Harter pushes UNLV as research facility

Monday, Aug. 19, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

RENO -- In five to seven years UNLV wants to be rated among the nation's top research universities while maintaining its No. 1 goal of teaching students.

The research would focus on economic development in Nevada, UNLV President Carol Harter told regents Friday.

One area to be studied is the transmutation of nuclear waste, a process in which the nuclear material is converted into a less radioactive product.

"We need all kinds of things on hazardous waste whether Yucca (Mountain) comes about or not," Harter said.

She also pushed for research into alternate sources of energy, and research into a variety of other projects, including new security systems for casinos and new computer games.

"Wouldn't it be great if we could light Las Vegas with something other than traditional electricity?" Harter said.

Harter outlined a preliminary draft of a master plan Friday at a meeting of the Board of Regents.

Regent Chairman Doug Seastrand told Harter that he has never seen a better plan.

The final plan will be submitted later to the regents for approval.

"While we are moving on a research agenda, student learning is still our top agenda item," Harter said.

Only 6 percent of the universities in the nation are rated in the top level for research by the Carnegie Commission, Harter said. UNLV is rated at the "research intensive" level.

The University of Nevada, Reno, Harter said, is rated slightly higher, at the "extensive" level, because it has a medical school and more research dollars.

One of UNLV's big needs, Harter said, is to make advances in sophisticated computers and technology.

"We're behind the (technology) curve," she told the regents.

The preliminary planning document says one goal is to develop and continuously upgrade "a research computing environment designed to support the high-speed computational, communication and educational needs of students and faculty engaged in research and creative activities."

"We don't have enough equipment, we don't have enough software, we don't have enough technically oriented staff members," Harter said. "In distance education, we have an unlimited possibility for students to be enrolled in distance education and computer active education, and we don't have near enough staff to help us do that. "These are very complex courses to create. But once they are created, you can have an unlimited enrollment through distance education." She said student computer labs need to be replaced every two or three years for upgrades.

"There is not enough money in technology," she said. "This is one of our budget requests."

Another area of research is biomedical studies in the cancer institute, with the aim of developing drugs.

UNLV created a 10-year master plan in 1996 but it needs to be updated, Harter said.

She noted that many of the institution's goals remain the same, such as fostering diversity and free expression on the campus.

Minority student enrollment has grown from 19 percent in 1996 to 30 percent, and 20 percent of the faculty is now minority, Harter said. But she said the school has to do better in those areas.

Harter said the school has to create free expression to talk about these subjects, rather than just increasing these numbers.

Another goal, she said, is to "hire, motivate and reward superior faculty, professional staff and classified staff."