Bill would have governor appoint regents board

Jennifer Knight

Friday, Nov. 15, 2002 | 11:23 a.m.

Momentum is building to have the Board of Regents become an appointed rather than an elected body -- an idea that both the governor and state senate majority leader favor after recent strife on the board that oversees the state's universities and colleges.

In three months, the Legislature is scheduled to discuss a bill to reduce the 11-member Board of Regents to five members appointed by the governor. This change would require an amendment to the state constitution.

"I have long been an advocate of having the regents be an appointed body or at least having some of them be appointed by the governor," said state Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno.

"The governor would view that concept favorably," Gov. Kenny Guinn's spokesman, Greg Bortolin, said.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, will hit the Legislature at a time when the board's latest imbroglio is fresh on people's minds. Two regents recently publicly exchanged barbs over the issue of student privacy and one of those regents, Linda Howard, has made accusations of "institutional racism" in the university system.

"This is not a punitive action," Giunchigliani said. "It is just a way of saying that I think something is broken and it needs to be fixed."

The latest bombshell to hit the university and community college system is the revelation that three regents have asked to gain access to either student records or employee files. The most extensive request came from Howard, who obtained thousands of student names and grade records.

"This should not be a bully pulpit," Giunchigliani said. "They have a role to play. They shouldn't be beating themselves up during a time of budget crisis."

The board is scheduled to expand from 11 to 13 members in January, which could make it even less manageable, she said.

In response to those who worry that a governor-appointed board would be too politicized, Giunchigliani said she wants appointments to be recommended by a group of constituents.

The state constitution would need to be changed to make the Board of Regents an appointed panel. The bill would have to pass through both legislative houses twice and then win the popular vote -- a process that would likely take six years. Legislative officials are looking into whether that process could be circumvented if the board would be partially appointed.

"I think it's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of in all of my life," Regent Howard Rosenberg said. "Why on earth would anyone in their right mind think that people would give up their right to vote or participate in government?"

One board member said he is in favor of appointments.

"I'm definitely in favor of it," Regent Mark Alden said. "We're one of the last two states not to have an appointed board. We're a billion-dollar system and it would work better that way."