The administration's letter to Jones
Dear June,
We want to assure you that the ability to address your concerns quickly can be accomplished at this time -- the "Manoa Moment" is real and it is now. The community, from the business sector to the government to the Board of Regents and most importantly to all the citizens of our State, has never been more supportive, thanks to the remarkable success of this year's Warriors, and your leadership for the past 9 years.
The Chancellor, President and AD are committed to making change happen that fulfills your vision. We understand and respect your frustration over the years of the slowness, and even absence of change, but this truly is a new time for UH Manoa.
Let us give you some examples of our commitments:
1. Your office renovations are already supported by AKA and will be done quickly via the UH Foundation approach, similar to the approach used by Jay Shidler at the business school, to accomplish a quality project rapidly. Your success and this different approach offer a great window of opportunity that hasn't existed in the past but does now.
2. The overall facilities situation is now more addressable than ever in that the legislature and the community are supporting our efforts. Moreover, facilities repairs are the top priority for the chancellor. This would include, of course, renovation of the football locker room. The AD has already been instructed to initiate replacement of the turf on Cooke field so it can move forward this summer. The legislature is most likely at this moment to remove barriers that have challenged the university, including the football program, in the past.
3. Generating new resources -- efforts are currently underway to manage Aloha Stadium in a different way to generate new resources for the Athletics Department. A different approach is on the table with regard to the licensing opportunities that can definitely be more fully realized for the benefit of athletics.
4. Your team has been a success because of you and your coaches -- so we are committed to reviewing the salaries of your team to ensure they are competitive as well.
5. Recruiting -- additional resources will permit a major expansion of the recruiting budget.
6. Your vision of the Asian connection and its potential to leverage us into greater regional and national prominence is exciting to the chancellor and she wants to work with you on developing that approach. With the expertise and connections at UH Manoa, this is a natural and valuable extension for our campus.
7. Streamlining processes is a passion you share with the chancellor. This is again a time this agenda can be moved forward. One idea she has is an Athletic Board with alumni, faculty, staff and supporters in one body that focuses on the financial, academic, staff issues and considers new approaches so that issues can move forward more quickly and be considered by more minds.
We appreciate the professionalism with which you and Leigh Steinberg have conducted these discussions, and we sincerely believe that by remaining in Hawai'i and fulfilling your vision you will have the opportunity to transform the lives of thousands of student-athletes and create a Paterno-esque legacy known across the nation and around the world.
We realize this decision is a momentous one, and stand ready to elaborate and clarify this commitment, either by phone, email or when you return to Honolulu.
With best wishes and Aloha,
David McClain, President,
University of Hawai'i System
Virginia Hinshaw, Chancellor,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Herman Frazier, Director of Athletics
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
| 
