Rogers giveth and taketh away, until he gets what he wants

Miffed at lack of support for fundraiser, he pulls diversity luncheon funds

Las Vegas Sun File Photo

University system Chancellor Jim Rogers, speaking here to the Board of Regents, agreed to reinstate diversity luncheons just hours after nixing them.

By Charlotte Hsu

Wed, May 14, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Leaders of Las Vegas’ minority communities have met monthly over the past couple of years to munch on catered salads and sandwiches while chatting about diversity in higher education.

University system Chancellor Jim Rogers bankrolled the luncheons with tens of thousand dollars of his own money.

On Tuesday he shut his wallet, accusing some of those leaders of being “a one-way street.” He was angry that chambers of commerce for minority businesses hadn’t purchased a table at a May 24 dinner benefiting system health sciences projects. The Latin chamber had bought two $500 seats and the Urban chamber had committed to buying two more.

“I didn’t need their money,” Rogers said. “I needed their support and their participation.”

Rogers’ strong-arming apparently paid off quickly.

Leaders of the Asian, Latin and Urban chambers are scheduled to meet with Rogers this morning to “iron things out,” said Jo Ann Prevetti, Rogers’ secretary.

After Rogers’ digital message landed in more than 150 in-boxes, the Urban Chamber of Commerce committed to buying a 10-person, $5,000 table on top of the two seats the organization had agreed to purchase.

Rogers, happy with that outcome, agreed to reinstate the diversity luncheons — about eight hours after he’d canceled them. On Tuesday afternoon, the chancellor said a May 20 roundtable would be held as planned.

This isn’t the first time Rogers has withdrawn his generosity in anger. A media mogul who draws an annual chancellor’s salary of $23,660, the minimum required under federal law, Rogers plays the odd double role of leader and major donor to the higher education system.

Last summer, his family decided against giving $3 million to the University of Nevada, Reno, because of regents’ harsh comments about his leadership.

At the time, he told the Sun, “I did not turn over my balance sheet to the system. I reserve the right to do with my money what my family wants.”

Rogers’ comment on his decision to end the diversity forums was similarly pointed.

“All of life works that way,” he said. “I don’t mind doing things for people, but by God, I want something in return.”

The higher education chief announced the cancellation Tuesday morning via a curt, four-sentence e-mail from his spokesman.

That was a surprise to Rene Cantu, a Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce board member and co-chairman of the chancellor’s Las Vegas Diversity Forums.

Cantu, also vice president of multicultural affairs at Nevada State College, spoke to Rogers early Tuesday about the health sciences fundraiser. At that time, Cantu said, Rogers made no mention of plans to shelve the luncheons.

“He told me that he was not happy with the results so far, in terms of buying tables,” said Cantu, who was responsible for contacting the Latin, Asian and Urban chambers of commerce about the May 24 dinner.

Cornelius Eason, president of the Urban chamber, said his group’s decision to buy a table at the fundraiser was prompted by the desire to reciprocate for the support Rogers had long shown the chamber, and not by the pressure Rogers exerted by canceling the diversity luncheons.

Cantu declined to comment on the rationale behind Rogers’ decision to ax the forums, saying he had yet to speak to the chancellor about the issue. But Cantu said he viewed the luncheons and the health sciences fundraiser as “two very separate things.”

“I don’t see a relation,” Cantu said.

Rogers does. The chancellor has made it clear that improving college health sciences programs is a major priority.

Toward that end, the system recently hired a $415,000-a-year executive vice chancellor to coordinate and foster collaboration among health-related programs at higher education institutions across the state. The system is also planning new buildings to house nursing and other disciplines in Las Vegas and Reno.

Rogers said support from the chambers, which “represent a huge part of the population,” demonstrates the importance of health sciences.

Michael Wixom, chairman of the Board of Regents, which governs higher education, declined to comment on the roundtables’ abrupt demise before speaking to Rogers.

The chancellor’s volatile personality has frustrated regents in the past. In early 2007, he quit for 36 hours after submitting a two-word memo to his bosses: “I quit.”

And when it comes to Rogers’ using his personal fortune as leverage to get what he wants, Wixom and a few other regents reached Tuesday seemed resigned to accept Rogers’ right to put his money where he pleases.

After hearing that Rogers had canceled the forums, Regent Cedric Crear, an outspoken proponent of diversity, said the chancellor “can do what he feels is right. It’s his dime.”

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

By NSHEmember

5/14/08 at 11:30 a.m.

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Jim Rogers is the very core problem of the NSHE. He admits knowing nothing about Community Colleges, yet he brought in the biggest disaster Richard Carpenter to CSN, who caused the largest identity theft fear in CSN's 35 years of history, and the first ever Nevada Attorney General's office raids on ANY NSHE universities and colleges campuses. Jim Rogers just illegally made Mike Richards the CSN president to help the disgraced Richard Carpenter keep the lid on while Richard Carpenter was supposed to be long gone. Jim Rogers needs to answer why Richard Carpenter is still on CSN's payroll as "New Campus Development Consultant", and why $100,000 was spent on a sham presidential search that produced a president, Mike Richards, whose interim president contract clearly prohibits Richards from pursuing the president's position.
By LasVegan

5/14/08 at 11:52 a.m.

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Jim Rogers needs to STOP trying to buy influence. Minority Chambers of Commerce, don't buy those $500/seat dinner, just because you don't get your salad and sandwich. Do it because you want to do it.
By JustWant2Teach

5/14/08 at 1:30 p.m.

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Jim Rogers reminds me of a kid who kicks and screams to get what he wants. Delayed gratification has been a problem for today's parents to teach their children, but where did Jim Rogers learn this from? A televation station owner that is used to ordering employees around as a boss? When there is no employer-employee relationship, how about creating one called donor-donee so he can still order people around?
By tazzie

5/14/08 at 3:26 p.m.

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I find NSHE Chancellor Jim Roger's narcissistic behavior described above to be (characteristically) egocentric to a fault. Due to his overweening ego needs Mr. Rogers has worn out his welcome with all but NSHE Regents and friends or associates of theirs who would benefit from his quirky conditional largesse.

Today's severe misdirection of Nevada higher education goals and resources unfortunately; substantially springs from those same clinging sycophants' needs (generally for personal not public reasons) to feed babyishly beneficent Mr. Rogers' colossal ego so they can stay on his mercurial good side.

Mr. Rogers' noblest of any or all philanthropic acts would be to resign (and stay resigned) as NSHE Chancellor.

Cost: $23,660. Benefit: Priceless!

Sincerely,

Sherry "Taz" Rosenthal
CSN Professor of English (Cheyenne Campus)
By Farah

5/14/08 at 8:50 p.m.

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I am calling on Jim Rogers' resignation as well. Hiring Richard Carpenter and allowing Carpenter's wreaking havoc at CSN was enough for all to know Jim Rogers' judgement. Yet, after Richard Carpenter, the fix was in for Mike Richards, whose qualifications are way inferior to other candidates, especially the two other finalists Dr. Glandon and Dr. Spraggs. Rogers and Regents have been in hot water about the sham presidential search, now he is withholding sandwiches from people to get what he wants?

When will Jim Rogers stop bullying people? Time for him to step down. With all the special treatment he showered at Richard Carpenter, maybe Richard Carpenter can take him in to Texas as the famous "returning the favor" in Mike Richards' acceptance speech that mysteriously disappeared from the CSN Web site after people ponting out that Richards were openly acknowledging the cronyism and promising to pay back.
By LasVegan

5/14/08 at 9:44 p.m.

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Good comments there:

<a href="http://www.richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot.com/">http://www.richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot.com/</a>
By LasVegan

5/14/08 at 9:45 p.m.

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Sorry for the mess. One more try:

Good comments there:

http://www.richard-carpenter-watch.blogs...
By LasVegan

5/14/08 at 9:50 p.m.

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I forgot to mention. You have to click on the title, to see the comments of that thread.
By lbfromlv

5/15/08 at 8:52 p.m.

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I love Sherry Rosenthal.

I love anyone who has balls enough to sign their name to their product

Larry Braxton