Editorial: Needed: Money, not magic

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2002 | 8:48 a.m.

Fourteen months after being named founding president of the Nevada State College at Henderson, Richard Moore has resigned without achieving goals the Board of Regents and the Legislature felt he could manage on his own, with almost no public funding. Perhaps it was Moore's reputation as an educational maverick that led to such optimism. Under pressure from hospitals for more nurses and schools for more teachers, the state decided it needed another college specializing in those fields. Moore, who had seemingly accomplished so much in his five years as president of the Community College of Southern Nevada, was appointed president by the regents. But without state funding, he was president of a concept, not a college. Six months into his new job Moore's magic at CCSN came under severe criticism for being just that -- smoke-and-mirrors magic. And with no state funding acting as a guarantee that the new college would ever get built, Moore could nowhere near pull enough private mone! y or support out of the hat he was passing around.

At CCSN, Moore was the quintessential '90s man, one who thought out of the box and moved forward with new ideas, many of which were praiseworthy. After he became president of the Nevada State Concept at Henderson, serious questions arose about just how those CCSN enrollment figures shot up so fast. Moore's explanations satisfied the regents, who kept him on as president. But in his new position, Moore did not have a box to think out of. No staff. No campus. No real budget. Just Richard Moore, his reputation being assailed, banging around the county pleading for money. With the money he did raise, he hired consultants to help with curriculum and publicity -- at $1,000 a day. That too created a storm of controversy. Is this any way to start a college? Moore ultimately decided that if the college were to have any chance at all, he should resign as president.

That leaves a few questions for the future. What should be done about the opening date, set for September? With all that's remaining to be accomplished, an opening date of January or later should be considered. What should be done about the 35 students who have enrolled for the fall semester? The state should make accommodations for them at a state university or community college if the school doesn't open in September. What should be done about finding a new president? A national search, one that does not undercut the chances of a qualified local educator, should begin immediately. How should people feel about the college? A state university system should have colleges specializing in education and nursing, two critical public needs. The college should not be abandoned. Finally, what lesson can we learn about starting a new college? Most importantly, if a state college is to be started and private fund-raising is to be successful, the state needs to commit serious dollars.