Regents eye interim chancellor

Dan Kulin

Tuesday, May 4, 2004 | 11:35 a.m.

Having yet to discuss the replacement of the chancellor in a public meeting, university system regents have already been given a proposed contract that would make television station owner Jim Rogers the interim chancellor.

The University and Community College System of Nevada's attorney, Tom Ray, wrote a draft contract at the request of board chairman Stavros Anthony and that was sent to regents and Rogers.

At a meeting Friday the regents are expected to discuss hiring Rogers, who has made a pitch for the job in the media and with regents individually.

Regent Howard Rosenberg said having a contract ready for the meeting leaves him with the impression that others have already decided there will be an interim chancellor and it will be Rogers.

"I'm angry," Rosenberg said. "This is not the way to do this.

"If we have a draft contract already then it seems that groups have decided we'll have an interim chancellor. I just hate walking into a meeting feeling the decision's already been made. Why else would you have someone draft a contract?"

Rogers, owner of Sunbelt Communications Co., which includes the Las Vegas station KVBC Channel 3, has offered to serve as interim chancellor for $1. He has also said he would serve as permanent chancellor for up to four years if asked.

Several regents have said they were in favor of putting Rogers in the job, but the regents have not publicly discussed filling the job since Chancellor Jane Nichols last month announced her intention to retire because of health reasons.

Anthony said Rogers' employment has not been decided yet.

"I put it on the agenda for the board to decide. It's up to the majority of the board now," Anthony said.

Anthony also said he asked that the proposed contract be on the agenda so the regents would have more information when deciding whether to take Rogers' up on his offer to serve as interim chancellor.

"They could be interested in Jim Rogers but not in the contract," he said. "This gives the board the entire picture to look at instead of bits and pieces."

The proposed contract calls for paying Rogers $8,060 a year, the minimum salary allowed by law, giving him a $10,000 host account, which is similar to an expense account, and would allow the regents or Rogers to terminate the agreement with 30 days notice.

A copy of the two-page contract was provided to the Sun Monday afternoon by Regent Mark Alden after the regents' attorney refused to release a copy of the contract.

Ray said he did not have to make the document available to the public because "in this case, until it's approved, it's just a rough draft."

Alden said he was willing to share his copy of the proposed contract because he believes in open government.

"It didn't say confidential on it and my theory has always been that everything's been in the open," Alden said.

Alden said he supports bringing Rogers in as interim chancellor, and added that the proposed contract also seems to be a good one.

"There are no hidden clauses in here," he said. "How anyone can vote against this I don't know."

Alden said if Rogers is appointed interim chancellor he should hold the position for at least a year so the university system doesn't have to bring in a new leader just before or during the 2005 session of the state Legislature.

Rosenberg said he feels his colleagues are rushing into this decision and said they should first discuss trying to find a new, permanent chancellor.

Rosenberg believes they should bring on a consultant to help find a new chancellor before she leaves. Nichols said she would stay on until Oct. 15.

Anthony argued that five months is too short a time to find a new chancellor.

"A search like this could take up to a year," he said.

A generous donor to higher education, Rogers has given more than $200 million to higher education across the country, including $28.5 million to the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Rogers could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.