It’s time for UH Manoa to Honor their Commitments to Faculty Members. UHPA Prohibited Practice Filed

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On December 21, UHPA filed a prohibited practice charge with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board charging Natural Science Interim Dean Kumashiro with unilaterally and improperly canceling agreements contained within letters of hire and supplemental terms of service for department chairs. This is an important case to protect the rights of faculty in advancing the ability of UHPA to bargain and enforce letters of hire and the conditions set forth within.

A promise broken

In the case of Dr. Kevin Bennett, UH Manoa Biology, his letter of hire provided for a UH purchase of an MRI. Approval to purchase was granted as was the appropriate facility construction for the equipment. Within a few weeks of being appointed, Interim Dean Kumashiro notified Dr. Bennett that she would not allow the purchase of the equipment. While she had the funds, they would be used for other projects. This has significantly impacted the ability of Dr. Bennett to continue his academic work and research.

Questionable removal of dept chair

Dr. Kathleen Cole was department chair of the Biology Department. She was removed by Interim Dean Kumashiro which UHPA believes was due to her advocacy for Dr. Bennett along with expressing Biology faculty and student needs regarding a new facility on the Manoa campus–Snyder Prime. Upon her removal as department chair, a supplemental agreement, executed in 2014 for research support while department chair, was retracted leaving three graduate students and Dr. Cole without the funding to continue her academic work and research.

Download the filed Prohibited Practice Complaint PDF

New Grants Available for Higher Education

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The Office of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz would like to notify you about the following federal grant opportunities.

For more information, click the link below each listing, visit GRANTS.GOV, or call the Program Management Office at 1-800-518-4726.

Arts and Humanities

National Archives and Records Administration
Project/Program: State Board Programming Grants

Description: The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seek proposals that strengthen the nation’s archival network through activities undertaken by state historical records advisory boards (SHRABs). The purpose of this grant program is to assist state boards to enhance access to historical records, increase citizen engagement with records, and provide learning and development opportunities for students, citizens and professional archivists. The Commission will award grants to State Historical Records Advisory Boards to: Provide educational and outreach programs, workshops, and other activities that enhance citizen and student engagement with historical records, Operate state-based regrant and scholarship programs that advance access to historical records, Collaborate on projects with other organizations to address common problems or shared opportunities within a state or among a consortium of state archives, and Hold or participate in meetings and public forums on statewide or national archival issues.

Eligibility: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, State governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Current Closing Date: Jun 15, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding: $650,000

Award Ceiling: $80,000

Award Floor: $0

CFDA Number: 89.003 — National Historical Publications and Records Grants

For more information, go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280200


National Archives and Records Administration
Project/Program: Publishing Historical Records in Documentary Editions

Description: The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals to publish documentary editions of historical records. Projects may focus on the papers of major figures from American history or cover broad historical movements in politics, military, business, social reform, the arts, and other aspects of the national experience. The historical value of the records and their expected usefulness to broad audiences must justify the costs of the project. The goal of this program is to provide access to, and editorial context for, the historical documents and records that tell the American story. The NHPRC encourages projects, whenever possible and appropriate, to provide access to these materials in a free and open online environment, without precluding other forms of publication. Applicants should demonstrate familiarity with the best practices recommended by the Association for Documentary Editing or the Modern Language Association Committee on Scholarly Editions. Projects may also prepare print editions as part of their overall publishing plan. However, projects that do not have definitive plans for digital dissemination and preservation in place at the time of application will not be considered.

Eligibility:  Private institutions of higher education, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, State governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, City or township governments, County governments.

