presidential search 2024 | University of Hawaiʻi System News /news News from the University of Hawaii Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:01:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /news/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cropped-UHNews512-1-32x32.jpg presidential search 2024 | University of Hawaiʻi System News /news 32 32 28449828 UH regents unanimously select Wendy Hensel as next UH President /news/2024/10/17/regents-select-wendy-hensel-as-next-president/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 21:43:02 +0000 /news/?p=205180 Hensel will succeed David Lassner who announced in September 2023, that he would retire at the end of 2024 after serving as president for more than 11 years.

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The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) voted to appoint Wendy Hensel as the next president of the UH 10-campus system, the state’s sole provider of public higher education. The 11 regents voted unanimously for Hensel at the Thursday, October 17 continuation of the October 16 Special BOR Meeting at UH Mānoa. The appointment is effective January 2025.

Wendy Hensel
Wendy Hensel

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of an exhaustive, extensive, nationwide search and hiring process, where our stakeholders were able to participate at every stage,” said BOR Chair Gabe Lee. “I am confident that Wendy Hensel is the right person to lead UH and help guide the state through the significant challenges ahead.”

Hensel is currently the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost at the City University of New York (CUNY) and has served in that position since 2022. CUNY is a 25-campus system with an enrollment of 235,000 students.

Stay connected with President Wendy Hensel by following her on , , and

“There is one thing that stands out as I have gone through this process and spoken to literally hundreds of people, and that is how important the University of Hawaiʻi is to the state and the people of Hawaiʻi, especially the faculty, staff and administrators who are so committed to its mission,” said Hensel. “I humbly accept this position knowing that I have to lead by example and that I need everyone’s support to do everything possible to make sure UH is the institution of higher education that Hawaiʻi needs and deserves.”

Regents sitting at tables

Prior to CUNY, Hensel held leadership positions at Georgia State University as the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Law. She is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and earned a bachelor’s degree with highest honors from Michigan State University, where she was a Harry S. Truman Scholar ​​and an intern at the U.S. Supreme Court. Read Hensel’s full CV.

The Board of Regents and Hensel agreed to the following terms:

  • $675,000 annual salary
  • $7,000 a month housing allowance
  • Up to $60,000 for moving expenses
  • Tenure fallback position in the UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law
  • Term: three years with up to a two year extension subject to BOR approval

Extensive nationwide search

Hensel will succeed David Lassner who announced in September 2023, that he would retire at the end of 2024 after serving as president for more than 11 years. The extensive nationwide search for his replacement attracted 93 applicants.

The Presidential Search Advisory Group, volunteer representatives from UH stakeholder and governance groups who developed the position description and leadership profile, identified and interviewed 12 semi finalists. Three finalists were selected and two agreed to continue the process and participated in public events that included question and answer sessions and private meetings with stakeholders groups.

“Mahalo to the search advisory group and to thousands of people who participated in the process by completing the initial public survey and forums on what we need in a UH president,” said Lee. “And those who attended the public forums and provided feedback to the regents, which really helped inform our decision. It was invaluable.”

big group of people
Wendy Hensel, center, with University of Hawai’i regents
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President’s search in final stage /news/2024/10/15/next-uh-president-could-be-announced-soon/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 01:58:03 +0000 /news/?p=205083 The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents will interview the two finalists for president of the 10-campus system during a Special Meeting on Wednesday, October 16.

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Two people speaking
Wendy Hensel (left) and Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig (right)

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) will interview the two finalists for president of the 10-campus system during a Special Meeting on Wednesday, October 16. The next president of the state’s sole provider of public higher education could be named as early as Thursday, October 17. The announcement could also come in the days and weeks to follow but is expected by the end of the month.

The finalists are Western Michigan University Provost and Vice President Julian Vasquez Heilig and City University of New York Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Wendy Hensel. More information on the candidates can be found on the UH President Search webpage and on UHNews.org.

Finalist public events

The two finalists participated in a series of public forums with question and answer periods and meet and greet events held at UH campuses in each county. More than 1,400 people attended a total of eight public events in person and virtually.

The finalists also met privately with governance groups and campus and system leadership teams.

The regents are considering feedback provided by UH community members and the general public after the events. More than 417 people submitted input through anonymous surveys after the public events and more than 30 people have submitted testimony for the October 16 meeting.

