Directors met with Attorney Jeffrey Piper for an update concerning the compliance of UHPA’s Constitution and By-Laws with the State’s not-for-profit laws. After several meetings with Attorneys Jeff Piper and T. Anthony Gill, which included looking at alternative routes, the Executive Committee has agreed with legal counsel to amend its Constitution and By-Laws. The Constitution will be replaced with Articles of Incorporation and some of the language that was in the Constitution will be merged with the By-Laws. Directors reviewed the drafts that were proposed by Attorney Piper. Since this is a complex undertaking, it has been recommended that the Board of Directors sincerely consider what language they wish included. They plan to discuss this further at their next meeting.
NEA HIGHER EDUCATION DIRECTOR’S REPORT
NEA Director Sally Pestana attended the Spellings’ Commission Northwest Summit in June. Other attendees included President McClain and UH Regent Landon. U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Tucker and three DOE staff members facillitated the meeting.
The Spellings’ Commission Report calls for sweeping changes in the areas of higher education affordability, accessibility and accountability. Positive potential changes include simplification of the FAFSA form, earlier notification to high school students of their FAFSA results and increased federal student financial aid.
Director Pestana raised the troubling issue of using the No Child Left Behind program as a model for increased accountability in higher education. The U.S. DOE staff firmly rebuffed the idea that NCLB will be used as a template. They went on to say that the U.S. DOE has no interest in standardized tests and other facets of NCLB.
Many more details regarding the six regional summits can be found at:
http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/plan/index.html?src=pb
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Mary Tiles reported on the UH Board of Regents’ meeting that was held at UH-West Oahu. The University’s biennium budget showed a $26.4 million increase for the first year and a $27.3 million increase for the second year in its operating funds. Much of the CIP funding went for the UH-West Oahu campus at Kapolei.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Treasurer Ming-BaoYue reported that UHPA is in its ninth month of the fiscal year. Overall the organization has a very good financial standing. She reported the expenses that occurred since they last met. Directors passed a motion to receive the financial report for the fiscal period ending May 31, 2007 and to refer that report to the Finance Committee.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
For the past year, UHPA has sponsored the PBS program that includes the Lehrer News Hour and Charlie Rose. The station has offered a new option beginning in July, which was recommended by the Executive Committee. Directors passed the motion to sponsor PBS Hawaii’s package C that includes the Lehrer News Hour, Charlie Rose, Bill Moyers Journal, The War (re World War II), and Outreach.
To comply with the State’s Insurance Division, Directors passed a resolution that appoints and designates the Insurance Commissioner of Hawaii as the agent to receive service of process or legal insurance documents per Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-7 and designates J. N. Musto as the contact person to whom legal documents or process against the UHPA shall be forwarded by the Insurance Commissioner of Hawaii. The resolution was necessary since UHPA has changed one of its insurance carriers.
President Tiles reported that Alan Hirota of AES Design, the architects working on UHPA’s structural modifications, met with Executive Committee members. He provided an update and reported that it will be another six months before permitting is completed and construction work can start.
Since there were no nominations for the UH-Manoa Social Sciences, Social Work, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Arts and Science constituency and the Board seat remained unfilled, Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Nandita Sharma, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies and Sociology at UH-Manoa, as Director for that constituency until the next annual election.
GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE
Directors met in executive session to consider the report of the Grievance Committee. Chair Michael Mottl presented six tenure denial cases. Directors approved the appeal of all six tenure denial cases to hearing officers. Directors also passed a motion to ask the UHPA staff to prepare a letter to all Chancellors, specifically on the two issues discussed during executive session, informing them of the need to have DPCs and/or TPRCs trained on the tenure review process.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Directors unanimously passed the motion to approve the budget for FY07-08 as presented by the Finance Committee at the May 12, 2007 meeting.
NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
Directors unanimously passed the motion to appoint Dr. Ellen Hoffman as the Faculty Representative for PAU 086 and Daniel Wetter as the Faculty Representative for PAU 015 effective immediately. Their terms as Faculty Representative will end on May 31, 2009.
ILWU
It was announced that the ILWU was having a solidarity rally on June 18 at the Pacific Beach Hotel, whose employees have been negotiating for the last 16 months for their first contract.
