MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE
University of Hawaii at Manoa Faculty Senate, February 22, 1995
Architecture #205
Presiding: Alison Kay, Chair, Manoa Faculty Senate Executive Committee
Senators Present: Nell Altizer, Belinda Aquino, Rodney Batiza, Byron Bender, Thomas Bopp, James
Cartwright, David Chappell, Virgie Chattergy, Linda Cox, Fred Creager, Michael DíAndrea, Steven Dawson,
Norma Despain, Thelma Diercks, Marilyn Dunlap, Patricia Fryer, Sherie Gusukuma, John Haig, Samuel Haley,
James Heasley, Kathryn Hoffman, Kiyoshi Ikeda, E. Alison Kay, Noel Kent, Adelheid Kuehnle, Barry Labonte,
William Lampe, Christopher Measures, Jane Moulin, Deane Neubauer, Cynthia Ning, Roy Nishimoto, E. Aiko
Oda, Nicholas Ordway, Neva Owens, Joseph Patoskie, Thomas Pearson, Anthony Picard, Thomas Ramsey,
Donald Schmitt, Janice Shoultz, Glenn Teves, Jane Tribble, Alice Tse, Judy Weightman, Rosemarie Woodruff
Senators Absent: Scott Anderson, James Brandon, Sandra Chang, Austin Dias, Anita Gerhard, Richard
Guillory, Sue Hanson, John Hardman, J. Patrick Henry, Nancy Lind, Bert Lum, Ronald Matayoshi, Peter
Nicholson, Robert Paull, Kathryn Patterson, James Silva, John Sinton, Joseph Stanton, Patricia Steinhoff, Jean
Toyama, Roy Wilkens, Melvin Wong
Senators Excused: John Casken, Gaye Chan, Kem Lowry, Margaret Maaka, John Melish, Marian Melish,
Byung Wie
Visitors: President Kenneth P. Mortimer Vice President David Yount, Linda Johnsrud, Ivis Takamiya, David
Lassner, Pat Cooper, Judith Inazu, Duane Stevens, Patricia Steinhoff
Meeting was called to order by at 3:10 PM by Chair Alison Kay.
President Mortimer's Address
The President reported the Governor indicated in January that UH would get a $54 million cut over the next 29
months. However, the President told the Governor that a budget cut of this size was not acceptable and the
President inquired about moving toward declaring financial exigency if the size of the cut was not reduced.
Financial exigency would mean that faculty and staff could be dismissed due to lack of funds.
The Governor responded to the Presidentís concern by reducing the expected cut to $35 million. Thus, $7.2
million is the target reduction in UH budget between now and July 1, and $14.4 million is the target restriction
for the each of the next two years. The President cautioned that these are target restrictions and that the
Governor still needs to cut an additional $47 million dollars in the Stateís spending plans in order to prevent the
expected budget shortfalls. More discussion needs to take place before the Stateís budget is final.
The President said he is reviewing his strategy for reducing spending in the near term. He instituted: 1) a hiring
freeze (the savings going back to the State); 2) a freeze on out-of-state travel; 3) an analysis of the special and
revolving funds to determine what excess can be given back to the State; and 4) an examination of the repairs
and maintenance budget to determine, after all bids are received, which funds are going to be committed and
which are not.
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The President will soon be filing a statement with the Department of Budget & Finance indicating how UH will
cut $14.4 million each year in the next two years. This statement will not include great detail, but will describe
reductions in general categories. In the upcoming months, a budget prioritization process that includes hearings
for all UH units, similar to the those held last year, will occur.
The President indicated that there is some talk at the Legislature about tuition autonomy. However, given that
the Legislature is also responsible for determining how much will be given away in tuition waivers, currently
about $9-10 million a year, the President wants to know more about the relationship between tuition, the UH
Legislative appropriation and financial aid before endorsing anything. The President feels that the Legislature is
sympathetic to the budget situation at UH, but itís clear that positions are no longer an issue. There are lots of
vacant positions, but there is no money to fill them. The BOR wonít support tuition increases because they have
already agreed to raise tuition 5 percent a year for the next five years.
