STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3422

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 119

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 119 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA TO FUND AND FILL THE VACANT AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES FACULTY TENURE LINE POSITION AT THE COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the University of Hawaii at Manoa to fund and fill the vacant African American studies faculty tenure line position at the College of Social Sciences and to request the University to report on the status and plans for funding and filling that position.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Ethnic Studies, African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Sisters Empowering Hawaii, and nine individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the faculty position dedicated to African American history and contemporary issues has been vacant since the 2013 departure of the tenured incumbent.  Your Committee further finds that filling the faculty position to provide instruction on the history and contributions of African Americans in Hawaii and the United States will benefit the student body of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the State as a whole.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 119 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair