17 Comments
Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Published Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 | 4:40 p.m.
Updated Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 | 5:19 p.m.
Chancellor Dan Klaich
Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Dan Klaich pushed back today against Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval's preliminary budget plans, which assume a $175 million cut to the higher education system.
"Is $175 million the current state of the negotiations," Klaich asked. "No, it is not."
Sandoval last week released a statement that the state needed to find $1.2 billion in additional cuts. But that assumed the Legislature would approve a 10 percent cut to state spending, including higher education. The Las Vegas Sun on Sunday said a more realistic estimate of the deficit is $2.2 billion, though Democratic Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford told the Sun's Jon Ralston today it was more like $2.7 billion.
Regardless, advocates for state services say the Sandoval team should not assume a 10 percent cut, including for higher education.
Klaich said the universities and colleges would have to play a key role in economic development and diversifying the economy.
"I think the state has called upon higher education to help get us out of this economic crisis we're in, to diversify the economy. We can’t realistically be expected to do that if budgets continue to be cut," Klaich said. "I think the budget cutting has to stop now."
He also worried about higher education's share of the additional $1.2 billion cut and noted that it assumed reduced funding for many higher education employees would be extended.
Higher education, which is governed by a separately elected Board of Regents decided earlier this year to ignore Gov. Jim Gibbons' request to prepare for a 10 percent budget cut. Instead, they passed a budget that increased spending. All of that is dependent on how much money the legislature plans to allocate.
Klaich said the board was being responsible.
"I'm sure every one of our presidents is managing to the possibility of the existing cuts," he said. "We're not naive to the political reality. The fact is, these cuts are not benign... The fact is, we're not going to start the process on a 'Gee, this might be a number.'"
He said a cut of $175 million would mean increased student fees, reduced programs and layoffs at institutions.
God forbid the students have to pay for their education.
Save the State some money by firing Klaich...
Cut the crap out of the education budget, When they have classes like mariachi dance they have gone too far. If the kids parents want them in useless classes like those let them pay for them outside of the school system. Same goes for sports, offer three and the others let the parents step up to the plate and pay for them.
We can start by cutting the saliries of the administration like the President of UNR he gets 450,000 dollars per year. Maybe a 50% cut would show his commitment to education
Stupid people, you've had your fun with last month's elections. It's time to get serious. We need our children to get a decent education, even if we need to scrimp and save to pay for it.
Cuts to education are cuts to your and my future. Yes, we should definitely look at the classes that are funded for degrees and make sure that high demand degrees are funded. Degrees in science and engineering are in high demand and should be prioritized so that students in these fields can succeed. We are falling behind china and india drastically in these fields and should encourage students to move into these fields. If you want a degree in a field that is less in demand, you should pay for that yourself. Without more engineers, scientists and degrees that are in demand, we are creating a society that will not be able to compete in the 21st century and beyond. We will all lose if we don't change that current path.
Maybe the university and community college staff should accept furloughs, an end to merit increases, longevity pay, etc. like state employees!
Maybe we should tax the millionaires in our state instead of squabbling amongst ourselves. The problems the schools face are very complicated multi-faceted problems that can not be solved by screaming reckless comments like, "tear it all down, screw them." I am the person you are trying to demonize. There are 200,000 plus of us college students that will some day take over this burning wreck of an economy you have left us. Your vitriol is doing NOTHING to help me get my biology degree and even less to help students gain the tools we need to pull this lousy state up by its bootstraps. Be a productive part of the progress or get out of the way!
Let's be realistic, higher ed is important, but it is not the most critical public service in the state such as those that impact health and safety. In my opinion, Klaich is narrow-minded, self-centered, and lacks the big picture of the well-being of the people in our state.
And, since when do the taxpayers "owe" anyone a college education? Where is it written that anyone has the "right" to a college education at the expense of their neighbors? Listen to who is crying about the needed cuts---it's those who are enjoying gain by robbing from their taxpaying neighbors. This includes members of the administrations of colleges. When you take a baby's bottle away from him, he is going to cry and throw a fit!
Maybe one of the wasteful things that should be considered first for a university system budget cut is the NCAA interscholastic competitions. The expenditures for teams, coaches and the related paraphinalia of big time sports is a big waste. Why cut out valuable academic courses, programs, release faculty and raise student fees first? NCAA team sports are nothing more than entertainment and the University System does not need to be in that phase of the entertainment field.
What Chancellor Dan Klaich is doing, is, pretty typical of Nevada and its way of politics. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead....into disaster (while not paying attention to the reality all around him).
The citizens of Nevada must be unaware of your secret financial weapon, Chalcellor Klaich. To make such a bold statement and move, you must have money/backers/funding, hiding until you call it out into the daylight.
Anxiously awaiting to see.
Adjusted for inflation UNLV's tuition and fees have increased 74 percent over the last decade. State appropriations have not decreased 74 percent. In fact, since 2007, UNLV's budget appears to have declined by a mere 9 percent.
http://prgibbons.blogspot.com/2010/10/hy...
UNLV has been using the funds to hire highly paid non-educators and the state and federal subsidies make it easier to be inefficient with the resources at their disposal.
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/articl...
http://www.deltacostproject.org/resource...
Higher Ed should be cut at least 20%. Education is NOT ESSENTIAL. Food and shelter are. Did you see the news--Anthropology degree so he could search for months to get $10.75 an hour cleaning trash cans. We have too many people with degrees and nothing to do. No cuts to Social Security or Medicare. When you find out how LITTLE YOU GET you won't believe it. Many many people get about $1,000 a month. That's not easy to live on unless there are two incomes and/or you own a small home.
If unnecessary classes and unnecessary degree programs are cut how about cutting all funding to sports? If the UNLV football and basketball and all other teams can generate enough funds from ticket sales and television revenues and donations then let them continue, if not, then they end too.
Once again, Patrick R. Gibbons blogs in this publication without disclosing that he is paid to do so by NPRI, a right-wing think tank dedicated to eliminating as much government as they can.
The marketplace of ideas is not just abstract; in higher education, its reflected in a university faculty. That faculty and their accomplishments attract top tier students, who along with dedicated staff build a great university that is supported by public and private dollars. When the state reduces or simply pulls that support, professors and students go elsewhere to states that are doing the correct thing in these tough times and increasing funding to their public universities and collleges.
State employees have been hit hard enough. Their pay, routinely set at the most 2/3 of what city and county employees make for decades because state employees can't unionize, has been reduced. Almost all of their benefits have been taken away while the price for what is left has increased beyond what many can afford. Merit pay, or what the private sector calls bonus pay for going above and beyond what the company needs to make it better, is gone. Yearly step increases meant to keep the disparity between city/county and state pay at 2/3 was stopped three years ago along with merit pay. Unpaid furlough days currently stand at twelve.
How bad is it? Many state employees have left, with those who remain forced to take on their workload because there is a hiring freeze. And more work is coming because more and more people who are out of work need government services.
And back at UNLV, there are food and clothing drives currently for state employees who work at UNLV who can't afford either. If you can give and are willing to do so, you can contact Kyle George at kyle.george@unlv.edu, or Connie Nolan at connie.nolan@unlv.edu.
Yes, thats how bad it is at UNLV and for state employees. They need charity to deal with the CURRENT cuts. And the Republicans want to cut MORE???
We need to stop cutting on the people who are in front, on the ground, running things. One should notice that there has NOT been cuts at the very top. No No No. They vote themselves raises instead,YES YES YES.
Everyone can live with less, sure. Let's do that and be FAIR FAIR FAIR.
Do you need to make a six figure income to live and survive? Most of the people who are enduring the salary and wage cuts can tell you, "NO."
So, truly, respectfully, it is hoped that those who are currently incoming six figure incomes working in the education & medical services, for the State of Nevada, for the county, and even some for with the Federal Government, can thoughtfully take a look at those below you suffering cuts, and maybe do some soul searching, as to what doing one's part it, being a public servant is, being a good citizen is, and truly being a part of a team is, and take a cut down to five figures until this economic crisis passes. Please.
Educators are some of the most altruistic folks around. They forever are giving to the community around them, even when there finances are cut to the bone. GEZ. State and County Employees are fiercely dedicated, they'll do their share, and even take on more load, wondering how, and somehow manage to get the job done. WOW. But then there's the top. You NEVER hear about them. I think they wish it to stay that way!