The nationwide search attracted 93 applicants. Twelve semi-finalists were selected and interviewed by an advisory group of representatives of UH stakeholder and governance groups, which also developed the position description and leadership profile.

The new president will succeed David Lassner who is retiring by the end of the year after serving since 2014 as UH’s 15th president.

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Regents on track to select next UH President in mid-October /news/2024/10/01/regents-on-track-to-select-next-uh-president/ Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:40:24 +0000 /news/?p=204569 The regents are asking all stakeholders and the public to provide feedback on the finalists.

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Vasquez Heilig at a podium
Julian Vasquez Heilig

The next president of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system is expected to be announced by mid-to-late October after the completion of a series of public events for the two finalists, Western Michigan University Provost and Vice President Julian Vasquez Heilig and City University of New York Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Wendy Hensel.

The UH Board of Regents will interview both candidates in person at an October 16 Special Board meeting that will take place in executive session. The regents will meet again on October 17, also in executive session, and areare expected to make an announcement on that day or shortly thereafter. The new president is expected to start by January 2025, succeeding David Lassner who has served in the position since 2013.

Finalist feedback requested

The regents are asking all stakeholders and the public to provide feedback on the finalists that will be taken under consideration as they make their decision. More information on Vasquez Heilig and Hensel can be found on the UH President Search website including the video recordings of the moderated public forums where they each answered dozens of questions from the in-person and online audience.

Feedback can be submitted as testimony to the BOR via email to bor.testimony@hawaii.edu. The testimony will be posted in the week prior to the October 16 Special Board meeting.

There were also confidential online surveys open for a week for each finalist during their public events. The will be open until 6 p.m., Friday, October 4. The survey for Hensel closed September 27 after her public events schedule. The regents are taking the feedback shared in the survey under consideration as they decide.

Well attended public events

The forums were part of a series of public events and private meetings held September 23 to September 25 for Hensel, and September 30 to October 2 for Vasquez Heilig at UH campuses on Kauaʻi, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu.

Each finalist participated in four open houses and four public forums and answered a wide range of questions including their interest in and commitment to Hawaiʻi, and the University of Hawaiʻi and its 2023-2029 Strategic Plan. More than 1,400 people attended the forums in person and online. They also met with campus leadership teams and governance groups.

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Public events for 2nd UH President finalist start Monday /news/2024/09/24/public-events-2nd-uh-president-finalist/ Wed, 25 Sep 2024 03:30:42 +0000 /news/?p=204228 Julian Vasquez Heilig will attend an open house and take questions at a moderated public forum on Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu.

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two headshots

The public events for Julian Vasquez Heilig, one of the two finalists for president of the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system, will begin Monday, September 30.

Vasquez Heilig will attend an open house and take questions at a moderated public forum on a UH campus in each of the four counties—Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu (complete schedule below). The forums will be livestreamed and on Zoom and posted online afterward. Questions can be submitted on site or by using the Zoom chat function.

Confidential feedback on Vasquez Heilig can be provided through , which will be open until 6 p.m. Friday, October 4. For those who wish to provide feedback that will be posted online and made public, submit comments to bor.testimony@hawaii.edu, and they will be posted in the week prior to the next Special Board meeting, currently scheduled for October 16, 2024.

More information on Vasquez Heilig and finalist Wendy Hensel can be found on the UH President Search website.

Wendy Hensel public events

Person speaking at a podium
Wendy Hensel speaking at the public forum

More than 750 people attended the public forums (in person and online) for Hensel the week of September 23 that were held at UH Maui College, Kauaʻi Community College, UH Hilo and UH Mānoa. Hensel answered more than 70 questions on a wide range of topics. The videos are available online.

The schedule for both finalists also includes open houses (meeting sessions) and private meetings with campus and system leadership teams and faculty, staff and student governance groups.

Feedback can also be submitted to bor.testimony@hawaii.edu that will be publicly posted the week prior to the next Special Board meeting, currently scheduled for October 16, 2024.

