University system scores extra $23.7 million but school officials unhappy

CARSON CITY -- A key budget subcommittee allocated an extra $23.7 million to the University and Community College System of Nevada to handle increased student growth and to reduce inequities in funding for Southern Nevada campuses.

But school officials are unhappy at the action of the Senate-Assembly subcommittee on higher education, saying the system is still being shortchanged.

"Some Southern Nevada legislators are in harms way for re-election," said Regent Mark Alden of Las Vegas. "They didn't address the growth and equity."

Alden said the board of regents did it's job in submitting a budget asking for an extra $40 million, but the subcommittee didn't adopt that budget.

Regent Steve Sisolak of Las Vegas, who has led the fight to reduce the disparity in funding among schools, suggested the Legislature took only a small step toward solving the problem.

"I'm troubled by the fact there will be Southern Nevada students that are not going to get into classes and have their degrees delayed. That's very unfortunate. We've got a long, long way to go."

Gov. Kenny Guinn proposed $299.7 million in state funds to the university system next year, an increase of 3.2 percent and $308.9 million in the 2001 fiscal year, up 3 percent. Guinn's budget funded enough money to handle a 2 percent increase in enrollment, despite estimates that the number of students would grow 6 percent.

The subcommittee agreed to provide $13.5 million more to cover the 6 percent enrollment cost. The subcommittee also put aside $11.7 million to start eliminating the funding disparity, which shortchanges UNLV and Community College of Southern Nevada.

Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said the action by the subcommittee takes care of the higher enrollment figures and is a step forward in reducing the funding inequity.

An independent study of the university system found the inequities totaled about $24 million. Perkins said it was prudent to take this initial step and added that an interim study will be done in the next 18 months to examine funding for the entire the university system, including equity among campuses.

The university funding package includes a recommendations from Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, for the start of a dental school in Southern Nevada. Rawson intends to use federal funds and fees to get the dental school off the ground. The school would be part of the university system.

The lone "no" vote on the subcommittee was cast by Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, who said the proposed budget "is not addressing equity in the way we should." He said the so-called "Rainy Day" fund that has about $130 million, could be tapped to plug holes in the budgets of the university system.

That fund can only be used in emergencies. He said he was concerned that "untried and untested" programs would be coming before the Legislature in the next week for money. The Legislature, he said, should take care of the problems at the university, rather than looking at these new projects.

UNLV President Carol Harter said the action of the subcommittee "isn't good news." She complained a recommendation from Gov. Guinn for an extra $5 million to fill omissions made in the UNLV budgets, was diverted elsewhere in the budget recommendation of the subcommittee.

Harter said the $5 million now will be used to pay for new growth but UNLV's base budget will be shortchanged.

"It's very disturbing the governor's recommendation was ignored and our base budget has not been made whole," she said.

Under this budget proposal, "there is not enough money to teach the number of students they are projecting we can enroll. We can't teach that many students and pay the salaries we need for a great university faculty with the dollars they (the Legislature) are given us," Harter said.

Harter and University Chancellor Richard Jarvis complained the legislative budget plan calls for funding only 85 percent of the current salaries paid faculty. Harter said, "We're either going to have fewer faculty that will be paid higher than we need to teach all the students or we're going to have to have faculty underpaid. Neither of those is an acceptable solution."

Jarvis said this funding plan will not affect existing faculty salaries. But he said the starting salary for new faculty will be lower than in other states. "I don't see how the universities can maintain the quality of their faculty," with this proposed lower starting salary.

The chancellor said he appreciated the legislative support for growth.

Included in the legislative package was an authorization for the regents to raise student fees by 75 cents per credit at the universities and 40 cents at the community colleges to help raise $1.8 million to pay for growth in the system. The university already has a student fee increase planned. At the university, the present $69 per credit rises to $71.50 this September and than to $74 in September 2000. The community colleges fees are already planned to go from the present $39.50 per credit to $41 in September and $42.50 in September 2000.

Jarvis indicated the regents would consider the request for a higher student fee at its June meeting.

The subcommittee decided to use $55 million from the estate tax fund to finance university needs. The regents wanted to use $60 million but lawmakers objected, saying that would drain the fund and could force tax increases in future years.

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