Henderson lands first four-year college

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 9:57 a.m.

Henderson State College would join the state's two-year community colleges - Community College of Southern Nevada, Truckee Meadows Community College, Great Basin College and Western Nevada Community College - and the state's universities - University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of Nevada, Reno.

The vote Wednesday to create the college came after a presentation by Assemblyman Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, who said there will be a 134 percent increase in high school graduation by 2010 and, because of the Millennium Scholarship program, a corresponding increase in college enrollment.

"We are going to need a whole boxful of new seats for these students," he said.

Under the Millennium Scholarship program, each Nevada high school graduate with a B average or higher can receive $10,000 to attend a state college or university.

The vote was 9-0, although some regents and several students expressed concern there was not enough money for the present University and Community College System, and that the new college would take money from existing schools.

Regent Mark Alden said the new college would reduce per-student costs in the long run. He said the cost of educating a student in a four-year college is about $6,000 a year, while it runs $15,000 in universities.

Regents David Phillips and Tom Kirkpatrick abstained from voting.

Members then voted 6-5 to reject a move by Regent Tom Wiesner to appoint Community College of Southern Nevada President Richard Moore president of the new college.

Instead, they directed Chairwoman Jill Derby to name a search committee that must decide by January whether Moore should be named president or a national search conducted.

Perkins, sponsor of legislation that allocated $500,000 to study whether a college should be in Henderson, said the state's second largest city has an "indescribable excitement" about the school.

He predicted at least $50 million would be raised from private donors. Three to five sites consisting of 200 to 300 acres are under consideration for the campus. The city of Henderson will donate the land.