over his lack of progress in raising millions of dollars for the medical school under construction in Kakaako and for renovations to College Hill, the president's home.
Dobelle went before the Senate Ways and Means Committee to present the university's supplemental budget request, but Sen. Donna Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Halawa) was more interested in his pledge to raise $150 million in private money to match state spending for the new $300 million medical school.
Dobelle responded that he has finalized a fund-raising plan, but "we haven't asked anybody yet."
He told lawmakers that he is confident he will raise the money and is hoping to get $50 million from the federal government.
Dobelle said the $150 million that the state put up for the first phase of the project is paying for construction of the research building and the education/administration building.
He said private money will be used for construction of the Pacific Biomedical Research Center, for which a site on the 10-acre lot has not been selected.
When Sen. Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Hawaii Kai) asked Dobelle what would happen if he is not able to raise $150 million in private funding, Dobelle responded, "My testimony is clear."
Dobelle has said not raising the $150 million is not an option. In written testimony Dobelle submitted to state lawmakers yesterday, he said, "We are continuing to pursue funding for a re-siting of the Cancer Research Center, focusing on public-private partnerships."
When Kim asked Dobelle about his pledge to raise private money to pay for the $1 million worth of renovations to College Hill, Dobelle said it was not a pledge, but a response to a reporter's question on the cost of the renovations.
When Kim pressed him, Dobelle said he has committed to raise the money.
Dobelle said he has been able to raise $50,000 to pay for work to address termites and for some rewiring. But he said he has an easier time raising money for the scholarships.