Department of Center on the Family

Budget Committee Meeting

October 27, 2020 at 4pm

Attendees

Provost Michael Bruno, Dean Denise Konan, Ania Wieczorek, Barbara DeBaryshe, Barbara Yee, Debbie Wong, Hua Zan, Ivette Stern, Jack Barile, Jaret Leong, Jeff Goodwin, Ji-Yeon Kim, Marianne Berry, Sarah Yuan, Velma Kameoka, Walter Bowen

Summary of Discussion

Details

The Center on the Family (COF) within the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of 6 social scientists and 11 grant-funded staff positions. The COF is a unique center designed to support the well-being of families in Hawaiʻi, conduct applied research, and bring data and translational science that serve as the foundation for program planning, program development, design and family policy to community groups. Community partners tend to be state agencies (Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Executive Office on Early Learning), policy makers (Legislature, County offices), and non-profits that provide direct services to children, families and elders.

The COF has been supporting professional development training within CTAHR, sharing knowledge across colleagues and working with 4H faculty, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) faculty, and extension agents on different projects.

Faculty from the COF and FCS, the Dean of the College of Social Sciences (CSS) and interim Director of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) met to discuss the benefits and challenges of merging COF with SSRI. The group has determined that many COF content areas overlap with SSRI.

  • The COF faculty see SSRI as a larger center of social sciences doing applied research and community collaboration, similar to the mission of COF although in different topic areas.
  • The COF portfolio and evaluation needs assessment program portfolio in SSRI are very similar.
  • Much of the research in COF and SSRI currently overlap.

Merging COF with SSRI may provide the following benefits/opportunities:

  • Developing signature new research projects related to families that could attract new or other social science departments.
  • COF access to graduate students.
  • Attracting faculty fellows.
  • Pre-award and post-award support for faculty from SSRI.
  • COF can serve as an internship site for independent studies.
  • Stronger potential for future growth, synergistic partnerships, and ability to leverage resources.

Faculty have shared the following thoughts/concerns:

  • The center is bringing in $2.7 million in external funding this year alone. They have a long history with state partners, state agencies, and non-profits that are renewed every year. The COF has one APT fiscal position and one secretary position and requires a great deal of support from fiscal support staff in CTAHR. The center hopes that the work they bring with them will not be a burden that cannot be supported in CSS.
  • The University’s hiring freeze has left CSS short on administrative support services positions in the areas of HR and procurement; taking on an additional unit may prove to be a challenge in these areas. The college is in the process of meeting with SSRI to identify creative solutions to restructure administrative services and do more with less.
  • COF faculty wonder whether they will be able to maintain a formal relationship with the cooperative extension system if they move to SSRI. The deans of CTAHR and CSS have differing perspectives on this matter and discussions are ongoing.
  • FCS faculty have expressed concerns around losing COF faculty and the possible gaps it will create in certain areas. The Committee shared that units can develop arrangements for faculty to teach across units and Committee members and their administrative staff would be happy to assist with this effort.
  • Under CSS, promotion and tenure for COF positions may be similar to promotion and tenure for specialist faculty in UHERO as COF faculty are primarily specialist faculty, with the exception of one research faculty position. The CSS Dean is willing to work with COF faculty on the engagement/extension component of their work.
  • CSS has a close relationship with the UH Sea Grant college program. Faculty are very engaged in the Sea Grant program and receive research grants from Sea Grant. The CSS Dean would like to explore an arrangement to develop a similar collaboration with the land-grant mission and CTAHR.

A change in organizational structure would require the support from faculty. The Committee and Deans agree that COF grant, RTRF funds and staffing resources associated with delivering the program moves with the program. In terms of office space, it is expected that faculty and staff would remain in their current office space. As office space becomes available, faculty and staff may relocate, as appropriate.

If all sides agree that a move to SSRI will strengthen the COF program, increase scholarship, and benefit students, then the colleges can begin preparing a reorganization proposal. The Committee intends to provide an update to the Board on proposed changes that may produce cost savings, drive growth in enrollment and increase tuition revenue.

Outcome

The Committee is very appreciative of the work of researchers, especially during this pandemic and is committed to not just sustaining the University’s research enterprise but increasing the capacity and impact in the community. The Committee will support the faculty’s decision on whether to move to SSRI or remain in CTAHR and looks forward to continued discussion that may further strengthen the COF’s research capabilities, visibility, grantsmanship, and scholarship.

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