LOOKING IN ON: HIGHER EDUCATION

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006 | 7:36 a.m.

Whew.

University regents had been confident that voters would choose to keep their right to elect regents when faced with Question 9 last week, but they had no idea it would be so close.

Voters narrowly defeated the measure, which would have made regents a mixed appointed and elected board, with 50.72 percent voting no.

"I thought we would prevail by 10 percent," Regents Chairman Bret Whipple said. He thinks the close vote was due to confusing language, and not because of any consensus by the public that there are problems with the board.

He wants to discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting, because regents will still need to look at how they are elected. As the population in Clark County has grown, state lawmakers have added regents to the board to preserve representation in the rural areas. But based on that equation, the board will grow too large.

Whipple wants to maintain the currently elected, 13-member board.

Chancellor Jim Rogers is pursuing partnerships wherever he can for his pet project, the proposed health science center. His goal is to increase the output of health professionals and medical research in Nevada.

He has visited several other health programs in recent months, including taking a trip to Mexico earlier this month with Jim Lenhart, vice dean of the University of Nevada School of Medicine ; Richard Carpenter, president of the Community College of Southern Nevada, and Fred Maryanski, president of Nevada State College. They pursued talks about possible partnerships with the Universidad Autnoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine, including exchange programs involving students and professors. Many United States doctors get their medical degrees at UAG and serve their residencies in Nevada.

Rogers also met this week with officials at Scripps Health Clinic in San Diego to talk about partnerships in biomedical research with UNLV, and he has met with leaders from other medical schools to learn best practices.

"I think these things have great potential," Rogers said.

The health science center is expected to be a big part of Rogers' state-of-the-system speech Friday. The speech is scheduled to be delivered at the Nevada Development Authority breakfast at the Four Seasons' ballroom.

Speaking of health care needs, the Nevada Cancer Institute and the Siemens Foundation will together offer $100,000 nursing scholarships for local students. Both undergraduate and graduate students interested in oncology nursing or research will be eligible for four $5,000 scholarships each year based on academic excellence.

"The need for nurses in Nevada is at a critical state," said Heather Murren, chief executive officer for the Nevada Cancer Institute. "Through our partnership with Siemens, we hope to grow interest in the nursing profession, and in particular oncology nursing, while at the same time helping promising students get their degree."

Siemens is a global electronics company.

Nevada System of Higher Education nursing officials will work with the Nevada Cancer Institute to award the scholarships.