University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel provided a stark update on the impact of new federal policies during a March 13 open forum, which was live-streamed to more than 1,000 viewers. More than 220 attendees gathered in person at the UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom as Hensel delivered a 50-minute presentation, followed by an extended Q&A session. The forum, initially scheduled for 90 minutes, lasted two hours due to the volume of questions.
“I hope what you’re hearing in this presentation is deep concern over what’s happening, a genuine commitment to move forward with you together as we navigate this space and a commitment to do everything we can to preserve our core values,” said Hensel. “In what I think has to be one of the most existential threats facing higher education in our lifetimes.”
Federal policy impact presentation
Hensel detailed various executive orders (EOs) and federal actions, UH’s response and the anticipated impact, so far, to the 10 campus system, as this is expected to be just the beginning with the new federal administration.
As of March 13, She estimated that UH could lose between 200 and 2,500 federally funded jobs out of 16,000 positions. The U.S. Department of Education—the university’s third-largest source of federal funding—is facing a 50% workforce reduction, which could impact a variety of programs including career technical education and Native Hawaiian serving initiatives. In addition, the National Institutes of Health is proposing a 15% cap on indirect cost for research grants, which could be devastating to biomedical research at UH.
“I will not stand up here and tell you that everything is fine,” said Hensel. “I’m going to give you the real information that we are working through. I want you to hear my commitment to fight as hard as we possibly can for this community to ensure that we limit the impact in every way possible.”
Q&A session
During the Q&A session, Hensel was joined by Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis Syrmos, Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer Kalbert Young, and attorney Gary Takeuchi from the UH Office of General Counsel. Together, they responded to more than two dozen questions from more than 250 submissions.
Topics included:
- Academic freedom and free speech protections
- Potential cuts to student financial aid
- Possible immigration raids on campuses
- Status of international students
- Protecting Native Hawaiian programs and services
Hensel also addressed concerns about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) content on UH websites, refuting claims that the administration had ordered the removal of DEIA references. She clarified that units were asked to assess language in response to federal policies but were never directed to take down content.
“The LGBTQ website that’s been repeatedly referred to, that was done on their own initiative with no conversation from us in advance,” said Hensel, who also acknowledged that in some instances, the directions may have been misinterpreted or miscommunicated. “This is an emergency situation evolving in real time.”
She reminded the audience that no service on the UH campuses has been stopped as a result of the change in federal policies.
“So in terms of the actual provision of resources, absolutely nothing has changed,” said Hensel. “If that’s not true, I want to know about it. That’s the kind of thing you need to tell me because I will intervene.”
A graduate student later accused her of political doublespeak and censorship and challenged her moral stance. In response, Hensel emphasized the difficult position that the university is in.
“I do not have the luxury of making an intellectual argument that doesn’t affect thousands of people’s jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to keep the university open,” said Hensel. “And every decision that we make will lead to people being fired. And every decision that we make will lead to a significant loss of funding that means students will not be able to pursue their education and have access to equal opportunity.”
Hensel ended the forum by thanking everyone in attendance online and in-person saying she appreciated the conversation and promised that it will continue.
“We will not always agree, and we will not always come to a conclusion that everybody is comfortable with, but we will talk to each other and we will reach these conclusions as a community,” said Hensel. “That is my commitment to you.”
