Regents snub faculty, pick new CCSN chief

Jennifer Knight

Monday, Dec. 15, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

Ignoring pleas from faculty and students to hold off on an interim president for Community College of Southern Nevada, the state Board of Regents voted Friday to appoint a man who helped bring $100,000 to the college.

Regents said Paul C. Gianini Jr. of Florida came highly recommended, but that he is not without controversy. He sits on the board of the Hites Family Community College Scholarship Foundation, which gave a "challenge grant" to CCSN this year that stipulated if the college raised $50,000 it would give the $100,000.

"It looks like he gave $100,000 and now he gets a job," Regent Steve Sisolak said. "I really don't get that."

At a meeting at University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Tam Alumni Center, regents voted 7-5 to hire Gianini, sight unseen.

Gianini will start on Jan. 5 with an annual salary of $160,000, which will be prorated, and will serve for an estimated six months until regents can find a permanent replacement.

He replaces Ron Remington, who was removed as president on Nov. 20 after allegations that his administration dealt out political favors in the form of jobs.

Regents reassigned Remington to a faculty position after an investigation into allegations that one of his advisers engaged in improper hiring and lobbying practices.

Remington asked the regents Thursday to give him an opportunity to present his side of the story, but was denied a request for a January open session meeting. Regents instead rejected rescinding the earlier removal.

Remington's replacement was named despite faculty members asking for a delay on the decision.

"As the Faculty Senate chair, I cannot endorse this candidate until we can meet with him and speak to him," Mitzi Ware said. "We do make a very strong recommendation to postpone this decision until January."

Evelyn Flores, CCSN's student government president, echoed Ware's concerns.

"The only reason why we want to do this is so we can meet him, and if we don't like him, we'd like another option," Flores said.

Regents Tom Kirkpatrick, Doug Hill, Mark Alden, Bret Whipple, Jack Lund Schofield, Jill Derby and Chairman Stavros Anthony ignored those requests, voting to approve Gianini.

Regents Thalia Dondero, Howard Rosenberg, Marcia Bandera, Linda Howard and Sisolak voted against the appointment.

"To delay it until the January meeting is catastrophic for everyone," Alden said.

Rosenberg tried to make a case to listen to the faculty.

"We have invited their input over and over again and we have ignored it every time," Rosenberg said. "I don't think the institution is going to fall apart in one month. They're asking us to trust them the way we are asking them to trust us."

Kirkpatrick said he worried that if the board waited, it may lose a good thing.

"I know that when I look at his (resume) he is extremely qualified and I don't want to lose him," Kirkpatrick said.

Gianini comes from Orlando, Fla., where he served as president of Valencia Community College from 1984 to 2000. He also finished a stint earlier this year as interim president of Aims Community College in Colorado.

Flores, angry with the regents' actions, has suggested students should attempt a recall of certain regents.

Howard addressed Flores Friday and offered help in those efforts.

"To me this is so undemocratic to not have the opportunity to be heard," Howard said. "To me it's important to know who this person is who is going to be, in charge of people's lives. I understand there are some people who want to do a recall on the people who have disenfranchised the people at CCSN, and I will put you in contact with someone who will help you if that's what you think you need to do to get some justice."