One University of Hawaii faculty leader sent an email last night with a link to the notice of a special meeting of the Board of Regents, to discuss President M.R.C. Greenwood’s contract.
The subject line of his email: “Missiles have left the silos.”
While Greenwood has fumbled the aftermath of the Stevie Wonder fiasco, there is a dangerous undercurrent of behind-the-scenes political meddling that makes a bad situation quite a bit worse. This kind of interference will do far more damage to the university’s reputation in the long term than anything Greenwood has done, or not done, to date.
There was Greenwood’s testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Accountability concerning pressure from the governor’s office, which in turn was being pushed by the Senate President, House Speaker, and other political insiders seeking Donovan’s reinstatement.
The Star-Advertiser this morning quotes Rep. Mark Takai calling for Greenwood’s removal. Recall that Takai had publicly called for the reinstatement of both Donovan and Rich Sheriff after the two were put on administrative leave while an investigation of the concert was conducted by outside factfinders.
Takai was prominent in sending a letter on behalf of the UH-Manoa Letterwinners Club to Chancellor Tom Apple called Sheriff and Donovan “men of impeccable character with outstanding leadership and administrative qualities.”
I can’t quarrel with this view of their character, but I certainly wouldn’t call their leadership and administrative qualities as “outstanding,” at least as reflected in the documents from the concert investigation.
The documents suggest Sheriff was swept up in the sales pitch by promoter Bob Peyton, who pushed visions of a concert series that would raise a million dollars a year for athletics. As a result, Sheriff failed to scrutinize the deal before recommending it to Donovan. Instead of critically examining the deal, he became a booster, referring to the concert as “an opportunity” rather than as an event to be evaluated.
And Donovan appeared to have paid little attention to the concert planning, delegating all decisions to others, even as it morphed from a simple deal to rent Stan Sheriff Center to the promoter into a complex partnership that put the university into an unusually risky position. Donovan, smarting over the rejection of his request for a multi-year contract renewal, seemed to have remained quite detached throughout the whole planning process.
The difference between the tenor of the Senate’s questioning of Greenwood, who was hammered from all sides, and the totally friendly questions tossed at Sheriff and Donovan, who got none of the critical cross-examination reserved for Greenwood and the BOR, appears to reflect some of these same political dynamics.
So it’s it seems to me no coincidence that the same day the Board of Regents announced its intent to review Greenwood’s contract, the Hawaii Tourism Authority–itself one of the more politicized state agencies–announced it had included Donovan among 45 movers and shakers appointed to a new Pro Bowl Committee.
The joint signals seem pretty clear. No confidence in Greenwood. Full backing of Donovan. The only thing that isn’t clear is just who is behind this political faction and what their motives really are.
Also named to the Pro Bowl committee were UH Foundation staffer Vince Baldemor, (president of the umbrella booster group, Ahahui Koa Anuenue, and Bruce Coppa (Governor Abercrombie’s chief of staff and the state’s administrative director), who was key player in pressuring Greenwood on Donovan’s reinstatement.
According to the documents that have been made public, Baldemor participated in the athletic department’s planning for concert’s ticket sales.
In any case, Greenwood’s removal would be unavoidably tied to all this external politics. After Even Dobell’s ouster, it was difficult for the university to recuit a new president. Pushing Greenwood out under these circumstances would just compound those difficulties for the university as a whole going forward. And that wouldn’t be good news for the state.
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Maybe it will help recruit a president who isn’t afraid to be held accountable for their job performance when they expect to be paid so much.
Or maybe not. Any academic President with aspirations to recruit top-tier faculty to educate and do research across the disciplines — in other words, anyone worth having — is going to run from a leadership position that has to kowtow to athletic boosters whose primary goal is to push football. There’s a reason why MIT and CalTech, or any top tier public institution, are what they are…
Greenwood got excellent reviews up until this fallout. Her achievements sound impressive. Imagine firing for “cause” would be out of the question. Now Apple is under the gun too. His biggest mistake was characterizing coaches jumping ship if Donovan stayed on and there’s no evidence of that as yet. Whether valid or not, all this adds up to the appearance of two top administrators attempting to do the bidding of regents, “power” figures and being scape-goated for their execution of it.
This comment is completely lacking in recent and well-documented history:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 4, 2005
Michael Reese (510) 987-9179
michael.reese@ucop.edu
Brad Hayward (510) 987-9195
brad.hayward@ucop.edu
STATEMENT ON RESIGNATION OF UC PROVOST M.R.C. GREENWOOD
University of California President Robert C. Dynes today (Nov. 4) issued the following statement:
This morning I accepted the resignation of Provost M.R.C. Greenwood. Her decision was reached in the context of a University investigation of possible improper hiring practices and conflict of interest concerns.
The investigation has involved both the General Counsel and University Auditor’s Offices, and centers on two hirings. The first involves Professor Lynda Goff, who was hired by Provost Greenwood first as a Faculty Associate and more recently as Director of the Science & Math Initiative. It has been disclosed, in the wake of inquiries by the San Francisco Chronicle, that Provost Greenwood and Dr. Goff have until recently had jointly owned rental property. It appears that Provost Greenwood may have been involved in Dr. Goff’s hiring to a greater extent than was appropriate, given that her business investment with Dr. Goff had not been properly and fully resolved in accordance with conflict of interest requirements. This in no way reflects on Dr. Goff, her credentials, or the terms and conditions of her appointment. This involves only the appropriateness of Provost Greenwood’s role in her hiring.
