Legislators face tough tests regarding higher education

Jennifer Knight

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2001 | 11:27 a.m.

While UNLV students returned to classes Tuesday, state legislators will go to school in less than a month on the state's higher education budget. The decisions before them will shape not only the future of the university, but also of higher education in Nevada.

Legislators will have to choose from among three proposed campuses in the university system -- a Summerlin campus for UNLV, a new satellite campus for the University of Nevada, Reno, and the proposed Nevada State College at Henderson.

Out of the $1 billion Board of Regents' higher education budget, UNLV has asked for $295.6 million in state funding, a 16 percent increase from the last two-year budget cycle.

About $136.8 million in capital improvement money has been requested to construct several new buildings, such as a student services center and a new science/engineering building.

"If our funding is approved as requested, financial aid, overcrowding and accessibility are all items are on the top of the list that need to be addressed," George Scaduto, UNLV's associate vice president for finance, said.

The university is also asking for $1 million in "one-shot" money to build a satellite campus in Summerlin, which would come from the state's surplus.

The University of Nevada, Reno submitted a similar request for $1.8 million that includes a satellite campus in Redfield, 10 miles south of Reno, and legislators will also consider $3 million in start-up costs for Nevada State College at Henderson.

The three campuses will compete for the same surplus dollars, along with other state agencies that would love to have the extra money.

There is little clarity yet which items Gov. Kenny Guinn will put in his final budget. He told the Sun Monday that "some money" will be set aside for the Henderson campus, after noting two weeks ago that his budget did not include money for the proposed college.

The Henderson college ranks eighth on the university regents' priority list, just below the proposed Summerlin and Redfield campuses.

"We're all anxious to see the final version of the governor's budget," Vice Chancellor Dan Miles said. "As to whether the (Henderson campus and UNLV) will go head to head for the same money, I guess that's the case, because there's only a certain amount of funding available."

The 2001 Legislature ultimately will decide whether the Henderson campus becomes a reality now or later, a choice that could give UNLV a smaller slice of the pie, and not only in state funding.

Some UNLV officials have expressed concern that the new state college's lower fees could attract undergraduates to their institution, drawing not only students but also their tuition away from the university.

Currently, fees paid to UNLV by undergraduates make up 32 percent of the university's revenue, Scaduto said.

Those students and that revenue are the bread and butter of most institutions, because of their large numbers, Juanita Fain, UNLV's vice president for administration, said.

A recent legislative study estimated that 1,000 students would enroll during the first year of the proposed state college in Henderson. The cost to attend the college is estimated to be 35 percent lower than UNLV, a figure that is expected to be a big attraction for those with limited means.

"If (the new school) is cheaper, I'd probably transfer," said freshman Skye Tyler, 18, an elementary education major who is the type of student the new school will cater to.

But ideally, Fain said, the two systems should complement one another, allowing the college system to act as a middle layer of education while the university system can concentrate more on research and graduate programs.

"I don't think we'll be competing, but there is that potential," she said.