Regents approve new chancellor for higher education

SAM MORRIS / LAS VEGAS SUN FILE

Dan Klaich, right, vice chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, speaks with Chancellor Jim Rogers at a 2006 meeting.

By Stephanie Tavares (contact)

Published Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 2:35 p.m.

Updated Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 3:16 p.m.

Name: Daniel J. Klaich
Title: Executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer of the Nevada System of Higher Education
Background: Native Nevadan is a lawyer who was in private practice for almost 30 years. Served on the state Board of Regents from 1983 to 1997, including two terms as chairman.
Education: 1972 graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He received his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1975, and a master’s in taxation from New York University in 1978.
Personal: Wife, Denise, is a 1973 graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. They have four children and six grandchildren.

The lone candidate for chancellor (5-13-09)

Archive of Sun education stories

The Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education voted unanimously today to approve Daniel J. Klaich as the new chancellor of the system, effective July 1.

Jim Rogers stepped down as chancellor earlier in the day.

Klaich previously served as executive vice chancellor of the system.

"I would like to thank you all for the opportunity to have the greatest job in the state of Nevada," Klaich said. "Following Jim Rogers is going to be a real trick. He's cut a wide swath, so I've got a lot of room to go back and forth."

"It's very clear he is the right person at right time in the right circumstances," Regent James Dean Leavitt said.

+++++

The Regents voted to approve a salary above the normal maximum for the University of Nevada School of Medicine to hire Sanford Barsky, M.D., as professor and chairman of the Department of Pathology. The cancer specialist will be paid $375,000, which was described as on the low side of national salaries for this type of job. The salary amount above the normal will be paid by the Nevada Cancer Institute, where he will also work.

He is expected to generate substantial income in the form of clinical work and in the form of grants. The medical school expects at least 25 percent of his salary to be paid for out of income from his clinical work.

His primary mission will be to develop the research side of the school.

+++++

The Regents approved a salary supplement for College of Southern Nevada President Mike Richards.

The $50,000 per year supplement is funded by the CSN Foundation and will not affect state funds for the college. His total salary will be $268,000.

"It's a tremendous responsibility and he's respected on campus and has brought stability," said regent Ray Rawson. "He should be complemented."

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

By exasperated

June 18, 2009

3:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

Good riddance, Jim Rogers, you big bully. You are so full of yourself that you can't see straight, even with corrective eyeglasses. And good luck to your wife. Having you hang around the house full-time won't be easy for her. It's clear that you have no respect for women.
Let's ask Nina Radetich or Beth Fisher what they think of you and your bullying tactics. Nah, they are both way too classy to get down in the gutter with you. Bye, bye.
By ynotjohn

June 18, 2009

4:31 p.m.

Suggest removal

If UNLV is short on funding and the Chancellor does not teach, why even hire one?? Can't the President take on the role. Lets focus on the primary goal of UNLV is to teach not a place to put people on the payroll.
By afveteran

June 18, 2009

5:39 p.m.

Suggest removal

The University system needs prestige in a big way.
By mywallet700

June 18, 2009

9:39 p.m.

Suggest removal

Rogers the jerk is out.... Klaich the snake is in. Rogers did more damage to the higher educatiosn system than anyone in history. Klaich is a carbon copy. Look for Nevada schools to get an even more embarassing reputation.
By NVresident

June 19, 2009

5:57 a.m.

Suggest removal

Watching the public display of self-congratulatory zeal with which the regents placed Klaich as NSHE Chancellor without an open search was appalling! Then to go on to agree, with enthusiasm, to allow the foundation to give CSN Pres. Richards and additional 50K was obscene! They even had the gall to say that it wasn't going to cost the state anything. Then they had to quietly qualify that the state would have to cover the "fringe costs" on the 50K-as if that was negligible. CSN's Foundation and the Regents are so out of touch with reality that they can't see how ridiculous it is to give the Pres a bonus after NSHE employees just got a paycut and tuition will increase in the fall! I sure hope Richards has the good sense to thank the CSN Foundation and then tell them to put that $50K towards text books for disadvantaged students or some other avenue to benefit CSN students. -not that I'm holding my breathe. The actions of the Board was totally unacceptable, but they get to do whatever they want -vote these arrogant Regents out!!!!
By tazzie

June 19, 2009

12:01 p.m.

Suggest removal

If one wants to know what truly ails Nevada higher education, one need not look beyond its so-called leadership -- clubby; insular, clueless -- from one hastily-arranged, expedient chancellorship to the next.

Sherry Rosenthal
(CSN English professor)