Legislative committee considering raising tuition at Nevada schools

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1999 | 11:28 a.m.

Tuition will have to rise at colleges and universities to compensate for a shortage of state funds, Acting Chancellor Tom Anderes told a legislative committee Tuesday.

Discussion among committee members and university system officials also included talk of restructuring the Desert Research Institute, which now is an independent resource with branches in Northern and Southern Nevada.

Anderes told the Committee to Study the Funding of Higher Education that Nevada's tuition charges are low compared to the rest of the West and nation.

"The students in this state are getting a bargain." Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said. "I know a (tuition) raise is going into effect, but it's still a bargain compared to other places."

Jill Derby, chairwoman of the Board of Regents, said its top priority is to allow student access to the universities and community colleges. And that's why tuition has been kept low.

But Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, noted Nevada continues at or near the bottom of the states in the percentage of high school graduates that go on to college. He suggested this policy of low tuition that has been in effect for 10 years may not be working.

Derby said high school students may not go on to college in Nevada for a variety of reasons and there's no study why Nevada has a low rate.

As for the Desert Research Institute, discussion centered around dismantling its current independent status and putting its programs under UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno. Regent Mark Alden is looking at the issue.

"We seriously need to look at the impact as far as cost associated with bringing grants and research contracts," Alden said after the meeting. "Maybe we can do it better by DRI north folding into UNR and DRI south folding into UNLV.

"We got them (DRI) 40 years ago because we didn't do anything in this state as far as research. They've done a great job. My problem is what's the cost and what's the benefit?"

But UNR President Joe Crowley said dismantling DRI has been suggested in the past, and it has deeply divided the regents and the university system. He said that should not be part of the committee's study.

The committee also agreed to hire a consultant for an estimated $136,000 to look at other states on how they fund their higher education and return with suggestions on how Nevada might improve. The consultant would also study the reported inequities in the Nevada system.

The three finalists are Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning at the University of Utah; Larry L. Leslie, professor of higher education and vice dean at the university of Arizona, and Bill Pickens, former director of the California Postsecondary Commission, Center for Government Studies.

A subcommittee will study the proposals to be submitted by the three finalists, and Raggio will award the contract later this month.