UH seeks $100M
for buildings

The Board of Regents approves
the request for campus repairs

The University of Hawaii is asking the governor to approve $100 million in construction money to fix aging facilities and address health, safety and code requirements on its 10 campuses.

The university is also seeking about $700,000 in general operating funds to beef up campus security, including $480,000 to hire the equivalent of 16 more campus security officers at UH-Manoa and about $860,000 in construction money for a video surveillance camera system.

As large tuition increases go into effect next year, the university is looking to hire more financial aid administrators and is seeking $6.6 million to convert tuition waivers into cash scholarships.

The requests are part of an additional $187 million in bonds for construction projects and $41.5 million in operating funds approved by the Board of Regents yesterday at a meeting at Kauai Community College. The request now goes to the Governor's Office.

Lawmakers passed a $1.2 billion two-year budget for the UH system during the last session. Next year's request is considered a supplemental budget to address additional costs during the second year of the biennium.

The supplemental operating budget also includes $6.9 million to fund projected increases in utilities costs, $3.6 million to fund native Hawaiian programs, $1.4 million for the development of a college of pharmacy at UH-Hilo and $1 million for a proposed Rapid Response Workforce Development Fund.

In a news release, the university said its budget reflects priorities such as serving native Hawaiians, enhancing security on all campuses and expanding work force development. The projected increase in utilities reflects the recent spike in energy prices.

In other action, the regents approved the establishment of an Associate in Arts in Teaching degree at Leeward Community College. The program will prepare students to become educational assistants or allow them to complete the first two years of a baccalaureate program in elementary or secondary education.

"We are pleased to be in a position to address this crucial work force need for the state of Hawaii. And we are doubly pleased at providing more access to local students to enter the teaching profession," said Peter Quigley, chancellor of Leeward Community College, in the news release.