Charles Kawakami, the University of Hawai‘i regent for Kaua‘i, cast a vote to oust Dr. Evan Dobelle, the 12th president of the University of Hawai‘i, in what was Kawakami’s second-to-last meeting Tuesday night. Kawakami’s final meeting as a regent was
Charles Kawakami, the University of Hawai‘i regent for Kaua‘i, cast a vote to oust Dr. Evan Dobelle, the 12th president of the University of Hawai‘i, in what was Kawakami’s second-to-last meeting Tuesday night.
Kawakami’s final meeting as a regent was yesterday, and he was unavailable for comment on the Dobelle ouster.
There has been no word on Kawakami’s successor on the UH board.
Andy Bushnell, professor of history at Kaua‘i Community College, remembers Dobelle as a tall man who whirled onto the KCC campus in Puhi with enthusiasm, promises to reduce instructor workload, and visions of making UH great.
Unfortunately, all of the enthusiasm didn’t equate to nearly the number of changes Dobelle promised, Bushnell said.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of mourning for Dobelle,” Bushnell said yesterday, the first full day after Dobelle was fired in an unanimous vote of the UH Board of Regents.
Many of Bushnell’s colleagues at UH-Manoa “were fed up with Dobelle,” especially after Dobelle was able to secure sizable raises for appointed members of his administration.
KCC Chancellor Peggy Cha, whose title was changed from provost under Dobelle’s reign, said, “Evan’s done a lot of real good things for the university.”
While she didn’t expect his firing to come so quickly, she respects the regents’ decision.
