Faculty and Students Tell BOR “You Need to Listen!”

On October 15th, a number of student and faculty spoke eloquently about the impact on student learning and need to keep good faculty at UH. A message to the BOR that “you do not have your hand on the pulse” of students or faculty was sent with a request that the BOR do three things: In November, significant time should be set aside to listen to the UH community; the BOR should declare there will be no retrenchment; and the BOR and administration should lobby with faculty and students to restore UH funding to 07-08 levels. Click on the title to see UH Manoa Professor Jonathan Osorio’s remarks to the BOR.

Professor Jonathan Osorio's Remarks to the BOR:

Our concerns:

That past, present and perhaps future cuts to the operation of this university will lead to a permanent reduction of its stature in the academic community.

That the authoritarian and unilateral handling of this budget crisis by our administration, in the form of a single last, best, final offer, clearly signals that faculty will be minimally consulted if the university adopts a plan to retrench.

That any process of retrenchment, which does not fully involve faculty will simply fail to protect the unique character and academic strengths of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, while stranding undergraduates and graduate students.

That the response of the administration and the silence of the Board of Regents to the budget cuts signals an unwillingness to publicly advocate for this university's support in these difficult times, advocacy thus being shouldered at this point, by faculty and students.

That the state's plan to deal with its budget difficulties needlessly cripples public and higher education in Hawaii, and that these institutions, more than any other are necessary for the present and future livelihood of our people.

Our proposed remedies:

• That the Board of Regents (BOR) set aside time/day to listen.
• That the BOR declare that there will be no retrenchment.
• That the BOR and the administration join with faculty and students to pressure the legislature and the governor to restore UH funding to 07-08 levels.