Editorial: Higher education in need of unity

Saturday, March 11, 2006 | 7:29 a.m.

Departing UNLV President Carol Harter, in some of her first interviews since university system Chancellor Jim Rogers forced her out of her job, is criticizing the Nevada System of Higher Education's structure. As the Las Vegas Sun's Christina Littlefield reported earlier this week, Harter is unhappy with the power that Rogers has over university presidents - specifically, the authority to discipline or fire them.

Harter believes that the elected Board of Regents, which oversees the higher education system, is facing an "identity crisis" since it delegated some of its previous authority to Rogers, including the power to fire presidents of the universities and community colleges. She adds that a "disconnect" has occurred because the regents have maintained the power to hire university and community college presidents.

Littlefield also reported that Harter said the time may have come for Nevada to relinquish the regents' authority over all two- and four-year colleges, enabling UNLV to have its own governing board. That would be a terrible idea, however.

Instead of having the universities and community colleges work together, which is a reason why Rogers wanted all presidents of these institutions to report directly to him, there would be even more North-South warring between UNLV and UNR over funding from the Legislature.

The universities have suffered from this squabbling in the past, as higher education hasn't always spoken with one voice and had a unified vision for its future. Returning to the days of constant bickering would be a mistake.