Report: State college profs not carrying full loads

Jennifer Knight

Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 | 11:08 a.m.

None of Nevada State College at Henderson's seven full-time teachers are carrying a full load and most are teaching to half-full classes, according to a report released by the university system Thursday.

The state college in its earliest design was billed as a "teaching college" where most of the faculty would be freed of the obligation to publish or research in order to concentrate on teaching. Yet of the seven teachers working for the college, none are carrying a 12-credit course load -- a schedule that amounts to about four classes.

State college president Kerry Romesburg said that this year was atypical because faculty had additional duties aside from teaching.

"The fact that no one is teaching 12 hours shouldn't surprise anyone because they are doing other duties now," Romesburg said.

The other duties include developing curriculum, writing course plans and visiting high schools.

The only faculty member without additional duties is Richard Moore, an economics professor who teaches one class. Moore stepped down last year as president of the state college and will make $101,391 this year and $93,000 next year.

Moore retained a higher salary because of his number of years with the University and Community College System and is the only one at the state college with tenure.

Moore teaches 13 students in his Economics 101 course, the fewest number of any teacher at the state college.

"That's $4,000 a student. The public should be outraged," said university Regent Steve Sisolak, who made the request for the report on teaching loads. "It's not fair to the school, the system and the taxpayers or to anybody. I'm sure Richard Moore feels guilty of taking advantage of the system."

Romesburg said Moore's duties should increase next year, but demand for his class just wasn't high this year. He said Moore had already developed the economics curriculum.

"The fact is, students are not signing up for economics and you can't force them to," Romesburg said.

Romesburg said Moore does have plans to develop an economic institute for the state college to study issues affecting Nevada's economy. But whether that project fits the institution's mission remains to be seen, he said.

Attempts to reach Moore this morning were not immediately successful.

The person teaching the highest load is Erika Beck, a psychology teacher who earns $57,600 a year and is carrying 11 credits. Beck's additional duties include serving as Faculty Senate chairwoman, developing online courses for her field and developing a degree program in psychology.

Jane Nichols, the system's chancellor, cautioned people to put the issue of teaching load in perspective, reiterating the additional duties that state college teachers have been given.

"What is misleading here is the intimation that they are not working full time," Nichols said. "They are teaching less so they can do the other things."

Nichols said she realized that low teaching load looked bad in light of the state's budget crunch and its adverse effect on the university system.

"It does look terrible," Nichols said. "I understand that. I understand that at a time when we are struggling to have enough courses for students, that on the face, it seems illogical. But you have to understand what they are building here."

The current Legislature will prove crucial to the college's existence because suggested funding for the college -- $6.7 million -- is half of what was originally planned.