The state Senate Special Committee on Accountability has scheduled a Sept. 24 meeting to review the University of Hawaii’s handling of the Stevie Wonder concert fiasco.
Officially, the meeting is described as a briefing "to review the oversight, accountability, and transparency of the operational and financial management of the University of Hawaii System, including but not limited to the University of Manoa (sic) Athletics Department," according to a posting on the Capitol website Wednesday.
Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, committee chairwoman, has said members of the UH Board of Regents and school administrators will be asked to attend.
Later Wednesday, the regents emerged from an executive session at Windward Community College to announce that Chairman Eric Martinson sent Kim a letter reporting that the board has formed its own task force on accountability in response to the concert debacle.
The Operational and Financial Controls Improvement Advisory Task Group will include five regents and four professionals in the fields of business, auditing and accounting. It’s charged with evaluating "the university’s operational and financial controls and oversight practices," according to UH officials. Its report is due Oct. 18 and will be made public.
"The fiscal and management oversight and responsibility for the University of Hawaii rests with us," Martinson said in a statement. "The regents agree we need to examine our fiscal and operational policies and exercise our fiduciary responsibility to put in place effective measures."
The UH apparently lost $200,000 that was wired to a Florida company to secure the Wonder concert. After learning the company was not authorized to book Wonder, UH officials said they believe they were defrauded.
The Senate committee’s hearing begins at 1 p.m. in Capitol conference room 211.
Written testimony (10-megabit limit) may be submitted to SCATestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.