Current Closing Date: Jun 15, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding: $2,500,000

Award Ceiling: $200,000

Award Floor: $0

CFDA Number: 89.003 — National Historical Publications and Records Grants

For more information, go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280201


National Archive and Records Administration
Project/Program: National Archives and Records Administration Access to Historical Records Grant

Description: The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals that promote the preservation and use of historical records collections to broaden understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. This grant program is designed to support archival repositories in preserving and processing primary source materials. The program emphasizes the creation of online tools that facilitate the public discovery of historical records. The Commission looks to fund projects that undertake one or more of the following activities: Preservation, arrangement, and online description of historical records in all formats, Digital preservation of electronic records and unstable audio or moving image formats. After completing arrangement and description activities, applicants may also propose to digitize materials to provide online access to collections.

Eligibility: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, City or township governments, County governments, Public and State controlled, institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, State governments

Current Closing Date: June 15, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,000,000

Award Ceiling: $200,000

Award Floor: $0

CFDA Number: 89.003 — National Historical Publications and Records Grants

For more information, go to:http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-
opportunity.html?oppId=280217


National Archives and Records Administration
Project/Program: National Archives and Records Administration Publishing Historical Records in Documentary Editions Grant

Description: The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals to publish documentary editions of historical records. Projects may focus on the papers of major figures from American history or cover broad historical movements in politics, military, business, social reform, the arts, and other aspects of the national experience. The historical value of the records and their expected usefulness to broad audiences must justify the costs of the project. The goal of this program is to provide access to, and editorial context for, the historical documents and records that tell the American story. The NHPRC encourages projects, whenever possible and appropriate, to provide access to these materials in a free and open online environment, without precluding other forms of publication. Applicants should demonstrate familiarity with the best practices recommended by the Association for Documentary Editing or the Modern Language Association Committee on Scholarly Editions. Projects may also prepare print editions as part of their overall publishing plan. However, projects that do not have definitive plans for digital dissemination and preservation in place at the time of application will not be considered

Eligibility: Private institutions of higher education, County governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, City or township governments

Current Closing Date: Oct 6, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding:  $2,500,000

Award Ceiling: $200,000

Award Floor: $0

CFDA Number: 89.003 — National Historical Publications and Records Grants

For more information, go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280202


National Endowment for the Humanities
Project/Program: Public Scholar Program Grant

Description: The Public Scholar Program supports well-researched books in the humanities intended to reach a broad readership. Although humanities scholarship can be specialized, the humanities also strive to engage broad audiences in exploring subjects of general interest. They seek to deepen our understanding of the human condition as well as current conditions and contemporary problems. The Public Scholar Program aims to encourage scholarship that will be of broad interest and have lasting impact. Such scholarship might present a narrative history, tell the stories of important individuals, analyze significant texts, provide a synthesis of ideas, revive interest in a neglected subject, or examine the latest thinking on a topic. Books supported by this program must be grounded in humanities research and scholarship. They must address significant humanities themes likely to be of broad interest and must be written in a readily accessible style. Making use of primary and/or secondary sources, they should open up important and appealing subjects for a wide audience. The challenge is to make sense of a significant topic in a way that will appeal to general readers. Applications to write books directed primarily to scholars are not appropriate for this program
Eligibility: Individuals

Current Closing Date: Feb 2, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding: N/A

Award Ceiling: $50,400

Award Floor: $25,200 

CFDA Number: 45.160 — Promotion of the Humanities Fellowships and Stipends

For more information, go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280251


National Endowment for the Humanities
Project/Program: Digital Humanities Implementation Grants

Description: The Digital Humanities Implementation Grants program awards substantial grants to support the implementation of experimental projects that have successfully completed a start-up phase and demonstrated their value to the humanities. Such projects might enhance our understanding of central problems in the humanities, raise new questions in the humanities, or develop new digital applications and approaches for use in the humanities. The program can support innovative digital humanities projects that address multiple audiences, including scholars, teachers, librarians, and the public. Applications from recipients of NEH’s Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants are welcome. Unlike NEH’s Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants program, which emphasizes basic research, prototyping, experimentation, and potential impact, the Digital Humanities Implementation Grants program seeks to identify projects that have successfully completed their start-up phase and are well positioned to have a major impact. Proposals are welcome for digital initiatives in any area of the humanities.

