Hawaii-2014-HR105-Introduced

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii system is governed by a single board of regents and consists of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the community colleges, the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

WHEREAS, under Article X, section 6, of the state constitution, the Legislature finds that it is a matter of statewide concern whether the University of Hawaii system should be separated into three systems among the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the community colleges, and the University of Hawaii-West Oahu and the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa was founded in 1907 and is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaii system, and as a destination of choice, students and faculty come from across the nation and the world to take advantage of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's unique research opportunities, diverse community, and nationally-ranked Division I athletics program; and

WHEREAS, as one of only thirty-two institutions nationwide to hold the distinction of being a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research institution, the University of Hawaii at Manoa is ranked in the top thirty public universities in federal research funding for engineering and science, and forty-ninth overall by the National Science Foundation; and

WHEREAS, classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having "very high research activity," the University of Hawaii at Manoa is known for its pioneering research in such fields as oceanography, astronomy, Pacific Islands and Asian area studies, linguistics, cancer research, and genetics; and

WHEREAS, the goals and missions of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as a research university, are different from the community colleges, the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

WHEREAS, in contrast, the community colleges provide open-door access to affordable, high-quality education through a variety of programs from career and technical education to a liberal arts education; and

WHEREAS, the community colleges are already a "system within a system," consisting of seven colleges, including Hawaii Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, Kauai Community College, Leeward Community College, Maui College, and Windward Community College; and

WHEREAS, the community colleges also include educational centers serving Oahu, Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai; and

WHEREAS, the goals and mission of the community college system are different from the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and

WHEREAS, separation of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the community colleges would lead to greater efficiency and better management of the university system overall; and

WHEREAS, such a separation could ultimately require the establishment of three separate university systems, each with its own boards of regents, specifically, one for the University of Hawaii at Manoa, one for the community colleges, and one for the University of Hawaii-West Oahu and the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

WHEREAS, it is envisioned that the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as the State's only research university, will be financially self-sustaining and receive limited state funding; and

WHEREAS, it is likewise envisioned that the community colleges, the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo, as the State's teaching institutions, will continue to be financially supported by state funds; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, that the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii is requested to study the feasibility of separating the University of Hawaii system among the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the community colleges, and the University of Hawaii-West Oahu and the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents is strongly encouraged to retain the services of an independent educational expert to conduct the study; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the members of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the President of the University of Hawaii, the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Vice President for Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, and the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

University of Hawaii

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	105
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII