Regents won’t pursue question of job conflict

Jennifer Knight

Friday, Jan. 31, 2003 | 10:07 a.m.

A request to seek an attorney general's opinion on whether a college faculty member can serve on the Board of Regents was denied Thursday by an 8-5 vote.

The request concerned Regent Howard Rosenberg, who is an art professor at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The regents, who oversee the University and Community College System, finish their meetings today at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

At least one regent felt the request was a potentially divisive issue for the board.

"There is the perception that there is a personal issue that underlies this," Regent Jill Derby said. "We'd like to say that it is an issue that is on the agenda for good reason, but the truth is, it is inevitably personal if you have someone who sits on the board and who also works within the system."

Regent Doug Hill, who brought up the matter, said his reason for doing so was that many of the candidates for regent during the 2002 election were also faculty members.

"We have an elephant in the middle of the living room -- and the issue is, are we going to tiptoe around the elephant or are we going to put this issue to rest?" Hill said.

Last year Hill asked that Rosenberg be considered for censure because of his alleged interference in an employee matter last year.

A series of contentious issues, name-calling and controversies has cropped up within the past four months, causing considerable damage to the reputation of the Board of Regents.

"I think this issue coming before us at this time extends that (controversy) forward and I don't see that serving us in any way," Derby said.

Rosenberg received the blessing of the attorney general's office in 1996 to run for regent. The state Ethics Commission seconded that decision in 1997.

Hill said those opinions were not good enough and said he wanted an official legal opinion from newly elected Attorney General Brian Sandoval.

Regents Bret Whipple, Stavros Anthony, Mark Alden, Marcia Bandera and Hill voted in favor of making the request.