Whatever the specific outcome of the budgeting process, the President will be examining UHís role in serving
various populations across the State. The BOR will not support any decrease in access and, therefore, service
levels will have to be reduced. Class sizes will go up, teaching loads will go up and quality will go down. The
President will be discuss this unavoidable decrease in quality publicly over the next weeks and months.
In response to a question about the returns expected from the early retirement initiative in June, the President
said that the State will take $.25 out every dollar generated by retirements and that the State has already taken
its share. Each position generates about $40,000 and 78 percent of the UH budget is in positions. He further
indicated that the $35 million in cuts is from the ìAî budget and that two-thirds of the cuts will come out of
Manoaís budget.
The President was asked about the repercussions of declaring financial exigency. He feels it is a difficult
situation because generally a third party ends up deciding whether there truly is a lack of operating funds. A
budget shortfall such as this is generally a hard argument to sustain.
David Lassnerís Presentation
The Office of Information Technology has a campus and system wide role. A strategic plan with nine objections
and 35 actions has been developed for the Office with input from faculty and staff. Mr. Lassner reported on the
progress under each objective.
1. Organization Policy & Planning
A reorganization under a senior vice president has taken place and an interim policy on computer and network
access has been developed.
2. Telecommunications
Significant progress has been made on the transmission of intercampus data and video.
3. Space & Facilities
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE/
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MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE
There have been gradual improvement in classroom facilities. However, computer labs are not keeping pace
with student needs.
4. Human Resources
As far as academic and administrative information technology support staff, UH is understaffed relative to
peers, even considering enrollments. Not much progress has been made on this objective.
5. Access to Computer & Information Resources
Currently there are 22,000 users accessing computer services on line and progress has been made in
streamlining access for the entire UH community. However, given the growth in demand expected in the future,
this area may become a bottleneck.
6. Instructional Support
The UHCARL system has been implemented statewide. Significant progress has been made on the development
of INTERNET based course materials. Courses materials for 25 courses can be accessed and 50-55 courses are
run on HITS.
7. Research Support
The Maui High Performance Computing Center is now accessible and there has been a significant increase in
researchers using INTERNET.
8. Administrative Computing
Progress had been made in obtaining accurate administrative information and on streamlining administrative
processes.
9. Public Service
Progress has been made on the library external service program and the Hawaii Education & Research Network.
Chairís Report
Given the lateness of the hour, Chair Kay decided to forego the panel discussion by the SEC on our visits to the
Legislature. Chair Kay indicated she had visited several Legislators and discussed the need to change the
procurement law, the need to appoint BOR members that will be advocates for UHM and the need to fund
improvements to Hamilton Library.
She reported that David Ige was supportive of changing the procurement bill and concerned about the need to
address the Hamilton Library situation. Other legislators have also been supportive on these issues. A long
range plan indicating where UH capital improvement projects rank over a five to ten year period has been
requested by some legislators so to see what projects, including Hamilton, are planned and when they will occur
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE/
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MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE
so that future spending plans can be made. However, David Ige felt that the BOR and the Legislature have been
very supportive of UH and Manoa needs to respond better to the need for distance education. There will not be
sufficient state funds to build a school granting four-year degrees on every island, but the concern for access on
the part of neighbor islands still needs to be addressed.
Patty Fryer and Jim Heasley, with other All Campus Council Faculty Senate Chairs, met with the Governor and
brought up the first two items on the SECís lists of concerns (Regents, procurement, Hamilton Phase III). The
Governor indicated change was coming on the procurement bill and asked Patty to relate examples of specific
problems to him. Patty requests that everyone send her their îhorrorî story so she can bring them to the
Governorís attention.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Linda J. Cox
Secretary
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA FACULTY SENATE/
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