Interim President David McClain displayed great disrespect last week by deciding to move forward with the UARC secret military research center against the will of many in the University of Hawai'i community.

In the last 450 days, the university community has built a strong majority against the University Affiliated Research Center. The Faculty Senate of the flagship Manoa campus voted last fall against the UARC, followed recently by the faculty of Hawai'i Community College and UH-Hilo Arts and Sciences.

Student governments statewide have also taken a formal position against UARC. The magnitude of opposition, in contrast with the small number of individuals who would participate (McClain himself estimates no more than 36 individuals), has forced the administration to make concessions on the plan, particularly on the issue of classified research.

On several occasions, university officials and researchers have attempted to implement sole-source contracts through questionable means, resulting in an ongoing federal investigation.

Attempts also were made since fall 2004 to have the UARC approved without public input. If not for the grass roots, the UARC would have moved forward in stealth, without attention to the serious problems of the proposed center.

McClain's revised proposal is largely unchanged from the plan that the university and the Navy have been collaborating on for the last three years. UARC military research would still be conducted throughout the state, including at Manoa.

Classified research will be disallowed but has always accounted for only a small percentage of UARC work. Most of the research will still be classified as "sensitive," which would prevent academic or community oversight.