The resignation of head football coach June Jones has focused new and important attention on the state of facilities at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus. While Coach Jones' immediate concerns were with athletic facilities, the campus as a whole — including its classrooms, libraries and research facilities — needs significant work.

I recently organized a group of state senators on a tour of the Manoa campus to get a firsthand look at the condition of the facilities. What we saw confirmed what we had heard: Many areas were in need of repair and some were severely damaged.

In a situation like this, where a problem in its advanced stages seems to suddenly sink into the public consciousness, we inevitably face questions of "Why? How did things get to this point? Why weren't these problems addressed sooner? Who is to blame?"

To gain perspective, we need to remember that for many years, the university has sought autonomy from outside control. The Board of Regents and university administration have argued that they are in the best position to make decisions about the system's direction and priorities, and that such decisions are best made without outside interference.

In 2000, Hawai'i's voters approved a constitutional amendment granting the university that autonomy, and giving the Board of Regents the power to formulate school policy.

The Legislature has respected that grant of power, and has allowed the regents and the UH administration to run the campuses of the UH system according to their own priorities. While we maintain general oversight through regular reviews of the university's funding requests, we are careful not to intrude on the rights and duties granted to the system by our voters.

Our goal as legislators is to find the proper balance between respecting the regents' autonomy, and ensuring that the university operates in a way that is satisfactory to our community. This is an ongoing challenge.

For instance, during the current legislative session, the Legislature is likely to provide the university with increased funding, but we cannot direct how the UH administration spends it. While we would not want to tour the campus in a few years and again face the kinds of problems we found recently, our only other viable option is to put pressure on the regents and administration by limiting budget appropriations.

Still, this not only goes against the expressed wishes of Hawai'i voters, it also creates a situation where political disagreements could affect our students and their educational opportunities. We need to focus on other approaches.

Our best hope is to provide the necessary funding to start making vital repairs, and encourage the university administration to continue the dialogue that has grown out of the present crisis. I know I speak for the majority of senators when I say that we are always open to discussing the university's needs and priorities, and more than willing to present options for funding the school's ongoing challenges.

I feel fortunate that I was able to attend the University of Hawai'i, and am personally committed to ensuring that it continues to provide similar opportunities to many more students far into the future. For me, that commitment has to extend to maintaining good relations between the Legislature and the university administration, focusing on shared solutions to pressing problems, and always remembering that our efforts serve the future.

Sen. Shan S. Tsutsui, D-4th (Kahului) wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.