Interim president named for new college

Jennifer Knight

Friday, March 8, 2002 | 10:42 a.m.

RENO -- Newly appointed Nevada State College President Chris Chairsell has a daunting "To Do" list: Hire faculty, move into new facilities, recruit students -- and stem the tide of negative impressions about the Henderson college.

"I think we need to turn around community perceptions," Chairsell said Thursday after being appointed interim president. "We're all educators and we need to be good at educating the public by keeping them informed (about the college)." Chairsell inherits an institution that has been under intense scrutiny after the resignation of founding president Richard Moore. After Moore's resignation, lawmakers urged the Board of Regents to rethink the project. Three members of the board wanted to delay the college's Sept. 3 opening.

"It is really, the way I see it, a 'virtual institution,' " Regent Linda Howard said. "I know of at least four senators who sit on the interim finance committee who do not think this is a good idea." Chairsell said she plans to persuade the public that the school will open on time. She plans to meet with community members to try to ease their concerns.

With the college's proposed curriculum already hammered out and under review, Chairsell will turn her attention to hiring key faculty members. All personnel matters had been placed on hold in the wake of Moore's exit.

The regents voted 6-4 to grant Chairsell the six-month post. Regents Laura Lopez Hobbs, Steve Sisolak, Tom Kirkpatrick and Howard voted against her.

"If that college is going to open on Sept. 3, (the president) has to be a dynamite person who has some experience in the delivery of a four-year degree," Kirkpatrick said. "(Chairsell) just doesn't have it."

"You have only received your doctorate less than a year ago," Kirkpatrick told Chairsell. Chairsell, who has been working within the state university system for 16 years, pointed to her experience as a lecturer, a dean and a provost. The latter two positions were at the Community College of Southern Nevada, where she helped develop the distance education program and a weekend college, she said.

While Kirkpatrick questioned Chairsell's credentials, Sisolak criticized the use of university system resources to pay for the state college.

Chairsell will place on hold her work as an associate vice chancellor of academic affairs for the university system. She will continue to receive her annual pay of $114,446 from the state, but will receive an additional $17,167 in private funding, bringing her salary to $131,613.

The college hopes to receive the regents' approval on the proposed curriculum in April. That would pave the way to begin recruiting students. So far 46 students have signed up for the state college.

"I'm not going to say that we're going to have 500 full-time students the first semester," Chairsell said. "But once the public is convinced this (project) is going to happen, it will."

In a separate action, regents voted 7-2 to approve Moore's request that he be reassigned to a tenured teaching position. Sisolak and Kirkpatrick voted against reassigning Moore. Lopez Hobbs abstained from the vote. Moore will make $90,000 for a nine-month contract starting July 1. Until then he will continue to receive his regular pay as president, which was based on a yearly salary of $185,000. Moore was also granted six months' paid leave.