University of Â鶹´«Ã½ President Wendy Hensel presented a series of proposed organizational changes designed to elevate the voices of the university¡¯s seven community colleges, strengthen systemwide academic planning and create what she described as a more unified student success ecosystem.
Hensel outlined the changes to the UH Board of Regents (BOR) at its August 20 meeting at Kauaʻi Community College in her presentation, “Final Reorganizational Directives for the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ System.” The proposed plan for discussion would eliminate the Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges. All seven community college chancellors would then report directly to the president and serve alongside the chancellors of UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu on the president¡¯s executive cabinet.
Elevating the voices of the community colleges
Over the next few months, Hensel will discuss the proposal with campus governance groups and the broader campus communities, receive feedback and consider that input as the proposal moves forward.
The plan is intended to be “an amplification of the community colleges, not a diminution of those community colleges, and I just can¡¯t say that strongly enough,” Hensel told the BOR. The proposal would elevate “the voices of the community college chancellors so they are sitting at the table with the four-year chancellors and directly contributing to the decisions we are making for the entire university.”
Hensel said the proposal responds to feedback from the community college chancellors, who expressed a desire for a more direct role in systemwide planning and decision-making. The new reporting structure is intended to increase the voice and accountability of each campus while strengthening communication and collaboration across all 10 campuses. The proposal was developed following multiple conversations with administrators, faculty and staff across the community colleges over the last eighteen months.
Hensel made clear the proposed administrative change would eliminate an administrative layer but would keep intact the support structure serving the community colleges.
“We are not eliminating the critical work that is being done or the people who are doing it,” Hensel said. “We are taking those essential functions and placing them where they can be more fully integrated with the academic and administrative work of the entire system.”
Under the proposal, community college academic affairs—including student support, institutional effectiveness, workforce innovation and academic support services—would move as a unit under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy. Community college administrative functions, including budget, human resources and facilities, would transition as a unit to the Office of the Vice President for Administration.
The reporting-line changes and elimination of the vice president position will be discussed over the fall semester, with the intent of reaching a conclusion by the end of 2026. A second phase, beginning in spring 2027, would include more detailed work and consultation within reporting structures to determine how to maximize collaboration and effectiveness of the new teams.
Separating UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and system leadership
Hensel also highlighted the July 2026 separation of UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and UH System operations as a major step toward the new organizational structure.
Before the separation, the UH president also carried many of the responsibilities traditionally assigned to the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ chancellor. With Vassilis Syrmos now serving as the dedicated UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ chancellor, Hensel said the president¡¯s office can focus more fully on statewide academic, workforce, operational and financial strategies while ensuring balanced attention across all 10 campuses.
The new governance boundaries assign Hensel responsibility for systemwide integration, long-term statewide alignment and fiduciary oversight. Syrmos is responsible for the day-to-day academic operations, student experience, research enterprise and physical infrastructure of the flagship campus.
“Having a dedicated chancellor at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ allows that campus to receive the focused leadership it deserves, while allowing the president to look across the entire state and ask what every campus and every community needs from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½,” Hensel said.
Exploring a West Oʻahu regional model
The university is also examining opportunities for greater coordination between UH West Oʻahu and Leeward Community College, which have been operating under the interim dual leadership of Chancellor Carlos Pe?aloza since January 2026.
The pilot is exploring how the two campuses can better serve the rapidly growing West Oʻahu region through shared resources, coordinated academic offerings and streamlined pathways that allow students to move more easily from associate to bachelor¡¯s degree programs. Hensel emphasized that no final outcome has been predetermined.
“This is an exploration,&lrdquo; she said. “The purpose is to determine whether there are opportunities to create stronger academic pathways, use resources more effectively and provide students with a more integrated experience. We will follow the evidence and the input we receive rather than begin with a predetermined answer.”
A formal recommendation on the future structure is expected in early 2027.
Elevating academic technology and Native Hawaiian leadership
Additional changes include permanently placing the Office of Academic Technology and Innovation under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy. The move is intended to better align academic technology, online education and instructional innovation with the university¡¯s broader academic and student-success strategy.
Hensel is also proposing to elevate the director of Â鶹´«Ã½ Papa o Ke Ao to an assistant vice president and executive director position reporting directly to the president. The change will formally embed Native Hawaiian perspectives and the university¡¯s commitment to becoming a model Indigenous-serving institution within the executive leadership structure.
Together, the changes are intended to create clearer responsibilities and a leadership structure centered on UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ excellence, community college parity, integrated administrative support, holistic academic strategy and cultural authority.
Building a statewide student ecosystem
Hensel said the reforms are the culmination of two years of systemwide conversations that started before her arrival about how UH¡¯s administrative structure can better advance its mission and serve students.
“How do we create an infrastructure that outlives independent personnel changes?” Hensel asked. “Too often, academic administrations are built around particular individuals and personal relationships. We need an integrated architecture that does not depend on who happens to be sitting in a particular chair, but instead supports collaboration and student success over the long term.”
Hensel said a more integrated system can improve course sharing, transfer pathways and access to academic programs while establishing a common standard of care for students regardless of which UH campus they attend.
“This is not about making every campus the same,” Hensel said. “It is about preserving the identity and strengths of each campus while building the connections that allow us to serve students and the state far more effectively as one university.”