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HRS §26-11

Who runs the University of Hawaii and how the board is chosen

The University of Hawaii is run by a board of regents with 11 members, including at least one student. Members must live in specific counties, and the board sets policy and controls the university. The board also hires and can fire the university president.

state agencies

The statute, as written — University of Hawaii

(a) The University of Hawaii shall be headed by an executive board to be known as the board of regents. The board shall consist of eleven members. At least one member shall be a University of Hawaii student at the time of the initial appointment. The governor shall reduce the terms of those initially appointed to each seat on the board of regents to provide, as far as practicable, for the expiration of three terms each year; provided that the term of the student member shall not be reduced. The members, except for the student member, shall represent and reside in the specified geographic areas as follows: (1) Two members from the county of Hawaii; (2) Two members from the county of Maui; (3) One member from the county of Kauai; and (4) Five members from the city and county of Honolulu. The board shall have the power, in accordance with the Hawaii constitution and with law, to formulate policy and to exercise control over the university through its executive officer, the president of the university. The board shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the internal organization and management of the university. (b) The board of regents shall appoint and may remove an executive officer to be known as the president of the University of Hawaii. The University of Hawaii as heretofore constituted as a body corporate is continued as the University of Hawaii established by this chapter. [L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §17; am imp HB 253 (1964) and election Nov 3, 1964; Supp, §14A-16; HRS §26-11; am L 1971, c 143, §1; am L 1979, c 86, §3; am L 1996, c 266, §1; am L 1997, c 342, §1; am L 2007, c 56, §3; am L Sp 2008, c 9, §2; am L 2019, c 172, §2]
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.