Harter says UNLV has land, needs money for Summerlin

Friday, Jan. 26, 2001 | 10:24 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- UNLV President Carol Harter says on March 31 the university will acquire 80 acres to develop a Summerlin campus, but money for developing the campus doesn't appear to be in this year's state budget.

The school will pay for the four 20-acre parcels over the next 15 years, and Harter said she is talking with dot-com companies who want to join in a partnership to develop the new high-tech campus.

Harter told a joint meeting of the budget committees of the Legislature Thursday she needed $1 million to hire an initial faculty to start drawing up a business plan.

"It's not possible to do it on the cheap," she said.

She also asked for $1 million to start the planning for a building at the campus.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has not included those requests in his budget for the university system. As Harter outlined these and other requests for UNLV, Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, cast doubt on the funding.

The University and Community College System of Nevada is taking 19.7 percent of Guinn's budget. The traditional allocation has ranged from 18 to 20 percent. And Raggio said he did not want to exceed that level.

The governor has recommended a $300 million, two-year budget for UNLV to come from state funds, student fees and other sources.

This doesn't include the budgets for the programs of intercollegiate athletics, statewide programs, the law schools, UNLV's business center and the dental program.

Harter told the committee UNLV is trying to develop professional schools. And it needs $1.6 million to start a clinical program for the law school to give students hands-on experience in dealing with real problems.

The law school has received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association, but it needs the clinical program to receive full accreditation.

Dean Richard Morgan of the Boyd School of Law said it will apply for full accreditation next year.