Harter withdraws bid for South Florida job

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.

UNLV President Carol Harter decided being a Rebel is better than being a Bull, she's just not telling why.

Harter issued a three-line statement Tuesday saying she withdrew from the president search at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She gave no reason in the statement for her decision to no longer pursue the opening at 34,000-student university, that sports a bull mascot.

"I have decided to withdraw from the search for the presidency of the University of South Florida," the statement read. "USF is a fine institution, and I am confident they will find a first-rate president to lead their university. I wish them the best of luck."

When reached at her home Tuesday night, Harter said she doesn't talk with the media after business hours. A message left at her office Tuesday afternoon was not returned. She was in a meeting this morning, and UNLV spokesman Tom Flagg said Harter could not be reached for further comment.

Had she landed the USF job, Harter could have received a substantial raise from the $186,000 salary and $18,000 in automobile and housing allowances she currently makes for heading the 23,337-student UNLV campus.

South Florida's last president, Betty Castor made $227,000 when she resigned last year to take a job in Washington, D.C. South Florida presidents also are given a house and a car, and the Florida Board of Regents has decided to pay the next South Florida president a salary between $184,300 to $266,800 based on experience.

Regent Mark Alden, who voted against extending Harter's contract two years ago, said he was surprised by Harter's decision to drop out of the running for the South Florida job.

"I really need to talk to her before I comment, but I thought she was in real good shape for that job," Alden said. "She was more than qualified for the position. I'm surprised, but it's their loss and our gain."

Harter was one of seven finalists for the job, and Board of Regents Chair Jill Derby said that Harter's decision to stay at UNLV says something about the university.

"I'm delighted that she has made this decision," Derby said. "I wasn't surprised because I felt she always wanted to stay. She really loves Las Vegas and Nevada."

After Friday's Board of Regents meeting Harter said she was just exploring her options by considering the South Florida job.

Harter, who became UNLV president in 1995 after leaving the State University of New York at Geneseo, is up for a contract review by the regents in June. The contract could be extended until 2004, or the board could decide to begin a search for a new president.

If the regents decide not to extend Harter's contract they would face filling not only that position, but also the position of chancellor and the presidency of the Community College of Southern Nevada. Richard Jarvis resigned as chancellor on Aug. 31, 1999, and Richard Moore stepped down from the CCSN presidency on Saturday to become president of the yet-to-be-built state college in Henderson.

"That was a situation that was worrying me if she (Harter) had taken the job in Florida," Derby said. "One of the board's most important jobs is to find people qualified for these leadership positions. There are only 11 regents. We're already stretched thin trying to fill the two open positions, and it would be more of a stretch to fill three."

Regent Howard Rosenberg said he was glad that Harter had made her decision, and he hoped the board could move onto other things.

"We've got a lot to do, and I think she wanted to stay because she knows there is so much that still needs to be accomplished," Rosenberg said. "Sure there were some that were upset that she was looking at another opportunity, but there were also those that showed her tremendous support. I don't know if she had felt that kind of support here before, and it may have touched her for the first time."