Julian Vasquez Heilig

Monday, September 30—Maui and Kauaʻi

  • Maui
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Maui College, Pilina Events Center
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—Pilina Events Center
  • Kauaʻi
    2–3 p.m.: Open House—Kauaʻi Community College, Fine Arts Auditorium
    3–4 p.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—Fine Arts Auditorium

Tuesday, October 1—Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu

  • Hawaiʻi Island
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Hilo University Classroom Building Room 127 (Rose and Raymond Tseng Terrace)
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
  • Oʻahu
    4–5:30 p.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Forum ( and recorded)—UH Mānoa Art Auditorium

Wednesday, October 2—Oʻahu

  • 8–9 a.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Open House—UH Mānoa Bachman Hall Room 106A/B
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Search process for UH president inclusive and thorough /news/2024/09/18/search-process-for-uh-president-inclusive-and-thorough/ Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:19:54 +0000 /news/?p=203758 This editorial by UH Board of Regent Chair Gabriel Lee and Vice Chair Laurie Tochiki first appeared in the September 18 edition of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

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Bachman hall exterior night

This editorial by UH Board of Regent Chair Gabriel Lee and Vice Chair Laurie Tochiki first appeared in the .

When University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner announced a year ago he would be retiring by the end of 2024, we, the UH Board of Regents, understood that selecting the next president to lead the 10-campus UH system—the state’s sole provider of public higher education— is the most important thing we will do during our terms as regents.

We have fully embraced the responsibility and weight of making this important decision, knowing that any decision will be questioned by some. The criticism we have received since the two finalists, Wendy F. Hensel and Dr. Julian Vasquez, were announced on September 11, is just proof of how much people of Hawaiʻi care about UH and its importance to the state.

From the start, we have been committed to a thorough and inclusive search process starting with an online survey that received 2,092 responses and a series of public forums on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui and Oʻahu that more than 500 people participated in. We wanted to know what people think UH needs most in a new leader; what goals, values and capabilities they should possess; and the most critical areas the new president will need to address in the next three to five years.

More on the UH president search

The 12-person Presidential Search Advisory Group (PSAG) was established to assist the regents and ensured representation of all UH stakeholder groups throughout the process, including student, faculty, staff and Native Hawaiian governance groups. The PSAG and the regents utilized the feedback from the survey and forums to develop the leadership profile and position description.

The profile and description were used to solicit candidates with great success.There were 93 applicants, all of whom expressed a strong desire to lead UH. The PSAG reviewed and assessed the initial candidate applications. Those members identified and, with the regents’ approval, interviewed 12 semi finalists, which led ultimately, then, to identification of the two finalists.

There is criticism for the lack of at least one “local” finalist, which we assume refers to someone who lives in Hawaiʻi permanently. This was an open, worldwide recruitment with exceptional candidates with local ties, we stayed true to the inclusive search process, and the two finalists emerged.

Throughout, the PSAG and the Regents have conducted themselves with integrity, assessing the candidates based on qualifications and experiences. We have done our level best to ensure that the process is sound and executed with integrity, and we will continue to make decisions that are informed by community and university input and feedback every step along the way.

We are very excited about proceeding with these two excellent finalists, who will present their qualifications, and their understanding of and vision for the University of Hawaiʻi at multiple forums and open houses throughout the state later this month. We encourage everyone to take the opportunity at any one or more of these forums to get to know these candidates, and to offer their opinions to the Board of Regents.

When the final selection is made in late October, we hope that everyone embraces our new president. Their success will be UH‘s success—impacting our families, our neighbors and our entire state.

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Public forums for UH Presidential candidates set to begin /news/2024/09/17/public-forums-next/ Wed, 18 Sep 2024 01:50:45 +0000 /news/?p=203765 The finalists, Wendy F. Hensel and Julian Vasquez Heilig, will attend an open house and a moderated public forum in each of the four counties.

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two headshots

The public events for Wendy F. Hensel, the first of the two finalists for president of the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system, will begin Monday, September 23 and run through Wednesday, September 25 (complete schedule below).

The public events for the second finalist, Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig will run from Monday, September 30 to Wednesday, October 2 (complete schedule below).

The finalists will attend an open house and a moderated public forum in each of the four counties—Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu (complete schedule below). The candidates will take questions at the forums, which will be livestreamed and posted online afterward.

“We are asking all members of the UH ʻohana and other stakeholders, along with the general public, to participate in the public events and provide feedback on our finalists,” said UH Board of Regents Chair in the September 11 announcement naming the two finalists. “That input will be critical as the regents deliberate and select the next UH President.”

