CCSN student body to receive less funding

Jennifer Knight

Monday, Dec. 10, 2001 | 9:09 a.m.

A long history of financial mismanagement led the state Board of Regents Friday to put Community College of Southern Nevada's student government on a drastic fiscal diet.

Regents voted 6-4 to reduce the discretionary funding of CCSN's student government from $535,000 to $230,000 per year.

"I feel like we're being abandoned and we're very much wanting to show you what we can do," CCSN student government senator Maria Katan said.

Referring to a vote the regents made Thursday to raise admission standards at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she added, "We are going to probably get more students at our institution now that you've raised the GPA. If at all possible, we need to raise the amount of funding we get."

The minimum weighted grade point average for UNLV is due to rise to 3.0 by 2010. The community college has no minimum. In a weighted GPA, more points are given to harder, honors courses.

While regents said they did not blame current student government leaders for the predicament, the structure was not there to guarantee any further misuse of funds.

CCSN's student government came under scrutiny after a February 2000 audit revealed that more than $90,000 in student fees were used to pay for parties, out-of-state junkets and expensive dinners for student government leaders in 1999. Similar spending habits had occurred in previous years as well.

"I have dealt with this problem since 1981 and it's a continuous problem," Ruell Fiant, CCSN faculty chairman, said.

In August CCSN officials put into place a better advising structure, but several regents felt the measures were too little too late.

"We're out of control here," Regent Mark Alden said. "Student government is for students, it's not a pork barrel for student government programs."

The vote reduces student government funding from $2 per credit hour to 50 cents. Regents Jill Derby, Linda Howard, Thalia Dondero and Howard Rosenberg were against the reduction.

The $300,000 in funding that was taken away from CCSN student government's discretionary account will go into a capital improvement account earmarked for projects that benefit students.

Several leaders of student government from around the state also came out against the resolution, despite the fact that CCSN receives the most money per student than any other community college in Nevada. The state's other community colleges get 50 cents per credit hour for student government.

"Equity does not mean taking away from the one who makes the most," Carlos Ledon, UNR's graduate student body president, said. "You should be adding to the ones who have the least."

"For me, it's just an equity issue," Regent Doug Seastrand said. "From my perspective, all the institutions should be at the same level."

The changes won't take effect until July 2002, the beginning of a new fiscal year.