College presidents push Pahrump transfer plan

Monday, Jan. 16, 2006 | 8:20 a.m.

Two community college presidents are pushing a plan to transfer control of the Pahrump Valley education center to a college better suited to meet the needs of rural students.

Richard Carpenter, president of the largely urban Community College of Southern Nevada, and Paul Killpatrick, president of rural Great Basin College, agree that the switch would help students in both districts.

Money is a major reason. The state pays Great Basin about $10,000 per full-time student each year, compared to $5,200 per pupil it pays to CCSN. The difference is largely a reflection of the economies of scale in the larger, 36,000-student college.

Great Basin would have more money to spend per student than does CCSN, which has been dipping into funds for its other students to cover the higher costs at Pahrump. The center costs nearly $1 million a year to operate, but with enrollment standing at the equivalent of 125 full-time students, CCSN received just $650,000 in funding, Carpenter said.

The idea for the transfer came from Pahrump residents. "It really is in their best interest," Carpenter said in remarks at his spring convocation speech at the Orleans showroom last week. The item is to come before regents Jan. 26 at CCSN's West Charleston campus.

Great Basin should break even and also probably expand the course offerings at Pahrump, said Carl Diekhans, Great Basin vice president of administrative services. Great Basin will offer bachelor's degree courses in Pahrump and the interactive video courses it now offers in Ely and Winnemucca, college officials said.

The move also means that Great Basin must seek more money from the state in the 2007 Legislature to cover the increase in student enrollment.

CCSN will still offer workforce development courses in Nye County at Yucca Mountain and at the Nevada Test Site, Carpenter said.

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While Carpenter is transferring rural students out of the district, he is trying to bring more international students to the United States.

Carpenter was one of 10 community college presidents at the University Presidents Summit on International Education held by the U.S. State Department last week.

The conference, whose participants included President Bush and most of his Cabinet, reviewed ways to stop the loss of international students to other countries and to expand the ability of Americans to speak Arabic, Chinese and other languages. Bush said both issues were critical to national security and to promoting U.S. interests abroad.

Attracting international students to the United States also brings diversity to classrooms that helps students prepare for a global workplace, other participants said.

The number of foreign students has declined at most universities and colleges nationwide since 9/11. CCSN is an exception, Carpenter said. The number of international students has grown from 444 in 2001 to 718 last year, the college says. At UNLV, foreign student enrollment has risen by 129 over the same period, to 1,197 last year.

Carpenter said the United States became a global power by harnessing the best minds in the world. But if the nation continues to lose international students to other English-speaking countries, the United States will "lose that edge."

The college actively pursues students overseas, but word-of-mouth has been the best recruitment tool, Carpenter said.

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Carpenter may be given another raise -- this time $50,000 above his state-funded base salary of $213,800. Chancellor Jim Rogers is recommending that the Board of Regents allow the CCSN Foundation to supplement Carpenter's salary with private money.

If regents approve the raise, Carpenter will be the third college president in the Nevada System of Higher Education whose pay is supplemented from private funds, joining UNLV President Carol Harter and former UNR president John Lilley.

The raise would put Carpenter on par with Harter's salary. CCSN is the largest college in the state and the fourth-largest community college in the country.

Christina Littlefield can be reached at 259-8813 or at clittle@lasvegassun.com.