Harter says she has made no decision yet about leaving UNLV

Amid growing speculation that she will leave UNLV if she is selected to run the University of South Florida, UNLV President Carol Harter said Friday that she hasn't made any decisions about her future yet.

Harter talked about her plans after Friday's Board of Regents meeting at the Community College of Southern Nevada's Henderson campus.

"I'm just exploring my options by considering the job at South Florida. It's not in any way any final decision," Harter said. "I love UNLV, and we've done great things here, but I was asked if I wanted to be a candidate for the presidency in South Florida, and I said I'd consider it."

Harter said that she will be making a decision about her future no later than March 1, when a candidate is selected by South Florida, or even sooner if she decides to stay on at UNLV.

"If I stay at UNLV, I can make that decision sooner. Right now I am part of a pool of finalists for the job at South Florida scheduled to visit the campus next week."

Harter said that because of her high-profile position as a university president, she must undergo scrutiny for just looking at the job options available to her.

"In almost all professions, such as teachers and accountants, when you have another opportunity, you look at it, which is what I'm doing at this point," she said. "But in other professions you don't have to do it in the public eye."

Harter became UNLV president in 1995, after leaving the State University of New York at Geneseo.

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