New evaluation
of Dobelle startsIt is uncertain if the UH regents
will make their review public
Just a week after saying that last year's contentious and secret evaluation of University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle was complete, UH regents carefully began the process to evaluate Dobelle's performance this year.
Regents created a task force yesterday to gather information for the evaluation. Regent Kitty Lagareta, chairwoman of the board's personnel committee, said the regents will likely hire one or more consultants.
The board will also hire an attorney to advise it on the evaluation.
The cost of the consultants and attorney has not been determined, but Lagareta said, "Given the importance of the task, I believe the funds would be well spent."
Dobelle, who was at yesterday's meeting, noted that fund raising and student applications are up, that the medical school has broken ground and there have been no further tuition increases.
"I'm very pleased to have people review it (his performance)," Dobelle said. "I have, since the day I've gotten here, been all about openness and transparency, and as long as it's done in that way, I am happy to have anybody and everybody comment on my performance."
Regents Lagareta, Byron Bender, Jane Tatibouet and Myron Yamasato, and student regent Trent Kakuda were appointed to the task force.
Lagareta said the issue of whether the board takes testimony from people who want to remain confidential is still unresolved, as is the issue of whether the results of the evaluation will be made public.
"Whether we want to, or are able to, release a summary of our evaluation to the public once the evaluation process is complete is an issue we should decide upon consultation with the president," Lagareta said.
Last year's evaluation, which is apparently critical of Dobelle, is being kept secret. The sometimes-combative evaluation process also created a rift between the board and the president.
The Star-Bulletin and other news organizations have asked the state Office of Information Practices for an opinion on whether the evaluation should be made public. That opinion may come as early as next month.
On Wednesday, OIP issued an opinion on the evaluation process. In a letter to the regents, OIP said the personnel committee of the regents did not give adequate public notice of the meeting to evaluate Dobelle, improperly amended its agenda, and denied Dobelle the right to open the process to the public during executive-session meetings last summer.
Dobelle said the OIP letter shows the evaluation process was unfair to him.
Lagareta said the regents acted on advice of their legal counsel and are determined to conduct this year's evaluation in as open a manner as possible.
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Hiring of 2 UH officials OK’d
The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved the hiring of an aquarium director and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UH-Manoa yesterday.
Andrew Rossiter, senior research scientist and deputy chief of the aquarium section at Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatsu, Japan, has been selected as the director of the Waikiki Aquarium, replacing Bruce Carlson, who left in April 2002.
The aquarium, in Kapiolani Park, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. It is the third-oldest in the United States and is administered by the UH-Manoa.
Rossiter's appointment will be effective Monday, but he hasn't arrived in Hawaii yet because of visa delays, said UH-Manoa Chancellor Peter Englert.
Neal Smatresk, dean of the College of Science at the University of Texas at Arlington, was selected as vice chancellor of academic affairs at UH-Manoa.
The vice chancellor is the chief deputy to Englert and is in charge of academic programs at UH-Manoa.
Former Kamehameha Schools Chancellor and Chief Executive Hamilton McCubbin was one of four finalists for the vice chancellor job.
Smatresk's appointment will be effective May 20.
The aquarium director's salary is under $100,000 and the vice chancellor makes under $200,000, said UH-Manoa spokesman Jim Manke.
