A Demand for Open and Democratic Decision-making
Practices at the University of Hawaii
Issued by the Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition
For more information contact
Professor Michael D’Andrea, UH
(email Michael.dandrea@gmail.com – telephone 391-0508)
Introduction:
One of the important values that we strive to uphold in higher education is the right and
responsibility of students, faculty members, and community stakeholders to have a say in
the decisions that affect their lives. This principle underlies a collective value that is
placed on the right and responsibility of persons in the general community, students, and
faculty members to provide input into academic policy proposals that are initiated by the
University of Hawaii (UH) Board of Regents (BOR) or the UH President.
This right and responsibility is partly reflected in UH BOR Policy statement #4 on page
I-8 of the BOR policy manual that highlights the right of faculty members to provide
input into all new academic policies that may impact their work. This policy states that:
In cases of academic policy proposals that may be initiated by the Regents or
recommended by the President, the President shall decide the manner by which
the advice and full input of duly constituted faculty organizations is obtained, and
prior to final Board action such advice, along with Presidential recommendations,
will be considered.
The UH administrators have recently indicated that the issue of instituting a University
Affiliated Research Center (which is now being referred to as an Applied Research
Laboratory [ARL] by some administrators) may be on the September 27-28, 2007 BOR
agenda for final approval at the Regents’ meeting in Hilo, Hawaii. This action would be
in direct violation of that UH BOR policy that guarantees faculty input into such
proposals as the President of the University of Hawaii has not obtained the advice and
input of all duly constituted faculty organizations who would be impacted by the new
SYSTEM-WIDE proposal prior to final Board action. With this backdrop in mind, the
following demand is presented to the UH BOR:
The Demand:
Whereas the UARC/ARL proposal continues to be promoted by the President of the
University of Hawaii despite the fact that this proposal has been unequivocally
rejected by the student organizations, the UH Manoa Faculty Senate, the faculty
Union, members of the Hawaii State Legislature, and Native Hawaiian groups;
and
Whereas the recent controversy regarding allegations of inappropriate procedures at
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the August UH BOR meeting that promote secrecy and undermine open
distribution of information related to the functioning of the University, an action
that undermines open and democratic discussion of issues related to the UH
budget; and
Whereas some UH Administrators have indicated that the UARC/ARL contract
proposal will probably be placed on the September 27-28, 2007 BOR agenda for
final approval; and
Whereas President David McClain has not followed UH BOR Policy statement #4 that
is presented on page I-8 of the BOR policy manual, which requires him to solicit
advice and full input of duly constituted faculty organizations prior along with
Presidential recommendations prior to final Board action; and
Whereas any final decision of the UH BOR on the proposed UARC or ARL contract
during the September 27-28, 2007 meeting in Hilo, Hawaii would be in violation
of the UH BOR policy statement #4 that is outlined on page I-8 of the BOR policy
manual; and
Whereas, such action would further undermine the rights and responsibility of faculty
members to engage in a more democratic form of decision-making….
We the Faculty members, students, and community members with
the Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition demand that the UH BOR fulfill its
responsibility to ensure that ALL UH BOR policies are followed by all members of our
University Community. We specifically demand that the UH BOR policy that ensures
that no final action will be taken on academic policy proposals, including the
UARC/ARL proposal, until the President has solicited the advice and full input of duly
constituted faculty organizations prior to the BOR making a formal decision on the
UARC/ARL contract.
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