The second issue under investigation involves the hiring process for Provost Greenwood’s son, James Greenwood, as a paid Senior Intern on the UC Merced campus. At question is whether Vice President for Student Affairs Winston Doby acted improperly in any way in helping Mr. Greenwood secure his position. Not at question is any aspect of Mr. Greenwood’s performance in the position that he has held since last August at UC Merced, where he is reportedly making a valuable contribution. Vice President Doby has been placed on paid investigatory leave pending the completion of the investigation.
Let me stress there is no presumption of wrongdoing, and that the University expects to complete its review of these matters shortly. Provost Greenwood has cooperated fully with the investigation. She has, however, indicated that she wishes to resign as Provost to return to her academic pursuits in the University. I have accepted her resignation with respect for the outstanding academic leadership she has provided to the University, both as Chancellor of the Santa Cruz campus and, over the last two years, as Provost. I wish her only the best in her academic pursuits.
In the meantime, I have appointed Executive Vice Provost and Vice President for Academic and Health Affairs Wyatt R. Hume as both the Acting Provost and Acting Vice President for Student Affairs. While this is a difficult moment for many of us, I want to assure you that the work of Academic Affairs will continue moving forward, thanks in no small part to the sustained, dedicated contributions of our staff.
Now we have the resignation of one of the top supporters from the football fundraiser club. Too bad there cannot be this much attention paid to the unfunded ERS and EUTF liabilities which could very well unravel the future of our state. Too complicated a story for the media I guess. I credit Greenwood for pointing out that only football creates this kind of controversy.
Well, if UH loses another football game today, isn” it time to address the truth that football is not for Hawaii and a waste of money?
That’s more like it.
Perhaps it is time to bring back the short-lived UH mascot, created when Mark Takai was president of ASUH, which was tagged with the nickname, Bows-O. His beguilement by Donovan and Sheriff would be funny if it weren’t so “takai” for the taxpayers.
Hawaii is a fishbowl with a stagnant water problem. It was inevitable that our resident sharks in the tank would make sure the baton got passed from the attorneys to the key legislative “friends”and begin their part of the dance to this over – orchestrated samba. Greenwood deserves credit for speaking up about the political pressure from “above.”
This is another great example of “The Rules of the Game,” where the guilty go unpunished, the innocent get reprimanded, those who caused the debacle get promoted and persons completely separated from any possible connection to the fray get terminated.
Donovan belongs on the pro-bowl committee. For several years he successfully ran the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, with all of the attendant hoopla and visitor-related activities and exposure that the nationally televised bowl brought to Hawaii.
…and? What does that have to do with being a university with a job to do: education students so they can earn a living and make a contribution to their communities and society more generally? Seems I only read about UH jocks getting arrested for DUI or worse.
Athletics and academics at Manoa have had an uneasy detente while the administration has had to kowtow to a small number of athletic supporters and a lager mob who none the less can’t be bothered to actually fill the rust bowl. Maybe it is time to rethink this.
There seems to be no business model for Manoa athletics. It has run up a $10 million dollar debt to the rest of campus; it mooches $2 million a year from student tuition for athletic scholarships; like the playground bully, it has extorted athletic fees from students to try to cover its debts; its graduation rates for major sports suck; most of its male teams demonstrably don’t belong in Division 1; it parts with $200,000 like a drunken sailor on a Saturday liberty pass, and there is ample evidence of unethical, perhaps illegal outside interference in the administration of Manoa athletics by everyone who thinks themselves anyone in Hawaii.
Ironically organized crime seems to be the only element missing from the mix, despite the weak claim that someone on the football team may have done some point shaving.
If people can’t behave, I suspect the football program will end up in trouble, the target of an NCAA investigation. Who knows where that could go? Ask Penn State.
The only sure victims will be the athlete students. I have heard nothing about their well being in all this, so it seems no one much cares. It’s time to wake up and remember that they are why we have athletics at the University of Hawaii Manoa.
One can only hope that Bert Kobayashi quit because Tom Apple stood on his hind legs and told him (Kobayashi) that he does not run UH athletics and to butt out.
So, why didn’t the Senate committee go ahead and put Greenwood under oath and ask her who was/were the source/s of the political pressure? Also, who was it that approved the transfer of the $200K without first ensuring that the insurance policy was in place to protect UH?
Good blog Ian. Need to stop living the Glory Days and get on with it. Unfortunately this will cost money and reputations. There is a reason none of the Big West schools play football. Talked with a prof at Windward Community College(a shining success in the UH system),she says they are reprimanded for leaving a light on in the bathrooms to save money. Hard for them to take this money spent at Manoa. However it does make them look better.
Amongst all these paragons of “impeccable character”, how come none of them stood up and admitted they screwed up and deserve to be held personally accountable?
“The documents suggest Sheriff was swept up in the sales pitch by promoter Bob Peyton, who pushed visions of a concert series that would raise a million dollars a year for athletics.”
I’m shocked- shocked. Greed was at the bottom of a $200,000 (or $1.3 million once the lawyers got their cut) con job. Who’d’a thunk it?
It would be nice to know who’s applying all this pressure to get rid of Greenwood and who’s pulling all the strings, for real. But will it happen? I don’t know if anyone has the guts to find out. They’d probably get shot if they did, seriously. Such is the undercurrent of murk in politics vs. UH athletics vs. UH admin.
As an aside, the funniest thing I’ve read lately: @ulu’s serious use of the term “athletic supporters” in their post above. I’m sure there was no pun intended… right? 🙂