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