MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Senate Executive Committee for a vote on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, a resolution regarding lack of confidence in the executive performance of Reed Dasenbrock as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on January 20, 2016 with 43 votes in support of approval, 10 votes against approval and 3 abstentions. LACK OF CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION IN REED DASENBROCK AS VCAA OF UH-MĀNOA WHEREAS, UH-Mānoa is the flagship campus of a land-, sea- and space-grant university that requires a fully functioning, effective, and honorable Chief Academic Officer and WASC Commissioner; and WHEREAS, the Mānoa Faculty Senate asserts its right to comment on evaluation of executive performance per RP 1.210 Regents’ Policy on Faculty Involvement in Academic Decision-Making and Academic Policy Development, which specifies in 1.3b.4. that it "is the policy of the university to maintain and strengthen organized and systematic involvement by faculty in academic decision-making and policy development. The duly authorized organization specified by each charter shall have the responsibility to speak for the faculty on academic policy matters such as evaluation of campus faculty and academic administrators;" and WHEREAS, a formal complaint to Interim Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman signed by 22 faculty and staff from 18 different programs was brought forth against VCAA Reed Dasenbrock on April 6, 2015, citing problems with his academic leadership, budgetary decisions, execution of university policies and procedures, and personnel management; and WHEREAS, this complaint refers to specific actions demonstrating his failure to fulfill the position requirements of the VCAA, such as enabling the academic units to accomplish their goals, missions, and objectives at the highest standards of excellence and innovation; ensuring the advancement of the campus' strategic plan; and actively promoting the campus' commitment to diversity and cultural values, to summarize from the VCAA position description; and WHEREAS, these actions were described in subsequent media coverage, as well as the October 26, 2015 letter from complainants to the MFS Committee on Professional Matters that was shared with President David Lassner; and WHEREAS, VCAA Dasenbrock has not “embrace[d] the cultural diversity of the University’s constituencies and become knowledgeable about the islands, its people, and Hawai’i’s role in the international arena,” in accordance with his position description; and UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE 2500 Campus Road • Hawai’i Hall 208 • Honolulu, Hawai’i 96822 Phone: (808) 956-7725 • Fax/Polycom: (808) 956-9813 E-Mail: uhmfs@hawaii.edu • Website: http://www.hawaii.edu/uhmfs/ An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE WHEREAS, these accounts of his actions and behavior include violations of Title VII Gender and Race Discrimination and UH Workplace Non-violence Policy E9.210; and WHEREAS, the record shows that VCAA Dasenbrock has created a hostile campus environment via public threats and insults, lack of respect and civility, hostility, and retaliation against faculty and staff who disagree with his views, and this environment has persisted after the complaint was filed; and WHEREAS, VCAA Dasenbrock is unable to “maintain close and effective working relations and lines of communication with the Board of Regents, University executives and administrators, faculty, staff, students, and formal and informal groups within the University community” as noted in his position description; and WHEREAS, VCAA Dasenbrock is unable to serve as “an appropriate academic liaison to the community; businesses; private individuals; city and county, state, and federal officials and legislators; and educational organizations, commissions, and boards,” as noted in his position description; and WHEREAS, VCAA Dasenbrock has not “provided innovative leadership in the development, design, facilitation, implementation, communication, and assessment of campus plans, initiatives, policies and procedures in academic affairs that result in excellence across the campus,” as required by his position description and as evidenced by the state of many departments across the campus; and WHEREAS, a VCAA limited in interacting with faculty, administratively or otherwise, based on concerns raised from across the campus, cannot effectively fulfill the duties of Chief Academic Officer; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate expresses its lack of confidence in Reed Dasenbrock’s effectiveness as VCAA of the Mānoa Campus; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate expresses a lack of confidence in Reed Dasenbrock’s ability to uphold the standards of UH-Mānoa as a world-class Carnegie Research Extensive University; to guide the campus out of its budgetary and managerial crisis; to provide collegial leadership for faculty seeking resolution on academic and personnel matters; and to serve as a credible agent of our campus; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate asks that Reed Dasenbrock be immediately removed from the position of VCAA of the Mānoa Campus. Supporting Documents: 1. Faculty complaint to Interim Chancellor (IC) dated April 6, 2015 [PDF] UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE 2500 Campus Road • Hawai’i Hall 208 • Honolulu, Hawai’i 96822 Phone: (808) 956-7725 • Fax/Polycom: (808) 956-9813 E-Mail: uhmfs@hawaii.edu • Website: http://www.hawaii.edu/uhmfs/ An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE 2. Letter to CPM to request appeal of IC's decision, October 26, 2015 [PDF] 3. Committee on Professional Matters 2015 Fall Report dated December 10, 2015. [PDF] 4. Top UH Mānoa administrator accused of bullying, sexism, Hawaii News Now, May 8, 2015 http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29020704/exclusive-top-uh-manoa-administrator-accused-of-bullying sexism 5. Administrative malfeasance is wounding the UH we all love, Honolulu Star Advertiser, May 28, 2015 [PDF] 6. Transcript of Dasenbrock's meeting with faculty, Dec. 2, 2013 [PDF] 7. RP 1.210 Regents’ Policy on Faculty Involvement in Academic Decision-Making and Academic Policy Development https://www.hawaii.edu/policy/?action=viewPolicy&policySection=Rp&policyChapter=1&policyNumber=210 8. E9.210 UH Executive Policy on Workplace Non-violence, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/ovcaa/initiatives/leadership/pdf/Session4_UHExecutivePolicyE9210.pdf 9. UH M1.100 Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action Policy http://manoa.hawaii.edu/policies/m1.000general/index.html 10. EEOC Harassment Criteria for violation of Title VII http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/harassment.cfm 11. EEOC prohibited practices http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/index.cfm 12. VCAA Job Description [PDF] UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE 2500 Campus Road • Hawai’i Hall 208 • Honolulu, Hawai’i 96822 Phone: (808) 956-7725 • Fax/Polycom: (808) 956-9813 E-Mail: uhmfs@hawaii.edu • Website: http://www.hawaii.edu/uhmfs/ An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution