Study reveals underfunding at all Nevada college campuses

Friday, April 30, 1999 | 11:33 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- While UNLV and the Community College of Southern Nevada are the most grossly underfunded of the state's six institutions of higher education, an independent study reveals all of them are suffering economic woes.

The study recommends that the Board of Regents seek an additional $24 million from the Legislature this year and to request a similar increase every session.

Conducted by MGT of America, a Florida-based research organization, the study confirms claims by Southern Nevada regents that there is a funding disparity of about $534 for UNLV full-time equivalent students and $1,291 for those at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada Community College were underfunded by $187 and $238 per student respectively.

Only the University of Nevada, Reno and Great Basin Community College were not underfunded by comparison.

The report, commissioned by the Board of Regents, emphasized that none of the six institutions are over-funded, even though the study revealed Nevada actually has greater financial support for higher education than many other states.

"The reader should not make the assumption that the other two UCCSN (University and Community College System of Nevada) institutions are funded excessively, or that these institutions are not also in need of additional funding," the report said.

Each institution suffered from inadequate funding, only in different areas.

For example, UNR is slightly underfunded in instructional support and physical plant support, and Great Basin needs more money for institutional support.

The state's funding formula for higher education, in place since 1987, establishes six categories: instruction, student services, academic support, library acquisitions, institutional support and plant operation.

In addition, there are about a dozen categories that fall outside the six-part funding formula, such as funding for the UNLV law school and the medical school in Reno as well as scholarships and athletics.

The Economic Forum, a panel that sets the final biennium budget, is meeting now and is expected to issue a report Monday on how much money the state will have to spend over the next two years.

Regents will meet Wednesday in Las Vegas to discuss the budget. Among the issues they will discuss will be the estate tax, half of which the state sets aside for use by the university system.

The report urges regents to work with the legislature and governor to develop a new funding formula.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said the study "confirms what we thought about the inequity for UNLV and even greater for Community College of Southern Nevada.

"It comes at a good time because the Economic Forum today predicted $70 million more over the biennium so there's money available now to address that inequity," said Titus, a professor at UNLV. She said she has not had time to do an in-depth study of the report.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said the study clearly shows that UNR and UNLV "are equitably funded when taking into account UNR's larger proportion of graduate and high cost programs."

He said the $534 difference per full-time equivalent student between Reno and Las Vegas is far less than the $3,000 differential many had claimed. But he acknowledged that UNLV's instruction funding is not keeping pace with enrollment growth.

Chancellor Richard Jarvis was happy with the study, noting that the legislature is considering a bill this session to examine the funding formula.

"Any funding formula needs to re-examined after a time," Jarvis said.

He also pointed out that every institution in the system made a good case for funding needs in different areas.

"But CCSN is the most urgent right now," he said. "CCSN and UNLV need help."

But Jarvis knows getting the financial support isn't going to be easy. Regents already have requested an additional $18 million to fund growth.

"We are in desperate need for help from the legislature," he said.

None of the system's presidents are more desperate than CCSN's Richard Moore. His college has grown 192 percent over the past 10 years and continues its upward spiral.

"We are in a serious personnel shortage -- especially with two major new buildings going on line," Moore said.