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Bringing with him years of experience and a desire for educational excellence, Dr. Reed Dasenbrock steps in as the next vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
"We're delighted that UH Mānoa will benefit from Dr. Dasenbrock's many years of impressive accomplishments and experience in higher education planning, administration and teaching," said UHM Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw in a press release.
Dasenbrock, who holds a Ph.D in English from John Hopkins University, taught at the University of New Mexico for twenty years, serving as the university's provost for two years.
As UNM provost, Dasenbrock helped boost undergraduate enrollment, retention and graduation rates, and also increased the number of Native Americans, women and minorities working as faculty, according to a press release.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson appointed Dasenbrock as the state's Secretary of Higher Education in 2007.
"Dr. Dasenbrock has the strong academic credentials and key administrative skills needed to guide our Higher Education Department," said Richardson in a press release about Dasenbrock's hire.
According to Karen Wentworth, UNM senior communication representative, Dasenbrock's efforts led to marked improvement of UNM's quality of campus life.
"Dr. Dasenbrock initiated a number of task forces that looked into a variety of issues on our campus including hate crimes, faculty compensation, graduation rates, native American and Hispanic perspectives, as well as international issues," said Wentworth.
However, Dasenbrock missed interaction with students and faculty and decided the position as VCAA at UH Mānoa could best help him return to that.
"I enjoyed the job [as secretary of higher education] and learned a great deal, but that position was a little too disconnected from the university," said Dasenbrock.
Now on the Mānoa campus, Dasenbrock has the authority to develop new academic programs, review and determine the continuing status of existing programs, improve academic programs and he is striving to help the school with its tight budget constraints.
LOOKING UP IN LOW TIMES
Dasenbrock's arrival comes in the midst of a recession that is stretching longer than predicted. UH Mānoa faces about a 17 percent reduction in budget for the next fiscal year, and there is a possibility that professors may have to be furloughed during a time when the university's enrollment is increasing 5 percent.
"It's going to be tough," Dasenbrock said. "That's simply a challenge we have to accept. It's going to be very difficult to educate more students on a reduced budget."
The university shouldn't respond by simply cutting classes, because that could send the university "on a downward spiral," according to Dasenbrock. Instead, to keep the students in mind and try organize instruction so that the key courses are taught at the best times for students, would be a good strategy.
"What we often do in a university is that we do a very good job of thinking of things from the faculty point of view and ignoring the perspectives of the students," Dasenbrock said.
He pointed out that only 10 percent of UH Mānoa students graduate in four years, and he believes improving the efficiency of the university would allow more students to graduate quickly, opening up more space to different students.
UH needs to work on attracting more local students, said Dasenbrock, students who may otherwise go elsewhere, noting that many choose to attend UNLV.
"Mānoa is a much better university than UNLV," Dasenbrock said.
The quality of Hawai'i's workforce will determine the future of the state economy, according to Dasenbrock.
"We need to be a really good option for the citizens of Hawai'i, and if Hawai'i graduates don't come here, it has to be for a good reason and not for a perception of lack of quality that I don't believe is justified," said Dasenbrock.
He noted that more high school seniors are now choosing community colleges over Hawai'i's four-year schools; his suggestion is that UH should work with community colleges to allow students to transfer smoothly into UH at the right time.
"There's a lot of work to be done in getting the two parts of the system to work with each other," Dasenbrock said.
Dasenbrock said UH has to try to cut the budget as intelligently as possible, but acknowledged "there is no magic or painless way to do this."
"We need to try to identify where things are least damaging," Dasenbrock said. "But I think what people have to understand is that this is a tough situation and things are going to be different."
GOALS FOR THE UNIVERSITY
During his term as vice chancellor, Dasenbrock has two goals he wants to achieve. First of all, he wants UH Mānoa to be "recognized for the quality of the graduate education as it is for the quality of research and science and technical fields."
Secondly, Dasenbrock believes that the most important thing that's going to happen during this century is the communication between the U.S. and Asia.
"We have strong programs in Asian study fields, therefore, UH has the potential to be one of the important universities in the world because we can be that place where the conversations between the east and west happen," said Dasenbrock.
Dasenbrock believes that UH Mānoa is a unique place with diverse culture and opportunities.
"The Mānoa campus will create the future of Hawai'i through science, technology, research and education. We are the place where the future is created."
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