By

POSTED: Friday, December 19, 2008
                       

This story has been corrected. See below.

The next president of the University of Hawaii will make between $450,000 and $550,000 a year, plus an expense account, housing at College Hill and a car allowance, according to salary guidelines approved yesterday by the Board of Regents.

Current UH President David McClain, who is stepping down in July, makes $414,096 — below last year's $427,400 median salary for public university presidents as reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“;The job (university president) is becoming more complex,”; said board chairman Allan Landon. “;We will all be mindful that we will be using some public money (for the salary) in a prudent manner.”;

The regents also approved the hiring of search firm Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates to assist in finding a new president.

The company offered to limit its fees to $100,000 plus expenses, said search advisory committee chairwoman Donna Tanoue. Tanoue said the normal fee for an executive search firm is one-third of the first year's salary for the hire.

Tanoue said search firms recommended that the board set a salary range early to attract the best possible candidates.

The board, meeting at Honolulu Community College, also approved spending up to $700,000 for repairs at College Hill, the UH president's Manoa residence, before the new president takes office.

The search advisory committee also composed draft guidelines for goals and selection criteria for the next president. The goals include improving access to higher education and graduation rates, furthering native Hawaiian educational success, and fundraising.

The selection criteria also includes finding an effective leader to position the university nationally and internationally, and having “;an appreciation for the role intercollegiate athletics play in building public support for the university.”;

Tanoue asked for suggestions from the regents and said the committee will hold public hearings on the selection criteria.

The regents met yesterday for the first time since a Dec. 4 state Supreme Court ruling that forced six so-called holdover regents off the board. The six regents' terms expired on June 30, but Gov. Linda Lingle announced she was keeping them on the board. The court ruled against Lingle's move.

Kitty Lagareta, one of the regents forced to step down, also has resigned her position on the search advisory committee, it was announced yesterday. She said she was not asked to resign.

Lagareta said she spent the weekend after the court ruling thinking about it and decided “;it just feels like it's time to move on.”;

Landon named Big Island regent Carl Carlson to replace Lagareta on the committee.

After spending an hour behind closed doors discussing the search and the high court ruling, the regents also ratified votes conducted at previous meetings that included the holdover regents. The court ruling put in question the actions of the board since June 30.

The ratified votes included the selection of Landon as chairman and Howard Karr as vice chairman, and items in the October meeting including the UH budget and the acceptance of gifts and contracts.

               

     

 

 

Kawananakoa up for honorary degree         The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved yesterday the awarding of an honorary degree on Abigail Kawananakoa, the great-grandniece of King David Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani.         Kawananakoa is being honored for her support of Hawaiian history, music, hula, language and literature.          UH-West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni noted Kawananakoa, a Campbell Estate heiress, was instrumental in the estate’s donation of land to the state for a UH-West Oahu campus in Kapolei.          Kawananakoa served as the president of the Friends of Iolani Palace for nearly 30 years and established the Abigail K. Kawananakoa Foundation to support the preservation of Hawaiian culture and other charities.          The proposal to award her a degree was also supported by 24 members of the state Senate, both U.S. senators from Hawaii, the Queen’s Medical Center, the Bishop Museum and the Friends of Iolani Palace.                                  ———         Star-Bulletin staff

 

               

     

 

 

CORRECTION         An honorary University of Hawaii West Oahu degree for Abigail Kawananakoa will be awarded at a future date. This article originally reported that it was awarded at graduation ceremonies yesterday.