David Lassner will continue serving as president of the University of Hawaii system after receiving high marks Thursday from the Board of Regents on his first one-year performance evaluation.
Lassner had been the university’s longtime information technology executive before being tapped to lead the 10-campus system, which has 60,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff members, and more than $1.5 billion in annual operating expenses.
“I’m always looking forward to being better, and that’s what I’d like to do over the next year.”
David Lassner
President, University of Hawaii
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He served as interim president for nearly a year until last summer, when he emerged as the leading candidate for the permanent position. The regents appointed him president effective July 1, 2014, with a $375,000 salary.
The board at the time said Lassner’s appointment would be “continuous” and subject to annual performance evaluations with objectives set by the board. Lassner said he doesn’t have a formal contract with a guaranteed term.
Regents Chairman Randy Moore said Thursday the board used six criteria to evaluate Lassner, including progress on various university initiatives to increase graduation rates, boost outside research funds and the commercialization of in-house research, and improve facilities. The board also looked at his overall leadership and management.
“We are pleased with his performance,” Moore concluded. He said the board and Lassner have agreed on key priorities for the year ahead.
Lassner’s evaluation was among three items discussed during a three-hour executive session behind closed doors.
Moore said afterward that the board deferred action on any salary adjustment for the president. But he said the board will likely take up adjustments for executive and managerial salaries, which have been frozen for seven years, next month.
“I’m pleased that they’re pleased,” Lassner told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “I’m always looking forward to being better, and that’s what I’d like to do over the next year.”
Lassner is credited with helping smooth over relations with the broader community and lawmakers, who took UH to task over the so-called Wonder Blunder, in which the university was bilked out of $200,000 by promoters of a bogus Stevie Wonder concert under his predecessor, M.R.C. Greenwood.
“In my opinion — I obviously have my critics within the university — in general, I think the perception of the university is higher than it has been, and I think there’s more we can do in that area,” Lassner said.
He cited the hiring of an executive leadership team as another accomplishment.
Since taking office, Lassner has brought on former state Budget Director Kalbert Young as vice president for budget and finance, hired Risa Dickson as vice president for academic affairs and reinstated the position of vice president for administration with the hiring of Jan Gouveia.
An advisory task group that was formed in the wake of the phony-concert fiasco to help UH improve financial and management oversight had recommended that the office of the vice president for administration be re-established as one step in improving university operations.
“The transitions in the leadership team are really positioning us well for the future,” Lassner said.
At the start of Thursday’s meeting, a few faculty members voiced concerns about Lassner’s leadership.
Professor Lilikala Kameeleihiwa, director of the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, criticized a lack of support for Native Hawaiian-serving programs under Lassner.
Associate biology professor Marguerite Butler, a member of the Manoa Faculty Senate’s executive committee, questioned why faculty and student groups weren’t asked to provide feedback on Lassner’s performance.
“This is a problem because isn’t the president responsible for the entire university enterprise — the health and well-being, that the missions of the university are actually strengthened by his efforts, and that he’s assembled an effective leadership team?” she testified.
Butler said she was surprised to see the president’s evaluation on Thursday’s meeting agenda. The board at its monthly meeting in May discussed and approved an evaluation process for the president.
“The only statements of record for the president on his performance from the faculty — the only statement — is that of censure,” Butler said. “The only statement on the performance of the president from the (Graduate Student Organization) is no confidence. I hope you take that into consideration.”
Both actions, largely symbolic in nature, stemmed from disappointment over Lassner’s decision last summer to fire former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple.
Lassner has said he terminated Apple following an unsatisfactory performance review. Apple, who was two years into a five-year contract, has said he was forced out and blamed for mismanaging Manoa’s finances.
