Regents take a look at proposed college site in Henderson

Valerie Miller

Friday, March 31, 2000 | 10:19 a.m.

The Board of Regents got to see the proposed site for the Nevada State College at Henderson firsthand Thursday on a tour with President Richard Moore.

The tour was coupled with a presentation by the LandWell Co., which owns the site.

The regents braved blustery winds to go to the edge of the proposed 300-acre site northeast of the intersection of Boulder Highway and Lake Mead Drive.

"I told the city we needed close to a 300-acre site with room to expand; otherwise you'll end up being landlocked like UNLV is," Moore said.

The college could grow to 500 or 600 acres in the next 30 to 40 years, Moore said.

If the Legislature approves funding for the college, plans call for an initial enrollment in fall 2001 of 400 full-time students in temporary facilities and 600 part-time students.

The college would need $63 million for the first three buildings on the campus, which would include an academic classroom building, a student services and administration building, and a library.

During a luncheon that followed the tour, Moore expressed a desire to start off offering not only bachelor's degrees, but also select master's degrees in high-demand fields such as teacher education. The idea, however, did not sit well with some regents.

"We can't start out this way, offering master's degrees. We have to evolve into that," Regent Dorothy Gallagher said. "Right now we need to focus on the need for bachelor's degrees and filling in the gaps where they are needed."

One of Moore's biggest challenges right now is recruiting faculty before knowing if the Legislature is going to fund the school.

"I have to recruit people without any job guarantees," Moore told the regents.

Moore said the college will save money for the state.

"Sending all your students to universities instead of a state college is like putting all your employees in Lexuses when Fords would work just as well," Moore said.