LOOKING IN ON: HIGHER EDUCATION

By Christina Littlefield (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.

University system Chancellor Jim Rogers and regents bumped heads only once during their two-day meeting Thursday and Friday. It was over a contract extension and salary supplement for Patricia Becker, executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute.

Becker, who receives a $20,000 Boyd Distinguished Professorship stipend on top of her $85,000 salary, was the first and only woman ever appointed to the Gaming Control Board. She later worked as the general counsel for Harrah's Entertainment and the Aladdin.

As executive director of the institute since August 2005, she helps train gaming regulators throughout the world.

Enter Anchor Gaming founder Stan Fulton, who cut UNLV out of his will in 2001, citing problems with then-President Carol Harter's leadership.

Fulton has nonetheless donated $7 million to the institute that bears his name, and he wants to supplement Becker's salary by another $150,000 to keep her as the executive director.

Several regents questioned the proprietary and fairness of more than doubling one professor's salary.

Rogers stressed that the university needed more of these deals, not fewer, and that UNLV Boyd School of Law Dean Richard Morgan had helped his school excel through similar arrangements.

Regents Howard Rosenberg and Steve Sisolak both thought that in this instance, a donor was supporting an individual and not the position.

Rogers told regents rejecting the deal would "kill donors from putting any money into professorships."

Regents later approved the deal, 11 to 1, with Rosenberg voting no.

A tender moment occurred Thursday morning during the regents' meeting. Las Vegas Judge Karen Bennett-Haron swore in newly elected Las Vegas Regent Cedric Crear.

Bennett-Haron used to babysit Crear as a child.

"I used to boss him around and I still boss him around," Bennett-Haron said, smiling to the crowd gathered at the Community College of Southern Nevada Henderson campus.

Turning to Crear, Bennett-Haron fought back tears.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, her voice cracking, to a smiling Crear.

After a long hug, Bennett-Haron pulled herself together to swear in the next incoming regent, Carson City resident Ron Knecht.

Regents Mark Alden, Michael Wixom and Stavros Anthony were also sworn in, having been reelected in November.

University Medical Center's money problems are affecting the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

UMC owes the medical school $5.8 million for faculty and resident support. The money has been overdue since July 1.

The salaries are for employees who are UMC employees and faculty at the medical school. The money comes in part from federal Medicare dollars for graduate medical training.

Regents learned of the overdue payments at a November budget and finance meeting, and committee chairman Alden has been working with county and medical school officials to resolve the debt.

George Stevens, chief financial officer for the county, wrote medical school Dean John McDonald on Jan. 22 to tell him the county would address the discrepancy at a Clark County Commission meeting Feb. 6. The letter said the county was considering freeing up restricted funds to allow the hospital to cover the medical school debt and other debts facing the hospital.