Eligibility: State governments, Private institutions of higher education, County governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, City or township governments, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

Current Closing Date: February 17, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding: N/A

Award Ceiling: $325,000

Award Floor: $100,000

CFDA Number: 45.169 — Promotion of the Humanities Office of Digital Humanities

For more information, go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280266


National Endowment for the Humanities
Project/Program: Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations Grants

Description: This grant program supports projects for general audiences that encourage active engagement with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Many different formats are supported, including permanent and traveling exhibitions, book or film discussion programs, historic site or district interpretations, living history presentations, and other face-to-face programs in public venues. All projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship in disciplines such as history, art history, film studies, literature, religious studies, philosophy, or anthropology. Projects must also demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical (rather than celebratory). The approach to the subject matter must go beyond the mere presentation of factual information to explore its larger significance and stimulate critical thinking. NEH is a national funding agency, so the projects we support must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad general audience.

Eligibility: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, State governments, Private institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, City or township governments, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, County governments

Current Closing Date: Jan 13, 2016

Estimated Total Program Funding: N/A

Award Ceiling: $1,000,000

Award Floor: $1

CFDA Number: 45.164 — Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs

For more information, go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280031

 

 

 

For information, visit GRANTS.GOV, or call the Program Management Office at 1-800-518-4726.

Tenure and Promotion Activity Published

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Thanks to the input and concerns of UHPA members and board members and the cooperation of the UH Office of Human Resources, we have published tenure and promotion activity from 2010-2015.  “Making this data available online is consistent with UHPA’s values of publishing objective data” said Kristeen Hanselman, Executive Director of UHPA, “in our pursuit of making UH a better place to teach, research and serve the community”.  UHPA plans to update this data on an annual basis.

Review Tenure and Promotion Data

Dealing with Today’s Students

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Guest post by Rosiana (Nani) L. Azman, Ph.D.  Associate Professor, Psychology, University of Hawai’i Maui College

I am a teacher. Technically, I’m an Associate Professor of Psychology, and by training, I am an educational psychologist; but if you ask me what I do, my response will most likely be that I am a teacher. I believe in facilitating learning. I do not enjoy professing my supposedly superior knowledge in a subject at students. I believe in interacting with them to help them to learn for themselves.

When I first started teaching, I knew that my students weren’t necessarily going to be like me. I am lucky. I have wonderful, supportive, and encouraging parents. I had a pretty good private school education with amazing teachers who didn’t just teach me what to learn, they taught me how to learn. Add on top of that that I am an overachiever, and it’s pretty safe to say that I was not a typical student. By the time I entered college, I knew that I loved to learn.  A very small percentage of my students are lucky enough to have the kind of background I did. I think a large part of my job is to inspire them, to show them that it’s fun to learn. It’s not too hard in psychology. I can tie anything back to real life, and we have fun.

Parents have the right intention

helicopterparentslargeNow some of my students also had parents and teachers who invested in them. Many of my students are definitely smart.  Their parents and teachers want nothing more than to have these children succeed. These parents and teachers also want to make sure that these students had high self-esteem so that they believe that they can take on anything. They have been closely and carefully watched to ensure that they always succeeded. And most of them do, as long as mom and dad are there to run interference, just in case something starts to go awry. What parents don’t want to protect their children from hurt and failure? Wouldn’t it be great if we could give our children a perfect world in which to live?

But the truth is, we don’t live in a magic bubble.

There is no conceivable way for me to be able to protect my daughter completely and eternally from ever having any hurt or disappointment. It breaks my heart to see her cry from pain, both physical and emotional, and I wish I could magically keep her safe forever.

Trying to protect our kids keeps them from learning about life

I’m pretty sure some of my students’ parents feel the same way I do. They want their children to have a better life than they did, free from cruelty, harm, and failure. Doesn’t that sound nice? But somewhere, at some point, something went wrong. In trying to protect them from all of life’s evils, these students missed learning an invaluable lesson: what to do when life doesn’t go your way.