Confidential feedback on Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig can be provided through this , which will be open until 6 p.m. Friday, October 4.

For those who wish to provide feedback that will be posted online and made public, submit comments to bor.testimony@hawaii.edu, and they will be posted the week prior to the next Special Board meeting, currently scheduled for October 16, 2024.

More information on Hensel and Vasquez Heilig can be found on UH News and the UH President Search website.

Public Event Schedule

View the live feed of each forum

Wendy F. Hensel

Monday, September 23—Maui and Kauaʻi

  • Maui
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Maui College, Pilina Events Center
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and )—Pilina Events Center
  • Kauaʻi
    2–3 p.m.: Open House—Kauaʻi Community College, Fine Arts Auditorium
    3–4 p.m.: Campus Forum ( and )—Fine Arts Auditorium

Tuesday, September 24—Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu

  • Hawaiʻi Island
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Hilo University Classroom Building Room 127 (Rose and Raymond Tseng Terrace)
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and )—UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
  • Oʻahu
    4–5:30 p.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Forum ( and )—UH Mānoa Art Auditorium

Wednesday, September 25—Oʻahu

  • 8–9 a.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Open House—UH Mānoa Bachman Hall Room 106A/B

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig

Monday, September 30—Maui and Kauaʻi

  • Maui
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Maui College, Pilina Events Center
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—Pilina Events Center
  • Kauaʻi
    2–3 p.m.: Open House—Kauaʻi Community College, Fine Arts Auditorium
    3–4 p.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—Fine Arts Auditorium

Tuesday, October 1—Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu

  • Hawaiʻi Island
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Hilo University Classroom Building Room 127 (Rose and Raymond Tseng Terrace)
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
  • Oʻahu
    4–5:30 p.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Forum ( and recorded)—UH Mānoa Art Auditorium

Wednesday, October 2—Oʻahu

  • 8–9 a.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Open House—UH Mānoa Bachman Hall Room 106A/B

More information regarding the search process is available online.

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Finalists for UH President named, public forums scheduled /news/2024/09/11/uh-president-finalists-public-forums/ Wed, 11 Sep 2024 17:56:26 +0000 /news/?p=203412 The finalists will be introduced through open houses and public forums during the weeks of September 23 and September 30 in Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi and Honolulu counties.

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Two headshots
Julian Vasquez Heilig, Wendy F. Hensel

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) has named two finalists for the next president of the state’s 10-campus public higher education system:

  • Wendy F. Hensel is currently the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost for The City University of New York (CUNY), where she oversees every aspect of the student and faculty experience across the 25 campus system. Prior to joining CUNY, Hensel held leadership positions at Georgia State University as Dean of the College of Law and later Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. She is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and earned a bachelor’s with highest honors from Michigan State University, where she was a Harry S. Truman Scholar ​​and an intern at the U.S. Supreme Court. Read Hensel’s full CV.
  • Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig is currently serving as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for Western Michigan University (WMU). Prior to joining WMU, Vasquez Heilig was the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky, part of his nearly two decades of leadership. His experience includes successful fundraising and financial management and spearheading strategic initiatives that bolstered research and educational innovation. Vasquez Heilig earned his PhD and master’s degrees from Stanford University and holds additional degrees from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Read Vasquez Heilig’s full CV.

The finalists will be introduced to the UH community and general public through a series of open houses (meet and greet opportunities) and public forums (question and answer sessions) scheduled for the weeks of September 23 and September 30 in each of the four counties: Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi and Honolulu (full schedule below).

“There was a tremendous amount of interest shown in the president’s position, and now we have two excellent candidates,” said BOR Chair Gabe Lee. “We are asking all members of the UH ʻohana and other stakeholders, along with the general public, to participate in the public events and provide feedback on our finalists. That input will be critical as the regents deliberate and select the next UH President.”

The two finalists will also meet with campus and system leadership teams and faculty, staff and student governance groups, including the Pūkoʻa Council, a group of UH Native Hawaiian leaders.

“It was very important to the regents that representatives from each campus and the various UH stakeholders have an opportunity to meet the finalists,” said Lee. “I know that all of these stakeholder groups will also provide valuable input to the regents.”

