Rawson: No formal offer of dean post

Art Nadler and Cy Ryan

Thursday, June 17, 1999 | 11:02 a.m.

The main proponent of a dental school in Southern Nevada denied rumors Thursday that he has been asked to accept the prestigious deanship of the school.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, said he has had "informal" talks with several people about becoming dean, including UNLV President Carol Harter, but no formal offer has been put on the table.

"I've met with Carol (Harter) a number of times about the dental school," Rawson said this morning. "She informally asked if that was something I'd be interested in. I haven't had a formal offer, and I haven't made a decision yet on whether I would accept it."

Harter is attending a meeting of the regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada today and Friday in Carson City. She declined to say whether she talked to Rawson and said the decision would be made in the next couple of months.

Chancellor Richard Jarvis said the appointment "is entirely up to the UNLV president." He acknowledged that there have been discussions with the senator about the deanship.

Rawson noted that he is currently employed as dental director of the system, earning a little more than $140,000 a year.

"I have this position and I have tenure," Rawson said. "I would think the deanship would be full time. You can't do both jobs at the same time."

The senator emphasized that the important thing is to get the dental school started so poor children and the elderly have access to dental care.

Earlier this week Harter announced she was using $360,000 from a private donor to get the dental school program going at UNLV. She said she might also pump in $280,000 in money left over from a contract settlement agreement with former UNLV basketball coach Rollie Massimino.

Rawson said it is "tremendous" that Harter had committed so much money to the program.

The $30 million, 100,000-square-foot dental school is scheduled to be built at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Maryland Parkway. It's expected to be completed by the fall of 2000.

The dental school will be the 56th in the nation and the 38th at a public institution.

The 1999 Legislature authorized the system to issue $30 million in revenue bonds to build the school. Rawson is also hoping to use $5 1/2 million out of $13 million in Medicaid money for the project.

Three dental residency students start classes on July 1 in Las Vegas as part of a University of Nevada School of Medicine and University Medical Center dental program. They will temporarily use classrooms at the Community College of Southern Nevada campus on West Charleston Boulevard.

University officials say the appointment of a dean must be made soon to get the school moving toward accreditation.

Rawson said he felt a founding dean must be appointed by August. He said a search committee could then be selected to recruit a permanent dean at a later date.