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Higher Education committee defers CTAHR staffing request, Waimanalo research station funding
Summary
The Senate Committee on Higher Education on Feb. 6 deferred two measures requesting staff positions at the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and increased CIP funding for the Waimanalo Research Station, saying the university did not provide required vacancy and priority information.
The Senate Committee on Higher Education on Feb. 6 deferred two University of Hawaii measures asking for new staff positions and an increase in capital funding for a research station, saying lawmakers did not have the detailed vacancy, recruitment and priority information they requested.
Committee chair Kim said the committee had been given only limited material and could not responsibly take action without specifics about current vacancies, recruitment status and fill dates. “I don't have any idea as to the fill date,” the chair said during the hearing, explaining why she recommended deferral of the staffing bill.
The measures under consideration were Senate Bill 663, which would add positions to the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), and Senate Bill 672, which would increase capital improvement project (CIP) funding for the Waimanalo Research Station. At the hearing the committee was told the college had identified 56 vacant unfunded positions previously supported by federal project funds and 39 currently vacant positions, of which 12 are faculty positions; many of the vacancies were reported to be in various stages of recruitment. The committee asked for a clearer breakdown of which vacancies could be repurposed, which positions would be abolished, and expected fill dates.
Provost Bruno apologized to the committee for a lack of a formal, detailed response and said the university had the requested information and could share it. A university representative said timing was a factor for the CIP request: CTAHR's request to increase the Waimanalo Research Station project from $4,000,000 to $5,500,000 arrived after the university's internal CIP deadlines, and the Board of Regents' approved CIP list governs the university's priorities.
“By the time the dean of CTAHR was able to gather the necessary information… it was after our deadlines,” a university representative said. The university told the committee planning and design funding might be more appropriate now than construction funding because further design work was needed to scope a feasible construction project and timeline.
The committee repeatedly emphasized that it needs a consolidated view of CTAHR research facilities and how any supplemental requests would fit into the Board of Regents–approved CIP priorities before approving additional funding or new positions. The chair said she would defer both measures until the university supplies the requested details and clarifies how any new requests would affect the board-approved budget.
Ending: The committee left both bills deferred pending a formal, itemized response from the university listing position numbers, recruitment status, planned abolitions of unfunded positions, and a clarified CIP plan demonstrating how the Waimanalo request would fit into board priorities.
