Harter’s husband takes post that is close to home

Wednesday, March 1, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The husband of UNLV President Carol Harter has accepted a newly created position with the university system after being the only one interviewed for the job.

Michael Harter, now dean of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University in Sacramento, will take over his new post on July 10. The position splits time between the University of Nevada School of Medicine and the office of the chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Jane Nichols, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, said Tuesday Harter must fulfill his contract with the California system until June before he can take his new job, which is based in Las Vegas.

The job in the medical school is associate dean for planning to help form the new health sciences center in Las Vegas. In the chancellor's office, he will be health education coordinator.

The medical school post is a new position, but the job in the chancellor's office was formerly a full-time position until the Legislature failed to provide money for it.

A search committee on Feb. 11 decided to hire Harter, the only candidate interviewed for the job. The committee had planned to do a national search, but Harter, who apparently learned of the job from his wife, applied and was interviewed.

Nichols, a member of the search committee, said even in a national search Harter would have been the best person for the job because of his 20 years in the field of health. She said the search committee decided not to waste money on a national search.

Carol and Michael Harter have been in a long-distance marriage since Carol was named UNLV president in 1995. Michael Harter will take a pay cut to come to Nevada. He currently earns $5,200 more than the $120,000 salary he will receive in Nevada, and he was in line for a 6 percent to 7 percent pay raise at his old job.

Harter said part of the reason he is coming to Las Vegas is to join his wife, but he said that planning and implementing new health programs in fast-growing Nevada will be challenging.

"I find the job very attractive," he said. "It will be fun. There is lots to do and lots of needs to fill."

Nichols acknowledged the hiring of Michael Harter may cause controversy. Before his current job in California, Harter was dean of the school of professions at the State University of New York in Brockport.