Editorial: Turmoil at college is distracting

Friday, June 25, 2004 | 4:36 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

June 26 - 27, 2004

For more than 10 months now the critical role played by the Community College of Southern Nevada has been upstaged by political turmoil and possible criminal acts. Since the ugly situation began unfolding last fall, we have witnessed the resignation of Jane Nichols as the state university system's chancellor, the demotions of CCSN's president and chief lobbyist by the Board of Regents, the overturning of the demotions by a district judge because the board violated the open-meeting law, the hiring of a new CCSN president whose job status is now in question because of the judge's ruling, and the release of a 1,026-page report by a private investigator hired by the regents.

In short, the college is mired in questions about hiring practices, the role of administrators in lobbying for legislative bills not authorized by the Board of Regents, the possible misuse of expense accounts and whether cronyism played a role in the letting of its advertising contract. In a tensely divided vote over these questions, the board demoted Ron Remington from his position as CCSN president and John Cummings from his position as the college's lobbyist. There are also issues, raised in the private investigator's report, over the relationship during the 2003 Legislature among the university system, the college and Assemblyman Wendell Williams. As chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, Williams wields control over proposed legislation.

The Board of Regents has been unable to unravel the myriad allegations in any coherent manner, leaving the public wondering just what is going on at its community college. But it did one thing right -- it forwarded the private investigator's report to the state attorney general's office, the U.S. Attorney's office and to the FBI. We were heartened last week to learn that a federal grand jury has been convened and that the FBI has begun an investigation.

Also last week we reported that the community college is fighting a so-far losing battle to expand its auto mechanics program, in an effort to meet the insatiable hiring needs of Las Vegas repair shops and dealerships. Here is where the focus should be when it comes to our community college, on these kinds of issues. With the FBI now involved in the college's distracting political and possible criminal intrigue, we hope investigators will soon get to the bottom of what really happened, that anyone guilty of criminal or unethical conduct will be dealt with appropriately, and that the college can get on with its central mission of serving the community.