Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Minority student college programs lack funds

The state Board of Regents may not be able to afford a list of proposals it signed off on last year that would have helped minority students deal with the negative effects of raising college admissions standards.

When regents voted last April to increase admissions standards, they also agreed to consider a list of recommendations made by minority leaders to mitigate problems caused by the newer standards.

The list included more than $7 million in estimated programs to be dealt with at a later date. The regents will deal with those on Thursday. The top program in jeopardy of being cut is the Millennium Bound Outreach Program.

The outreach program would set up recruiting centers in high-need areas such as North Las Vegas. While some regents say there is not enough state money to cover the $500,000 outreach center, one regent warned that if the board does approve the expense, it will be breaking a promise to the minority community.

"It would be ethically immoral if the board votes 'no,' " Regent Linda Howard said. "They will have broken their promise."

The board has already implemented some of the recommendations, but the higher education system faces severe budget cuts this year that preclude it from spending more money, said Jane Nichols, Nevada's higher education chancellor.

"We have been taking all of the recommendations and finding some way to move in a forward direction as much as we can," Nichols said.

The proposal was made by the Minority Coalition, a group of local minority organizations. Regents agreed to the 24-item list in concept only. But items with costs attached would have to be reviewed, Nichols said.

Aside from the Millennium Bound Outreach Program, the list also asked that the university set aside about $1.8 million for minority and low-income recruitment programs. Another $5 million a year was requested for need-based scholarships.

"Those are wishes, not needs," Regent Steve Sisolak said. "We're scrimping here. We're not going back on a promise. Sept. 11 came along and then the economy went bad."

While some of the items on the list are negotiable, one minority leader said the outreach center is a pivotal decision.

"The biggest thing we hear in the minority community is there are too many hoops to jump through to get the information for financial aid and scholarships," said Andres Ramirez, chair of Nevada Hispanic Democratic Caucus.

Regent Mark Alden, who is against the project says the outreach center duplicates what is already in place and is a waste of money.

"It's all about pork," Alden said. "It's all a duplication of services that are already being provided by the university and community college. We don't need it. It's a waste of public money."

Both the Community College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have minority outreach centers that serve low-income areas. Both centers recruit in low-income areas and hold information seminars in community centers to get the word out about their institution.

The problem, minority leaders say, is that there is only one minority-based outreach center located in a low-income area.

"In the minority community, there's (only one center), which has a very small staff in a facility that is limited in space and operates on a shoestring budget." Howard said. "The Millennium Bound Outreach Center is needed to help break the cycle of poverty and ignorance."

Regents are expected to vote on the issue Thursday during a meeting at the Community College of Southern Nevada, Cheyenne campus.

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