Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006 | 7:09 a.m.
Last week's university system Board of Regents meeting was the final one for outgoing Regents Jill Derby and Linda Howard.
As two of only four women on the 13-member elected board, the deliberative Derby and the passionate, if sometimes volatile, Howard were outspoken advocates for students.
A cultural anthropologist and a consultant for other higher education boards, Derby relinquished her regent's seat after 18 years for an unsuccessful run for Congress. Howard, who earned her bachelor and master's degrees in public administration at UNLV during her six years as a regent, left for a failed bid for the job of Clark County public administrator.
The Sun spoke with each of them separately Monday about their time as regents, their thoughts on the state of higher education and what they really think of Chancellor Jim Rogers.
Q: What was your greatest accomplishment as a regent?
Derby: One of the most important things is simply access. We expanded distance education to better reach rural areas, increased the college-attendance rates, and started Nevada State College to add a third tier of access.
Howard: Bringing diversity issues to the forefront and giving students more of a voice in decision-making. When I started my term, diversity was only an afterthought. Now it is much more - a standing committee and a part of every board meeting. I am most proud of my success in stalling a 2001 admissions proposal to increase the GPA requirement at the universities that would have hurt minority students. My counterproposal delayed the implementation until 2006 and 2010, which allowed students and institutions time to catch up.
Do you have any unfinished business?
Howard: I am really worried about the graduation rates at our institutions, the ongoing Millennium Scholarship restrictions... approved by the board, and on the K-12 level, the poor performance of black students on the SAT and the low graduation rates of black and Hispanic high school students.
Derby: I think student success is the unfinished business. We were very focused on getting Nevada's high school students into college, but there was not enough emphasis on how they did once they got there.
What advice would you give to your successor on the board?
Howard: Be consistent and stand firm for what you believe. Be sure you know how to count to seven because if you want to get anything done, your first priority is to get the support of (at least the seven-member majority of) the board.
Derby: The best advice I always give regents is, No. 1, to be a system regent, and recognize that even though you represent a particular district, we are a statewide board and it is important to look out for all students and institutions in Nevada. Second, be sure to ask all the hard questions.
What do you really think of Jim Rogers and the job he is doing as chancellor?
Derby: He is a very bold leader. We needed his leadership, his visibility, the respect and regard he has in Southern Nevada and with the folks on the Legislature at this time. He has his shortcomings, but he has made up for that by the people he has hired, like former Chancellor Jane Nichols. He is not an academic and he doesn't study issues and he doesn't read anything that is more than a page. He won't ever have in-depth knowledge of the university and the academic issues, but he has someone right there with him who does.
Howard: Jim Rogers is a hard worker and a strong leader. His fundraising abilities and connections within the private sector are phenomenal. Jim's willingness and proactive approach to solving problems is a great asset to the system, and I believe he truly cares about the future of the community and state.
What advice would you give him?
Derby: Well, there are things I would tell him in private and things I would tell him in public.
Howard: To have more patience with the slowness with which bureaucracy moves and with the regents.
Do you think regents should have given Rogers the power to fire presidents?
Derby: Yes, because of new open meeting laws forbidding closed evaluations, there is no other way to provide accountability in the system but to give authority to the chancellor. There needs to be checks and balances there, where the presidents are empowered and can express their leadership, but the authority of the system is protected.
Howard: I think the recommendation for any adverse action against a president should be made to the board.
What is up for you next?
Howard: I'm looking forward to starting on my Ph.D. in the spring and returning at some point to continue work in the educational arena.
Derby: Come the first of the year, I'll look at other ways to contribute to higher education. The door is open, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next adventure is.
What final message would you like to give to higher education officials, the community and to students?
Howard: Those who have financial resources to help should forget about the lip service and step up to the plate. We can all help in some way. The bottom line is, we need to make sure student and faculty needs are met if we are to improve and be perceived nationally as having a quality education system.
Derby: We can never back away from higher education and the role that it plays. It is the foundation for civil society, for social and economic development. It is the whole deal.
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