The UH Board of Regents are asking the public to provide feedback on Wendy F. Hensel that will be used to inform the selection of the next president. Confidential feedback can be provided through this , which will be open until 6 p.m. Friday, September 27.

For those who wish to provide feedback that will be posted online and made public, submit comments to bor.testimony@hawaii.edu, and they will be posted the week prior to the next Special Board meeting, currently scheduled for October 16, 2024.

The regents will interview each candidate after the public events and are scheduled to announce their decision in mid to late October.

There were 93 applicants for the position, a group that was then narrowed down by the Presidential Search Advisory Group. The Advisory Group interviewed 12 semifinalists in late August and then forwarded their recommendations for the finalists to regents for the final decision.

“On behalf of the Regents, I would like to personally thank the applicants for their interest and the Presidential Search Advisory Group for their time and expertise,” said Lee.

The new president will succeed David Lassner, who will retire by the end of the year after serving since 2014 as UH’s 15th president.

Public Event Schedule

View the live feed of each forum

Wendy F. Hensel

Monday, September 23—Maui and Kauaʻi

  • Maui
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Maui College, Pilina Events Center
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and )—Pilina Events Center
  • Kauaʻi
    2–3 p.m.: Open House—Kauaʻi Community College, Fine Arts Auditorium
    3–4 p.m.: Campus Forum ( and )—Fine Arts Auditorium

Tuesday, September 24—Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu

  • Hawaiʻi Island
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Hilo University Classroom Building Room 127 (Rose and Raymond Tseng Terrace)
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and )—UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
  • Oʻahu
    4–5:30 p.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Forum ( and )—UH Mānoa Art Auditorium

Wednesday, September 25—Oʻahu

  • 8–9 a.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Open House—UH Mānoa Bachman Hall Room 106A/B

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig

Monday, September 30—Maui and Kauaʻi

  • Maui
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Maui College, Pilina Events Center
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—Pilina Events Center
  • Kauaʻi
    2–3 p.m.: Open House—Kauaʻi Community College, Fine Arts Auditorium
    3–4 p.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—Fine Arts Auditorium

Tuesday, October 1—Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu

  • Hawaiʻi Island
    8–9 a.m.: Open House—UH Hilo University Classroom Building Room 127 (Rose and Raymond Tseng Terrace)
    9:30–10:30 a.m.: Campus Forum ( and recorded)—UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
  • Oʻahu
    4–5:30 p.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Forum ( and recorded)—UH Mānoa Art Auditorium

Wednesday, October 2—Oʻahu

  • 8–9 a.m.: Oʻahu 鶹ԭ Open House—UH Mānoa Bachman Hall Room 106A/B

More information regarding the search process is available online.

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President search on schedule, finalists expected in September /news/2024/08/15/president-search-finalists-expected-in-sept/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:04:18 +0000 /news/?p=201916 There were more than 90 applicants for the position, and the finalists are scheduled to be announced in September.

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Charlot mural at Bachman Hall

The search for the next president of the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system is on schedule, with the finalists for the position expected to be announced next month, according to UH Board of Regents (BOR) Chair Gabriel Lee. Lee provided the update at the August 15 BOR meeting at the University of Hawaiʻi at UH Maui College adding that there were more than 90 applicants for the position.

“The regents are grateful to the Presidential Search Advisory Group (PSAG) for its hard work in reviewing the applications and look forward to its recommendations and the next stage of the search,” said Lee. “The board plans to publicly identify the finalists in September and will hold a series of public forums to introduce them to all of our stakeholders. This will provide stakeholders with the opportunity to provide feedback to the regents, who will make the final selection.”

The schedule for the public forums, expected to be held in mid to late September, will be announced after the finalists are named. All 11 regents are serving on the selection committee and are tentatively scheduled to name the new president in October or November with a start date in early 2025.

The national recruitment by , the search firm hired by the BOR, was formally launched in late May. The new president will succeed President David Lassner, who announced in September that he will retire at the end of 2024.

The PSAG is made up of 12 stakeholders from across the UH System and local community. Along with reviewing the applications and recommending the finalists, the group assisted with the development of the leadership profile and position description, which were based on feedback received from six public forums held on four islands and a public survey.

