Some regents against increase of 2 members

Jennifer Knight

Monday, June 18, 2001 | 10:47 a.m.

Some of the Board of Regents, who govern state's higher education institutions, were not happy Friday when news came to them from the 2001 Legislature that two more regents will be added to their already-divided board.

"If we go to 13 regents, it will be like sitting 13 orangutans on the dais," Regent Mark Alden said. "Not only will it be an embarrassment for the state, but for the nation. We'll lose all oversight."

The board has been sharply divided on a number of issues, especially reapportionment. It took regents seven votes, stretched between two meetings, for them to come to a consensus on reapportionment.

Their recommendation to increase their 11-member board by two came after a 7-4 vote on April 19. Legislators backed that decision by voting in favor of the expansion during Thursday's special session.

Every 10 years lines district lines must be redrawn, based on the decennial census, and board members and legislators can reassess their board size.

Those in favor of the increase argued that a larger board would allow better representation at committees. The opposing side wanted to shrink the board to 10, arguing that there would be less dissension in the ranks.

The legislative decision created two new districts in the south. One district will be primarily Hispanic in Clark County and the other will be an open rural area, Jane Nichols, Nevada's higher education chancellor, said.

"Some of us have totally new districts," board Chairwoman Thalia Dondero said. "Mine was a Hispanic district, and now I just don't know."

Elections for the new board members will be held in 2002. The new regents will take their seats at the beginning of 2003.