Faculty, students weigh in on Hawaii Community College chancellor options
The University of Hawaii is exploring several leadership options for Hawaii Community College following the retirement of Chancellor Susan Kazama, effective July 31.
The University of Hawaii is exploring several leadership options for Hawaii Community College following the retirement of Chancellor Susan Kazama, effective July 31.
UH President Wendy Hensel and Interim Vice President for Community Colleges Lui Hokoana held a listening session in Hilo with HCC faculty and students earlier this month to gather feedback about three potential routes forward.
The first two options, presented by Hensel at the meeting, involve appointing an interim chancellor — either Hokoana or another candidate selected by Hensel — and initiating a national search to fill the position, a process which is expected to take six months to a year.
The third option, which Hensel acknowledged has already faced some pushback, would be to create a “temporary unified leadership structure” with UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin overseeing both campuses.
A similar structure was recently implemented on Oahu where Leeward Community College Chancellor Carlos Penaloza is also serving as the interim chancellor of UH West Oahu.
This suggestion has raised concerns that HCC and UH Hilo could be merged, which Hensel said was not on the table.
“At this moment, for this purpose, there is no indication of any kind that this is about a merger,” she said at the meeting. “No, I am not trying to merge your campus. … There is no plan. It’s not in the background, it’s not in the foreground. There is no plan to merge this campus.”
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While Hensel gave pros and cons for each option, and of the three presented, the majority of those present at the meeting expressed support for option two — the appointment of an interim chancellor and initiation of a search process.
However, a fourth possibility, proposed by several attendees at the meeting, received an even stronger show of support: convincing Kazama to stay.
“She’s the best chancellor we’ve ever had, that I’ve ever had … ,” said one student at the meeting. “So, if this is really about students and what’s best for students, have we tried to make her stay?”
Kazama was present at the meeting, and while she did not comment on requests for her to rescind her retirement, she did say that of the options being considered, she was in favor of appointing an interim chancellor, specifically someone with existing ties to the Hawaii Island community.
“Pick an interim from amongst the leadership on this campus or on this island,” she said at the meeting. “It has to be somebody that knows the community, it has to be somebody that can associate and acknowledge what the students need and how people are here.”
Kazama herself previously served as interim chancellor at HCC before landing the position permanently in 2024. She has had a 40-year long career at UH, serving is various capacities across the university system.
At a UH Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, Hensel said a decision on the path forward for determining HCC’s future leadership will be made soon, with more opportunities for public input expected throughout the process.
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Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].
