Editorial: Looking to the future of education

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1998 | 11:37 a.m.

Unfortunately UNLV is resisting the possibility of a new college in Southern Nevada. Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson and other elected officials believe a college in his city would help ease some of the higher education needs that aren't being met. Gibson and others are showing progressive thinking by looking ahead while UNLV President Carol Harter is wedded to the past.

Educators sometimes bristle at new concepts or dismiss proposals that would challenge their empire. So far Harter has given the plan a chilly reception. If any new college is started, she believes, it should only be a UNLV satellite school.

Not too long ago Nevada's higher education needs could be met by its university and community college system, but some believe this is no longer the case. For instance, Southern Nevada's booming growth has created a shortage every year for public school teachers, a need that UNLV has not been able to meet.

As the Sun's Stacy J. Willis noted Monday in an update on the plan for a new college, the Clark County School District believes it will require 1,700 new teachers every year for the next 10 years to handle an estimated 14,000 new students each year. One possible use being considered for a Henderson college may be to create a national school for teacher training.

Originally when the proposal was discussed, the idea of a four-year state college was envisioned, possibly even a private college if the financial backing could be found. One shortcoming currently is that there is a gap between the community colleges, which offer primarily vocational training, and the two universities, which are research centers and geared to professional school training. A state college, such as those offered in California and New York, could offer an education option currently not available.

Harter should be open to the idea of another college, even if it means there would be a competitor for some of the area's best students. Does she really think competition would diminish the quality of education? Is UCLA a worse school because of the existence of Stanford or state colleges in California? The 1999 Legislature should move forward with a feasibility study to see if Southern Nevada is ready for a new college.