Some regents fear open policy hinders search for chancellor

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 10:57 a.m.

Some university regents fear that the open search process mandated by state law might scare some of the better candidates for chancellor away.

People who currently are heading up systems for or are presidents of major universities will not want to put their name up for consideration unless they know there is a good chance they will be finalists, northern regents Doug Hill and Jill Derby said via video and telephone conference at a search committee meeting Thursday.

It's not uncommon for someone in higher education to lose their current job, or lose Legislative support or donor support, when it becomes public they have applied for another job, said Jan Greenwood, president of the search company Greenwood and Associates Inc.

State law mandates that the names be made public as soon as the public committee of regents, system presidents, faculty and students receives them either from the search consultant or the candidates themselves, chief general counsel Daniel Klaich said. The University and Community College System of Nevada typically hires search consultants to keep the candidates' names confidential as long as possible, shielding the damage to candidates.

Only the top 10 applicants usually go forward, but Hill said he wanted that narrowed to the top three or five candidates.

Hill suggested that current Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers work with the search consultant to help select the finalists for his position.

Hill's recommendation, while possible under the open meeting law, could also be viewed as setting up a subcommittee, Klaich said. He also said that if he, as a system officer, had copies of the candidates' resumes in advance, that would become public information.

Klaich said it would be "completely inappropriate" for any member of the search committee to talk to the candidates in private or help screen the candidates prior to the public meeting.

Regent Steve Sisolak agreed, adding that he "found it offensive that we are even discussing ways to circumvent the openness of this process."

The regents took no action on the conversation, which regent committee chairman Bret Whipple said gave the search consultant flexibility in determining the number of candidates to bring forward.

Whipple said it would have been improper to have anyone from the system try to screen the candidates in advance.

Greenwood, who is still waiting for the full Board of Regents to approve her contract at the February meeting, plans to present the candidates on April 25. The regents are tentatively scheduled to complete the search process and appoint the next chancellor by mid-May.

System policy mandates that the chancellor, as the chief executive officer and treasurer for the entire system, be paid more than the highest paid president. Not including the foundational support given to UNLV President Carol Harter, the highest paid president is newly appointed Nevada State College chief Fred Maryanski at $225,000 a year. The maximum a chancellor may be paid under system policy is $333,900.

Former Chancellor Jane Nichols made about $210,000, plus a $24,000 housing allowance and an $8,000 car allowance.