The 10-campus UH System is Hawaiʻi‘s sole public system of higher education, with more than 9,200 employees serving about 48,000 students. It fulfills its mission of providing affordable, quality higher education through seven community colleges, two regional universities and a globally acclaimed research university with education and research centers throughout the state. UH offers unique opportunities, grounded in Hawaiʻi, to meet the needs of the people and islands it serves, from workforce training to preeminent academic programs and research.

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National recruitment for next UH president to begin in late May /news/2024/05/16/national-recruitment-next-uh-president-begin-late-may/ Fri, 17 May 2024 00:59:45 +0000 /news/?p=197911 The position description and leadership profile were based on feedback provided through six public forums, and a public survey along with input from the regents and the Presidential Search Advisory Group.

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Charlot mural at Bachman Hall

The national recruitment for the next president of the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system will officially begin in late May 2024 after the UH Board of Regents (BOR) approved the position description and leadership profile at the May 16 BOR monthly meeting at UH Mānoa. The position description and leadership profile were based on feedback provided through six public forums that were held on four islands, and a public survey along with input from the regents and the Presidential Search Advisory Group (PSAG), who edited and finalized the profile before it was brought to the board.

“We are very pleased that the next phase of the search can officially begin, and the regents thank the PSAG for their important work on the leadership profile,” said BOR Interim Chair Gabriel Lee. “We are hoping there is a lot of local and national interest in the position and that we are able to attract the best candidates possible to lead the state’s sole provider of higher education.”

, the search firm hired by the BOR, will officially launch the recruitment in late May with outreach and national advertisements. The search is following the timeline approved by the regents on March 21.

  • May to August—Candidate recruitment period
  • August—Review of candidate materials, first round of candidate interviews
  • September—Three to four finalists are named
  • October—Final selection and negotiation, new president is announced
  • Early 2025—New president begins

The PSAG is made up of stakeholders from across the UH system and local community. The group assisted with county forums along with the development of the leadership profile and position description. The PSAG will review candidate applications, identify and recommend candidates for interviews, interview the first round of eight to 12 candidates and recommend semifinalists to the selection committee, which consists of all 11 regents.

As part of the listening phase of the search promised by the regents, approximately 565 people attended the six public forums held across the state in person or via Zoom. The public survey completed in February received 2,093 responses.

The new president will succeed President David Lassner, who announced in September that he will retire at the end of 2024.

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Public gives feedback on next UH president /news/2024/05/08/public-feedback-next-uh-president/ Wed, 08 May 2024 18:40:38 +0000 /news/?p=197177 Approximately 85 people attended the six public feedback forums in person, and roughly 480 participated via Zoom.

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Charlot mural at Bachman Hall

The University of Hawaiʻi completed a series of public county forums to gather feedback that will help inform the search for next president of the 10-campus UH System, the state’s sole provider of public higher education.

Approximately 85 people attended the six forums in person, and roughly 480 participated via Zoom. The forums, which took place on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island and finished on May 7, were scheduled by the UH Board of Regents (BOR) as part of the listening phase of the search process. A public survey completed in February received nearly 2,000 responses.

“We plan to take all of the feedback from the forums and the listening sessions and try to incorporate it into the presidential profile that’s going to go out to essentially search for candidates to apply,” said Erin Centeio, co-chair of the presidential search advisory group (PSAG).

Centeio said that the PSAG plans to incorporate all the feedback from the forums and the surveys into a presidential profile that will be presented to the BOR at their meeting on May 16.

“Beyond the profile, these listening sessions are going to help us understand who the community wants for a next president,” said Centeio. “As we look at applicants and do first round interviews, we will be looking to these forums as well as everything that’s been submitted to be able to help guide us in who the next president should be.”

The board announced at its March 21 meeting that it plans to name finalists in September and announce the next president in October. The new president will begin in January 2025 and will succeed David Lassner, who announced in September 2023 that he will retire by December 2024.

“The selection of the next president will likely be the single most important decision made by this board and we are committed to doing it thoroughly in an inclusive and transparent manner,” said BOR Chair Gabriel Lee in a previous BOR meeting.

The PSAG is made up of UH stakeholders and will make candidate recommendations to the search committee, which consists of all 11 regents. WittKieffer, a Chicago-based firm, was hired to assist in the search and will work with the BOR to develop the position description and profile of an ideal president and then recruit candidates.

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