Editorial: Hiring raises ethics issue

Friday, April 29, 2005 | 5:12 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

April 30 - May 1, 2005

After conducting a national search to fill a new opening for a computer scientist, UNLV selected Doug Seastrand, a member of the Board of Regents. This is the board that governs the University and Community College System of Nevada, which includes UNLV. Its 13 members have power over budgets, audits, curriculum, employee discipline, pay, hiring and firing, sports, land-use decisions, expansion plans and all other essential operations of the state's higher-education system. The chancellor and all of the state's college and university presidents answer to the board for all of their decisions.

Seastrand has been an effective and respected regent since winning election to the board in 1998. And he is a computer scientist by profession. But in our view, his sudden announcement Thursday that he was resigning from the board to accept a job with UNLV raises an ethical question. Should a regent, who holds such power over the state's colleges and universities, be allowed to seek employment with them?

In weighing this question, try to imagine the uncomfortable position that college and university presidents, or other top university officials, would find themselves in when interviewing someone who, essentially, is their boss. How likely is it that the regent would be passed over, considering that he has influence over everything that happens at the college or university? That influence extends to the annual performance evaluation of the person interviewing him.

There is another angle, too, that is of concern. If a regent applies for a job at a college or university, and the job does not get filled for several months, how tempting would it be for the regent to side with that institution on every issue that comes before the board? We can imagine the complimentary rhetoric that would come gushing forward, at least until the job was filled. And if it were to be filled by another candidate, isn't it reasonable to suspect that the regent would suddenly sprout a chip on his shoulder toward that campus? Regents are only human, and such emotions are apt to play out in cases where there are conflicts of interest.

We believe the board should develop a policy that prohibits regents from applying for any jobs within the University and Community College System, a policy that would apply until a regent has been off the board for a year. The regents are in place to serve the public, not themselves. Seastrand's new job consists of developing computer programs to help local and federal agencies fight terrorism, and his salary will come from the campus's research foundation, not state tax dollars. Nevertheless, he will be a UNLV employee, one who had power over those who hired him.