Serving the Public as a Life-Long Mission

Professor Susan Chandler with Rep. Takumi

Serving the public is a concept and practice that our legislators live day in and day out. For some, a springboard for launching or strengthening a career in public service means obtaining a Master's of Public Administration degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Public Adminstration Program (PUBA). Benefits of the program, which began in 1984, include not only a relevant curriculum and opportunities to interact with public leaders, but also lasting friendship and career connections with peers. Some notable graduates of PUBA include former Honolulu Fire Department Chief Attilio Leonardi and OHA Trustee Haunani Apoliona, as well as the legislature's own Rep. Roy Takumi (D-36).

PUBA held its alumni and awards event on Thursday, April 21, at UH Manoa's Andrews Amphitheatre. The program awarded its first-ever distinguished alumnus award to Rep. Takumi. Professor David Nixon, Acting Director of PUBA, says Rep. Takumi has "made such a difference in the community."

On being the recipient of the PUBA award, Rep. Takumi jokes, "Did I draw the short straw?"  But humor aside, Rep. Takumi is no stranger to accomplishment, having been awarded the prestigious Flemming Fellowship in 1997, given to emerging political leaders in the country. In 2001, Rep. Takumi received the Eleanor Roosevelt Fellowship for his work in connecting local and global issues. He is the first legislator from Hawaii to receive both of these nationally-recognized awards. Rep. Takumi has been recognized as a leader in education reform and received the Legislator of the Year award in 2004 from the Friends of the Library and the Friend of Education award from the University of Hawaii’s College of Education in 2005.

For more information about UH-Manoa's Public Administration Program, please visit puba.hawaii.edu or call 956-8260.

Photos courtesy of Rep. Tom Brower. 

No room for basket weaving

I found a great read from The Chronicle of Higher Education about the different approaches college officials and policy makers nationwide are proposing this year to deal with large budget cuts in higher education. The article, Colleges Press New Ideas as They Brace for Bumpy State-Budget Sessions, mentions several universities that are now pitching to lawmakers ideas that would normally be politically unpopular during better financial times.

They include:

-Merging institutions
-Replacing tenure with 4-year contracts
-Making a public research university private
-Less state regulation
-Capping enrollment
-Cutting state-aid programs (scholarships)
-Reducing the need for faculty by reducing the number of general-education credits required
-Increasing cigarette taxes and using revenue for higher education – revenue discussion

However, some state lawmakers are pushing for more accountability by proposing cuts to underenrolled and redundant programs and basing how much appropriation a school receives on the number of graduating students rather than the number of students enrolled. Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney of Washington summed it up with this quote from the article, "There's no room for basket weaving anymore, anywhere."

Here on the islands, the University of Hawaii, in October, proposed a hiring freeze, electricity conservation and spending cuts to address the projected 4% revenue shortfall. It would be a savings of $30.6 million.

Now that the 2009 Legislative Session is around the corner, the Committee on Finance will be holding an informational briefing with UH officials to discuss their financial plan given the most recent revenue projection, which will be determined by the Council on Revenue this Friday. The info briefing will be on Thursday, January 15, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in conference room 308.

Picture slideshow of Opening Day events at the Capitol

Even if you couldn't make it to the Capitol this morning, I'm sure that you were able to hear the buoyant cheers of excited University of Hawaii sports fans from the dewy valleys of Manoa to the sweeping shores of Waianae.

Immediately following the opening-day ceremonies of the 2008 Legislative session,the Capitol became a volcano of infectious energy as lawmakers, lobbyists, staff members and community members commended the UH WAC championship teams, including the Warrior football team, Wahine volleyball and soccer teams. The UH Hilo Wahine volleyball and cross country teams also won their Pacific Athletic Conference titles.

A handful of UH Warriors were joined by recently appointed UH football coach Greg McMackin, former defensive line coach under June Jones. The University of Hawaii introduced McMackin as the new Warrior football head coach at a press conference today at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Speaker Calvin Say said in his opening day address today that a priority of the legislature is to find the money to fix unsatisfactory facilities at UH. Read more about Opening Day speeches here. Or read Speaker Say's Address here and Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell's address here.

I rounded up the best photos taken today and embedded a slide show below for your viewing pleasure. Here are a few things that happened today:

• A rally in the Rotunda calling for legislation placing a moratorium on the genetic modification of native taro in Hawaii
  
• Opening Day Ceremonies
  
• A presentation in the Rotunda honoring UH WAC championship teams
• Lawmakers grinding a variety of 'ono food and talking story with community members, lobbyists, friends, family and colleagues

Education Committee to hold info session on UH Athletics

The House Higher Education Committee and Senate Education Committee will hold an informational briefing tomorrow on the state of the University of Hawaii Athletics Department with Athletics Director Herman Frazier, UH-Manoa administrators, and coaches in their respective sports.

WHEN: Monday, May 21, 2007
2:00 PM

WHERE: Hawaii State Capitol, Room 309
Honolulu, HI 96813

Lawmakers will request Athletics Director Herman Frazier, University of Hawaii at Manoa's administrators, and coaches in their respective sports to update committee members on the state of the Athletics Department, including but not limited to its athletic programs, facilities and operations, sources of revenues and the use and distribution of such revenues, as well as, issues or concerns for improvements that the Legislature could address.

Lawmakers Budget $31M for UH-West Oahu Campus

Today, Rep. Sharon Har (District 40 - Royal Kunia, Makakilo, Kapolei, Kalaeloa) announced the inclusion of $31M in the House Budget for construction of a U.H.-West Oahu campus. Another $100M will be put in a special fund for land purchase. The long-awaited appropriation will fund phase one of the project, which will occupy 500 acres in Kapolei just makai of the H-1 Freeway.

The construction of a West Oahu campus has long been a desire of the University of Hawaii. U.H.-West Oahu, which is currently operating out of portable classrooms adjacent to Leeward Community College, offers degrees in the liberal arts and professional studies. It is the only four-year university on the leeward side. The proposed campus will have a small-town feel and will host a student population roughly the size of U.H.-Hilo.

Supporters of the project anticipate that the completed U.H.-West Oahu campus will help to relieve traffic congestion in West Oahu and overcrowding at the University's Manoa campus, and will further Kapolei's development as Oahu's "Second City."

An article in The Honolulu Advertiser has more on legislation and funding for projects in up-and-coming West Oahu: "West Oahu about to get a whole lot better."

Photo: U.H.-West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni, Speaker Calvin Say, Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell and other members of the House majority leadership were present to show their support for the project.