Lost in the bullet points

By Charlotte Hsu (contact)

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

The headlines were colorful, undeniably sexy: "Regents to discuss gun training for professors." "Faculty guns in regents' hands."

Professors packing heat. What an attention-grabber.

But did the frenzied coverage last week and before of a proposal to give some higher education workers paid time off while they train to be reserve peace officers miss the point?

Nevada System of Higher Education Regents Chairman Michael Wixom thinks so.

"What happened here is that for whatever reason, primarily the media, and others, focused on the idea that we were giving guns to faculty," Wixom said. "It was ludicrous. It was shallow."

Instead of debating the nuances of a plan that aimed to give schools access to more trained officers, Wixom said, regents were compelled to discuss whether adopting the measure would cause Nevada's colleges and universities to endure ridicule.

"The proposal wasn't treated seriously," he said. "And it wasn't given thoughtful consideration."

Wixom voted against the plan partly because he felt passing the measure could invite more embarrassing sound bites.

Although the media portrayed the issue in one way, members of faculty senates at UNLV and Nevada State College opposed the proposal because of its substance, said Bryan Spangelo and Lawrence Rudd, senate chairmen at the two schools.

Among other concerns, faculty discussed the plan's cost and the effect professors doubling as peace officers would have on a college atmosphere.

Regent Mark Alden said the media reaction did not influence his "no" vote. He felt the "arming faculty" stories were accurate. After all, under the proposal, trained professors could tote guns, he said. "It wasn't talking about learning to finger paint, cooking Italian food."

The plan, brought forward by Regent Stavros Anthony this year, would have given school presidents discretion to approve paid leave for faculty and administrative staff members who wanted to complete peace officer training.

It began drawing national attention soon after, with the Associated Press picking up the story and the Chronicle of Higher Education running a blog blurb titled , "Nevada Regents Approve Plan to Arm Professors." (The entry was later corrected, because regents had not OK'd the measure.)

UNLV President David Ashley said he was relieved that the plan had failed and the "armed prof" frenzy had died down.

For a college or a university, the issue of reputation can have a tangible effect on an institution's ability to draw graduate students, Spangelo said,

Even had radio, television and newspapers carried a more detailed explanation of the proposal, he added, nuances "would have been lost in the transmission of the message across the country."

The "public relations nightmare" that would have ensued is one reason university system Chancellor Jim Rogers opposed the proposal he earlier supported.

Anthony thought some people misunderstood his proposal. Although some news stories explained the measure's details, many people don't bother to read past headlines, he said.

"Even a lot of folks that are at UNLV and UNR, even people that work there, they didn't really have a complete understanding about what the proposal was about," Anthony said.

Still, Anthony said he thought the outcome - an 8-5 vote Friday against the proposal - might not have changed had the media covered the story differently. Many people simply don't want more weapons on campuses, he said.

Regent Howard Rosenberg, who voted against the plan, said he thought members of the higher education community were well-versed in the measure's terms.

"You're dealing with faculty members. You're dealing with students who are taught analytical and critical thinking," he said. "They know what the issues are. They're not gulled by what's in the newspapers and in television."

Taylor Gray, student body president at the College of Southern Nevada, said he thought stakeholders debating Anthony's proposal held a meaty debate despite the media.

Wixom, for his part, said regents can do little to fight the headlines.

"As long as it's a news-hungry world , somebody's going to take that kind of an issue and twist it and turn it," he said.

Some of the stories that ran after the regents voted against Anthony's plan:

"Regents reject packing pistols." "University regents shoot down plan to arm Nevada college staff members."