As legislative session approaches, Rogers’ importance is debated

By Christina Littlefield (contact)

Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 | 7:20 a.m.

One of the contributing factors in convincing university system Chancellor Jim Rogers to withdraw his resignation on Monday was the persuasive tactics of Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Reno.

Mathews, a registered nurse who serves on the Board of Regents health science committee, pounded on Rogers' door late Monday afternoon demanding that he reconsider.

Mathews told Rogers that his proposed $1 billion health science system would not get the state or private dollars it needed without his active support.

Rogers decided to hang around after all.

But what if Rogers had quit - and not changed his mind?

Some lawmakers, regents and higher education officials say that without Rogers at the helm, the Nevada System of Higher Education would politically founder as it enters the 2007 legislative season.

"How do you make your case to the Legislature if the person making the promises isn't there to follow up?" said Bill Robinson, economics professor and Faculty Senate chairman at UNLV.

But others say it would be fine without Rogers - now that, through the force of his own strong personality and money, he has gotten the ball rolling on various higher education initiatives and strengthened the system's credibility.

"Between what the board has done and the job the chancellor has done in putting together a strong team, we can now weather a transition and survive not having a powerful high figure in the Legislature," incoming Regent Ron Knecht, a former assemblyman, said.

Many people believe Rogers was successful during the 2005 Legislature because he had personally invested both time and his own money in higher education and lawmakers trusted the businessman to spend every public dime wisely.

Rogers was not involved in the day-to-day lobbying in 2005, Executive Vice Chancellor Dan Klaich said, but he could be there in short notice to work as a "closer."

During that session, lawmakers approved an unprecedented $200 million in construction for higher education.

University presidents told the Sun that Rogers' passion for higher education, his out-of-the-box thinking and action-orientated ways had triggered progress and won the respect of business leaders and state lawmakers.

"He dares to do things that a more traditional chancellor would never think about doing," UNR President Milton Glick said.

State lawmakers were divided over how much of a difference Rogers' presence has on advancing the agenda of higher education. The fit that surrounded his short-lived resignation would not affect their funding decisions, several said.

"The issues transcend whoever the messenger is, " said Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, who is chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee.

But Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said Rogers' strong personality has pushed education initiatives forward and that those initiatives "would have been hurt had he not come back.

Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes said his efforts promoting partnerships between the School District and higher education would similarly have suffered.

Rogers and Rulffes both support expanding full-day kindergarten programs, and have teamed up to offer more remedial classes to high school students to ensure they are prepared for college.

"Most of the partnerships have either started or ended at his doorstep," Rulffes said. "He's laid the groundwork for some important legislative initiatives in higher ed that spill over into K-12. The state as a whole benefits from these kinds of programs."

Sun reporter Emily Richmond contributed to this report.