Letter: College funding gap is hurting quality of education

Sunday, March 21, 1999 | 11:22 a.m.

Several new regents, led by fellow alumnus Steve Sisolak and former UNLV professor Tom Kirkpatrick (and joined by Regent Mark Alden), have recognized the importance of this issue and were successful in persuading the Board of Regents to hold a special meeting on the subject.

During her presentation at the Board of Regents' February meeting, UNLV President Dr. Carol Harter explained that in 1980, the gap in funding in favor of UNR was $377 per student FTE (Full-Time Equivalent). In 1986, when the funding formula was initiated, the gap was $508 per student FTE. By 1998 the gap had increased to $2,821 per student FTE.

Without major changes to the funding formula, the gap will only continue to widen. It has been estimated that the gap is increasing at an average rate of $108 per student FTE each year. The funding issue is quite clear: Although 61.1 percent of the student enrollment in the University and Community College System of Nevada is in the two southern schools, UNLV and CCSN, only 45.2 percent of the budget is allocated to UNLV and CCSN.

What does the funding gap issue mean to UNLV? It means that, unlike UNR, we do not receive many millions of dollars that UNLV so desperately needs to address the explosive growth in numbers of students, the addition of quality undergraduate and graduate programs, and the need for facilities to house new faculty, student classrooms and university programs.

UNLV must be adequately funded if it is to continue to grow in both quantity of students taught and quality of programs and activities offered.

James Ratigan, President, UNLV Alumni Association Board of Directors