Dobelle backs off
West OahuThe UH president says he
will not ask for state funding
for the campus this year
University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle said he is not going to ask the state Legislature for money to build a UH-West Oahu campus in Kapolei until there is a "critical mass of support" for the future development of the institution.
"I don't need to impose on the resources of the state this year," Dobelle said yesterday.
The Board of Regents is reviewing the current development plan for UH-West Oahu, which calls for eventually building a $364 million campus on 500 acres to serve 7,600 students. Construction costs for the first four buildings are estimated at about $85 million.
Dobelle said he is "excited" about the opportunity to reach a consensus with the board and other constituents.
Board Chairwoman Patricia Lee said the regents are trying to schedule a full-day meeting to review plans for the future of UH-West Oahu, the development of the campus and how to pay for it. She said the board may look at locations other than the current 500-acre site next to the Kapolei Golf Course.
"We want to take a broader perspective and consider all the options," she said.
At previous meetings, regents have raised concerns about the cost of the project, maintenance and other expenses for the new campus and whether it will take away resources and students from existing campuses. The regents have also asked the university administration to look into whether a private developer could build UH-West Oahu in exchange for future development rights rather than have the state pay for the full cost of construction.
Lee said it is clear that the portable classrooms at Leeward Community College, the current location of UH-West Oahu, are not sufficient.
"We have something in the short range or intermediate stage to improve what they have now," Lee said. "I think that's why we would like to sit down and take a look at the entire picture."
Dobelle said he believes the first phase of a UH-West Oahu campus could be built by 2007 and "should be good for 10 years."
"The market will decide if the rest of the campus will be built," he added.
Dobelle said the mission of UH-West Oahu is to provide affordable and accessible education. He said UH-Manoa and UH-West Oahu can complement each other and may share some administrative functions.
As West Oahu's population grows, Dobelle said more students may want to get their undergraduate degrees there. That could free classroom and dorm space at Manoa and improve the quality of education at both schools, he said.
Dobelle expressed caution about changing the location for the campus, which was chosen in 2002 by the previous Board of Regents. Since then, seven new regents have been appointed to the board.
"To me to change it means either it's politics or there's a better idea, and I'm always for a better idea," Dobelle said.
There is $6 million left in an appropriation for the final design of a campus. Dobelle said that money will not be spent until there is agreement on what kind of campus should be built, where it should be and a widely understood mission for UH-West Oahu.
However, state Sen. Cal Kawamoto, a strong supporter of a permanent UH-West Oahu campus, said he is introducing a bill that provides $85 million to build the first phase of the university.
"It's about time we did something. We've waited too long," Kawamoto said. If the regents do not see the need for UH-West Oahu, "their vision is suspect," he said.