Student Opinion: Go Back to the Drawing Board BOR

From left to right, Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig and Wendy F. Hensel Courtesy UH News

Disclaimer: This piece represents the opinion of the author, not the editorial staff or Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi

At the 2024 University of Hawai‘i (UHM) graduation ceremony, university president David Lassner respectfully paused his speech as several soon-to-be graduates shouted “I am not American” over and over again, invoking the 1993 speech of Haunani-Kay Trask. Families in attendance who flew in from the mainland looked around, anxiously anticipating what would happen next. However, when the brief protest had calmed down and the students retook their seats, Lassner resumed his farewell speech to the graduating class. Lassner, while not native to Hawaiʻi, understood the nuance and spirit of the situation. He has been at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) since 1977 and has had time to immerse himself in the history and culture that is unique to Hawaiʻi.

As Lassner retires at the end of the calendar year, the university has been given at least a benchmark of cultural wisdom and understanding needed in a successor. However, after months of a shadowy recruiting process with virtually no student input, The Board of Regents have narrowed their choices down to two individuals who would be moving to Hawaiʻi for the first time. The two finalists for the job, Wendy F. Hensel and Dr. Julian Vasquez Heiling, do not fit the mold and neither should be president of a school system like UH.

Each candidates’ résumé could fill a small book. They have bounced around the mainland serving in administrative positions from California to New York. Hensel, who is a graduate of Harvard Law School, spent most of her career at Georgia State University before moving over to her current job as executive vice chancellor and university provost at City University of New York in 2022. Dr Heiling got his doctorate in Education Administration and Policy Analysis at Stanford University and has held various positions at colleges in California, Texas, and Kentucky. His current position is the Provost and Vice President of Western Michigan University.

It's not clear what the BOR’s goal was in their decision-making process, however, the fact that no one from Hawaiʻi is even being entertained as a finalist for the job feels intentional. Many students have felt left out of the equation in the selection process and lament that school leadership is being decided without student representation. In an interview with KHON, a member of The Associated Students of the University of Hawaiʻi compared the BOR’s lack of inclusivity to fascism on live television. While the word fascism may be a bit of an exaggeration, the outrage of the student body is palpable.

As the only public institution of higher education in Hawai‘i, the UH system has close ties to the state government and the community at large. Welcoming either of the newcomers poses several questions about how they will represent Hawaiʻi and deal with uniquely Hawaiian issues. How would they react to community pushback over research at a sacred site? Will they uphold the current president’s goal of making UH a model indigenous serving university? It takes more than googling a few Hawaiian words like “ohana” and “aloha” for a slide show presentation to understand the spirit that lives within them. It takes more than owning a summer home on the Big Island to be kamaʻāina.

As for the candidates, the presidential position at UH is another line on their resumes. While it is unfair to deny that Hensel and Heiling are professionally prepared to be the president of a university, they should not be president of this university. UH has a rich culture and history that is tied to indigenous methods of learning and an immensely diverse student body. It is not an American institution, at least not in spirit, and should not be viewed as such. The BOR should have at least considered a president that would accurately represent Hawaiʻi. While it may be too late to effectively change any minds on the BOR, the student body cannot support either shameful decision it will make this October.