Many of today’s students don’t know how to fail.

They have no coping skills whatsoever to know how to handle adversity. I’ve had students drop a class because they think they failed the first exam. My tests aren’t easy. They’re application based. They are meant to show how well you understand the material, not how well you can regurgitate that which you have shallowly and temporarily memorized. The ones who disappear after that, I cannot help. The ones who stay learn a crucial lesson.  Many of them finally hear me and actually use all those study tips I’ve been building into the lessons. They change their approach to studying and to learning. I can’t tell you how good it feels when they come back to see me after the semester, sometimes after they’ve graduated, to thank me.  I was even once told that nearly flunking that first exam was the best thing that ever happened to that student, but that’s because he saw the near failure as a learning experience, not as a time to brood in incorrectly perceived defeat.

Like the student I thought took a job to help her family with the bills

I once had a twenty-something-year-old student who emailed me mid way through the semester to say that her mother had been in an accident, and so she would be mostly likely missing some classes.  This was a smart student who seemed to do well on exams and was a pretty strong writer.  I didn’t see this student for three weeks.  I finally got a call, asking if she could come see me during office hours to discuss her hardships.  I was expecting to hear something to the effect that she had to stop going to school because she had to go to work to pay the family’s bills. I was trying to figure out if I could give the student an incomplete and help her to finish up the work after the semester was over.

The student came in, and it was pretty obvious that she was distraught. She started talking about how hard it had been since her mother’s accident. Her mother was essentially on full bed rest and would be for the next couple of months. She kept saying how the extra work she had been doing was just completely exhausting her and how she hasn’t been able to keep up with her schoolwork. I assumed she was referring to the job I thought she had gotten to help pay the family bills and made some comment about how admirable and responsible she was being, taking care of her family.

Until I realized she hadn’t

She gave me a confused look. She hadn’t gotten a job. Her stepdad was paying all the bills for the house and for her family. That’s when I got confused. I asked her what extra work she had to do. She kept saying how it’s just been so hard, how she’s never had to do so much before. Since her mom’s accident, her stepdad has been making her wash the dishes and clean the kitchen after dinner.  Her stepdad was cooking every night after coming home from work and said he was too tired to clean up, too, so he needed her to pitch in.  After all, it was just the three of them in the house, and mom wasn’t allowed to get up.

Until I realized she really meant doing chores

I was still waiting to hear about these hardships.  She continued, so I thought I was going to find out now.  She had also been asked to do the laundry.  When it dawned on me that washing the dishes and doing the laundry were her hardships, I did my absolute best to curb my sarcasm and tried to explain that I had been helping out with the dishes and the family laundry since I was nine. I was then corrected.  Her stepdad did the laundry for his wife and himself. My twenty-something-year-old student was just being asked to do her own laundry. She said her mom kept apologizing that her daughter had to do so much around the house.

Sorry, but chores aren’t hardships

I really wish I was exaggerating right now to make some great point, but this is a true story that made me realize that I should never coddle my daughter. If I try to protect her from all of life’s harms, she may still end up intelligent, but she would be unequipped to handle real life, and she might confuse chores for hardships like this student did.

Having standards makes me mean

I asked my student how doing the dinner dishes and her own laundry had stopped her from coming to my 1:45 class two afternoons a week.  When the student couldn’t give me an answer, I gave her one week to make up all of the missed work, and I told her that I expected to see her in class on time next week, and that she would be expected to keep up with the class from this point forward.  I’m pretty sure she thought I was the meanest teacher in the world, but she managed to finish her course and do a couple of household chores, all in the same semester. As far as I’m concerned, I was probably too nice because dishes and laundry aren’t extenuating circumstances to anyone but that student (and sadly, probably some of her classmates).

Parents, who will do their laundry in the “Real World”?

I’m pretty sure that that student’s mom thought she was doing what was best for her daughter.  She was just trying to take care of her daughter and protect her. She did not realize that she was forgetting to teach her daughter how to handle adversity.  If we all go through school and life thinking that everyone is a winner and that everyone deserves a trophy, regardless of how much we actually tried or did, what is going to happen when an entire class of these students enters the real world and all apply for the same job? They all won’t get the job.  One will, and then his or her reality will be challenged when something else doesn’t go his or her way, a little later on. The rest will run home to mom and dad, who will hopefully send them right back out the door with another job application, maybe after a nice pep talk and a hug.  Other parents will just hug them, tell their grown child that the executives of that company must be incompetent, and then tell their child to go rest, while the parents continue to prepare dinner for the family and do everyone’s laundry.

Senator Schatz Addresses Bias in Letter to NASA

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In a memo issued in March 2013, NASA grant-awarded faculty were surprised to see Hawai’i classified with “foreign destinations” for the purposes of travel approval. Despite a correction issued a year later in March 2014,  lower-level NASA officials continued to restrict approval, asserting to Hawai’i faculty that their travel monies were non-domestic. After hearing from concerned faculty, Senator Schatz wrote to NASA Administrators in an effort to bring awareness to the difficulties which state researchers frequently face; namely, that it can be challenging to overcome stereotypes about Hawai’i in efforts to maximize research opportunities in what happens to also be a popular tourist destination.

In a response dated August 18th, Chief Financial Officer, David Radzanowski clarified the proper procedures and identified points of contact who would be able to assist grantees in remedying the misconception. Now faculty should be able to acquire approval without undue burden. Mahalo Senator Schatz.

Read the Correspondence Between Senator Schatz and NASA Officials

Hiring more Kānaka Maoli faculty

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By David Duffy, UHPA President.

UH has as one of its goals increasing the representation of Native Hawaiians or Kānaka Maoli as faculty in the university

They can serve as role models and add to the breadth of opinions and expertise within disciplines and across campuses. How is this best done?

UH could grow its own, supporting Kānaka Maoli through college, and grad school, but this would be slow

If such students don’t spend time in other institutions as post docs and junior faculty, UH would risk becoming intellectually inbred and insular. On the other hand, if they do leave, they may not return.

One solution is to set up a permanent “scouting system”

An office that tracks promising Kānaka Maoli as they leave the islands, whether as grad students or as newly minted Ph.D.s.  Departments could provide the names, as could the general public.  The office would keep in touch with these individuals through an occasional phone call or some island comfort food sent at the holidays or for birthdays.  The office would talk story with folks: touching on how are things going, what they miss about the islands, and what would allow or tempt them to return.

The scouting would be long term, just following careers and keeping in touch, for decades if needed

It may take a young faculty member up to seven years at a mainland institution to get promoted and receive tenure. Returning to Hawaii and UH during tis time could restart the clock all over, so most will want to stay away until tenure.   The state of Hawaii’s public schools and the high cost of private ones might deter a return once such faculty have kids, unless they could get them into Kamehameha Schools. As their children leave home for college, mainland faculty may be tempted to return to their roots. For younger ones, aging parents may be motivation to return. Or anyone can get tired of a North Dakota winter or a Florida summer.

When departments are hiring, the scouting office would pass along names, resumes, and background information for folks who might match the search

These candidates would then face the same selection process as anyone else.  Similarly the office might identify a distinguished Kānaka Maoli tenured on the mainland, but yearning to come home. The university could then make a special hire. This process could take decades, but over time it would help produce a steady stream of returning Kānaka Maoli faculty.

Another mechanism would be to offer departments a “two-fer”

Say there are two suitable candidates for hire. The department would be allowed to hire both. This would reduce or remove any cryptic reluctance to Kānaka Maoli hires, by removing any perceived risk and motivating departments to carefully consider promising young Kānaka Maoli faculty.
Someone might worry that departments could “game” the system by hiring Kānaka Maoli but not giving them tenure, thus freeing up a space for another hire.  This could be prevented; if a Kānaka Maoli did not get tenure, the slot would disappear or go back to a general pool, rather than remaining with the department.

The present system is largely left to chance

UH needs to invest in a future that may mature over decades, but it needs to begin now.

So you want to run the university like a business? Try making nice to the faculty.

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By David Duffy, UHPA President.

In most businesses, it is elementary that a motivated work force is a productive one

Motivations can be financial, social or even minatory.  Businesses pay well and reward performance with bonuses, pay raises and corner offices. Medals and promotion are the currencies of the military. Unfortunately too many universities seem to be completely gormless when it comes to motivation and reward, beyond tenure and promotion.

I’d like to suggest some simple things that can work to motivate faculty

The easiest of course is money, as businesses have long known. Like everyone else, academics have families and need salaries that keep up with the cost of living.  Universities  may have mechanisms for merit increases, but too often blame the lack of awards  on unions and collective bargaining: “the unions won’t allow it”, often without even reading the faculty contract.

Many universities provide awards in recognition of productivity, teaching excellence and service

UH has all of twelve awards for its ten campuses and three thousand faculty.  Not exactly an inspiring commitment to recognizing excellence.

Even if funds are short, there are ways to reward faculty

Many universities bestow honorary titles like “University”, “Distinguished” or “Regents’” professorships.  Some of these titles are for endowed chairs, but many are not. Some are permanent, some are only of limited tenure. Chairs can be named after distinguished alumni, even if unendowed. Students, and their parents, may feel they are really getting their money’s worth, when taught by a distinguished professor. And when applying for research or other funding, such a title doesn’t hurt faculty, especially when they are up against competitors at institutions that shower titles on their own professors.

Even symbolic acts can be of benefit

At many universities, a senior faculty member, faculty senate president or other acknowledged representative of the faculty is among the leads at academic ceremonies such as graduations. This professor sits in the front row facing the audience.  While deans and directors merit respect, faculty do the teaching and award the degrees, so they merit a place of honor. Of course several thousand can’t sit in the front row but neither should they be consigned to the nose-bleed section behind the podium. It’s just a single seat but it has symbolism.

Closing

Many think that universities should be run more like businesses.  It isn’t always clear that such folks have ever had to make a payroll, but if they have, they should remember that businesses do better when their staff are working with them, not just for them.—David Duffy

Acclaim for JN Musto from UH Maui College

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The UH Maui College Academic Senate honored UHPA Executive Director JN Musto at the May 2, 2015 Board of Directors meeting.  Dr. Nani Azman presented him with a framed and signed resolution recounting his many victories in support of University of Hawai‘i faculty as he negotiated contracts and battled budget cuts across four decades.

The UHMC senate felt the excellence of Dr. Musto’s leadership and wisdom in his thirty-five years of service warranted a formal accolade.

UHMC faculty wish Dr. Musto a heartfelt aloha a hui hou in his retirement.

UHPA Leaders Norman Arancon and Melissa Kirkendall awarded Regents’ Medals for Excellence in Teaching

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Congratulations to UHPA Director and UHH Assoc. Professor Norman Arancon and UHPA Faculty Representative and UHMC Instructor Melissa Kirkendall for winning the Regents’ Medals for Excellence in Teaching!

“It is indeed quite an honor and a blessing to have been recognized this way. I have learned so much from everyone. “, said Arancon

Additional congratulations to all of the other recipients of the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching, the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research, and the Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching!!

UHPA director and UHM Professor Brent Sipes in the News

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Kudos go to Brent Sipes who was on camera in a KITV story “UH professors seeing red over greenhouses” and bringing visibility to a sad renovations project on the Pope greenhouse complex that has become ensnared in delays keeping them out of the facility for over five years now.

We’ve started a thread on Facebook  on this story and invite you to join the conversation!