Bill cutting regents will get more study

Jennifer Knight

Thursday, March 27, 2003 | 9:13 a.m.

An Assembly bill that would reduce the size of the state Board of Regents and require universities to stop releasing student information to private companies was sent back to committee for more work Wednesday.

Assembly Bill 353 generated considerable debate among members of the Assembly Education Committee about both the role of the regents and the unintended consequences of stopping the release of student information.

The first provision in the bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, prohibits all higher education institutions in the state from releasing the name, address, phone number and other information on students for commercial purposes unless the student grants written permission to do so.

"I think college students today have enough stress," said Bonnie Parnell, a former assemblywoman, adding that automatic release of student information was unnecessary.

Providing student names to credit card companies generates revenue for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Critics said the bill would have unintended consequences of taking students off the list to receive information about items, such as student honors, that students do want.

The bill also would shrink the board that oversees the University and Community College System from 13 to seven members. All terms would expire on Jan. 3, 2005. It would also reduce the number of years a regent can serve, from six to four.