STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1301

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 60

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 60 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA TO ADOPT A BUDGET MODEL THAT ALLOCATES RESOURCES ACCORDING TO A TRANSPARENT AND EQUITABLE FORMULA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to address a disparity in the allocation of funds between the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and other colleges of the University of Hawaii by requesting that the University of Hawaii at Manoa adopt a budget model that allocates resources according to a transparent and equitable formula.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Graduate Student Organization at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and seven individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System.

     Your Committee finds that the Colleges of Arts and Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa comprise fifty-five percent of the total student semester hours, forty-two percent of the University of Hawaii at Manoa student body, and forty-eight percent of the University of Hawaii faculty, but only receive eighteen percent of the combined tuition and general funds allocated to the University.  Your Committee further finds that this disparity in the allocation of funds has seriously eroded the ability of instructional units to retain highly qualified faculty, offer sufficient numbers of courses taught by qualified faculty, maintain rigorous research and publication standards, and replace worn-out equipment.  Your Committee notes that student enrollment is down, faculty morale at the Colleges of Arts and Sciences is low, and the existence of certain programs are in jeopardy.

     Your Committee appreciates the testimony submitted by multiple faculty members of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and acknowledges their frustrations and the gravity of the current situation that they described.  Your Committee is concerned about the current fiscal situation at the University of Hawaii, the impact it is having on students, and the quality of the programs offered at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Your Committee hopes that this measure will impress upon the University an urgency to modify the current budget model to allocate resources more equitably to align revenue sources with intended use.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 60 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

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KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair