Regents to offer UH job to McClain

Despite protest, the board votes to begin contract negotiations

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If negotiations go smoothly as expected, a new contract with current interim University of Hawaii President David McClain could be presented to the Board of Regents within a few weeks, Chairwoman Kitty Lagareta said.

The regents voted unanimously yesterday to suspend the national search for a new president to lead the 10-campus 51,000 student system and offer the job to McClain.

Lagareta said the next step is for she and regent Allan Landon, who did not attend yesterday's meeting, to meet with McClain and the university's lawyers to negotiate a new contract.

Lagareta said she did not expect problems over the terms of the deal, noting that McClain has always advocated that other executives at the university be paid about the same as equivalent positions at other public universities.

McClain was not at the meeting yesterday. Carolyn Tanaka, UH vice president for external affairs, said McClain had a previous commitment at a GEAR UP Hawaii meeting, a federal program that encourages low-income students to seek higher education.

McClain did not return a call for comment, but has said that he is open to remaining in the job.

Most of the public testimony at yesterday's meeting urged the board to continue with the search.

"Why the rush?" asked state Sen. Clayton Hee, who told the board that unless there is a search, "we'll never know and we will always wonder" if McClain is the best man for the position.

During a discussion after the public testimony, regents acknowledged concerns that the faculty and students were not fully consulted.

But they said McClain has shown the ability to lead the university through tough decisions and tough times.

Regent Jane Tatibouet said the grass is not always greener outside Hawaii, adding that McClain had proven himself in a crisis during the Oct. 30, 2004, Manoa flood.

Lagareta said in conducting the search, the regents realized that the roles of the university president and the chancellors of the campuses are not well defined.

McClain has started an initiative to sort out what functions belong to the system or should go to the Manoa campus. Lagareta said bringing a new person would set back that process.

The meeting was interrupted briefly by protesters who were against the establishment of a Navy research center at UH.

The protesters, ringing a cow bell and blowing on a kazoo, performed a satirical skit announcing the coronation of Prince Yes, a reference to McClain's recommendation that the regents approve the University Affiliated Research Center.

The regents declared a recess and walked out of the room when the protesters began speaking.

A search committee made up of six regents recommended 11 days ago that the board begin negotiations with McClain, who received an "outstanding" evaluation from the board in July.

In November, McClain had said he would not "actively pursue" the president's job because he couldn't commit to serving a full seven-year term. But he didn't rule out serving a shorter term.

McClain, 59, came to the university in 1991 as a business professor. He was vice president for academic affairs in 2004 when the board dismissed former president Evan Dobelle and named him as interim president.

McClain's current salary is $341,256 a year. The position also includes the use of the College Hill residence in Manoa.