looking in on: higher education :

Chancellor’s departure in June will come at tough time

Sat, Sep 27, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Barring a sudden change in the state’s financial fortunes, the next leader of Nevada’s public higher education system will face immediate, daunting challenges.

With Chancellor Jim Rogers planning to step down in June, his successor will take over supervision of the state’s seven public colleges and universities and Desert Research Institute as they are struggling to absorb deep budget cuts.

Who the new chief will be remains a mystery.

Michael Wixom, chairman of the Board of Regents, which governs public higher education in Nevada, said he is loath to hold a search with the 2009 legislative session approaching.

“A search process is a time-intensive process ... Jim and the board need the system resources focused on the Legislature and not focused on the search,” Wixom said.

He expects regents will appoint an interim chancellor when Rogers, 70, leaves. After that, the board would conduct a national search for a permanent replacement.

•••

Rogers, a television mogul who has pledged more than $50 million to the higher education system, said he’ll be an advocate for education even after his contract with the system ends in June.

He said that after he steps down he’ll talk about the importance of education in brief editorials on KVBC Channel 3 in Las Vegas and KRNV Channel 4 in Reno that are scheduled to air twice a week.

Beyond that, Rogers plans to continue hosting monthly luncheons that bring community leaders together to talk about diversity in higher education.

“We’ll call them the ex-chancellor’s diversity luncheon or something like that,” he said.

Rogers will also keep an eye on the progress of the health sciences system, an effort to better coordinate health sciences programs at state colleges and the Desert Research Institute in part by finding ways for them to share resources such as laboratories and teachers.

But the outspoken Rogers said he won’t try to influence the system’s daily operations or direction. His attitude, he said, will be, “If you call me I’ll be happy to help, but I don’t want to intrude.”

Rogers said he will step down after five years on the job because, he thinks, “after a period of time, you run out of new ideas and you run out of energy.”

“I think (the system) needs somebody new that can come in and say, ‘Jim did 80 percent right and the 20 percent he did wrong, we need to straighten out,’ ” Rogers said.

Still, in one way, Rogers could be irreplaceable. He has been unrestrained in opposing state budget cuts, calling for new taxes to increase revenue.

A new chancellor might be reluctant to be so brash, and it’s unclear whether other higher education officials would be willing to fill the void that Rogers will leave.

At UNLV, for example, many faculty members have criticized President David Ashley for failing to be more vocal in protesting budget cuts. Ashley, who has worked behind the scenes to lobby for more money for his university, has largely stayed quiet on the issue in the public sphere.

•••

Regents are taking a couple of small steps to help the system slash spending — reducing the number of regents’ committees and eliminating the printing and mailing of regents’ newsletters in conjunction with each regular regents meeting.

The publications are already available online, and eliminating their distribution in paper will save more than $10,000 annually, system spokesman John Kuhlman said.

Wixom hopes decreasing the number of standing regents’ committees from eight to six will help the system “save significant time and resources.”

“In addition to the Regents’ time, each committee meeting requires considerable time and attention of all eight institutional presidents and their staff, system administration staff, and Board staff,” states a committee-reduction proposal that regents will review at their meeting next week.

The two standing committees that would be disbanded under the plan are the board development and the research and economic committee. The full board and other committees would take on tasks that fell under the purview of these two groups.

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

By jfnance32

9/27/08 at 2:37 a.m.

Suggest removal

Jim Rogers should be fired as from his job as Chancellor.

Chancellors normally are supposed to be focused on their duties of being the chief executive officer of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Being CEO of NSHE has been the last thing on his mind lately.

He is focused like a laser beam on his war on Republicans. He has turned the NSHE into a cheerleader for Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party has used all the money that Rogers has given to them to generate mailers that come from the sewer. In those mailers, it accuses Republicans of wanting children to die. That sewer smell on Rogers is getting to be very repugnant.

Rogers no longer cares about doing his job as CEO of NSHE. Since 2007, Rogers has known that William "Bob" Gilbert has stolen from the NSHE. What has happened to Gilbert? He received a one year's paid vacation. I heard that Rogers is tough but that is really harsh. Gilbert has now returned from vacation and now we have two people earning money for the same position in NSHE. Roger is an excellent CEO at NSHE. The taxpayers are paying two people over $100,000 grand each to do the same job. I guess the budget cuts have not trickle down to that department yet.

Now, Gilbert has been indicted by the Clark County. What has Roger done? He has done nothing. Perhaps, Rogers will give Gilbert another harsh year's worth of paid vacation. Perhaps, the Regents should put Rogers on a permanent unpaid vacation.

You can go to the link below and find the Regents' contact information. The CEO of NSHE serves at the pleasure of the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents serves at the pleasure of the voters of the State of Nevada.

http://system.nevada.edu/Board-of-R/Bios...
By Elizabeth

9/27/08 at 9:43 a.m.

Suggest removal

Is this a real "I'm done" or it is like the email he sent to the regents a while back telling them he quit and then retracts a few days later. Now we need to get Ashley out of there and anyone left over from Carol Harters administration. Then you will have a clean slate and maybe UNLV will go somewhere. This step in the right direction next June, when Rogers leaves, will be big but it is not enough. UNLV needs to be cleaned out.
By UNLVStud

9/27/08 at 10:11 a.m.

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Roger's has been a great advocate for Education in a State where not enough importance has been placed on it.

Roger's replacement has big shoes to fill to continue building NSHE into a top tier system.

Go Rebels! Bring the Cannon home!
By R_Linn

9/27/08 at 2:18 p.m.

Suggest removal

Good riddance!
By JustWant2Teach

9/27/08 at 4:18 p.m.

Suggest removal

I am afraid with the eruption of the news of Bob Gilbert's indictment, Rogers' intent to retire 8 months from now is no longer adequate. Jim Rogers needs to be FIRED from NSHE. So must Mike Richards and Patty Charlton Dayar.
By redferret

9/27/08 at 7:26 p.m.

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The "education" governor needs to be recalled
By morgen

9/27/08 at 8:45 p.m.

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Nance, again you're such an ignorant! Rogers is a great advocate for education in Nevada. If it hurts your feelings because he has opposing views to your own, then get OVER IT! The one who needs to be fired is Gov. Jim Gibbons
By jfnance32

9/27/08 at 10:11 p.m.

Suggest removal

Rogers has allowed a crook to keep his job.

He gave the crook a raise after he found that he was stealing. Then the crook took a one year vacation.

Now, the crook has been indicted and we have found out that he was a crook that has spent time in jail for stealing years ago.

Rogers is focused on his war on Republicans and is not doing his job.

It is time for the Regents to have some balls and fire him.
By JustWant2Teach

9/27/08 at 10:22 p.m.

Suggest removal

I recommend that Morgen refrain from personal attack in this forum.

The overwhelming majority at CSN understands that Rogers must be fired so justice can be served with the damages that he has caused us.

Rogers openly admitted that he knew "nothing about community colleges" but he let Richard Carpenter wreak havoc at CSN. Rogers was Carpenter's accomplice to demote/fire faculty and staff members, well respected department chairs, and even dismiss a department because its chair was an outspoken woman who Richard Carpenter disliked.

Rogers was aware and supportive of ALL of Carpenter's inexplicable behaviors, until Richard Carpenter sent a gratuitous f--- you letter to the UNIONS to cancel the UNION programs at CSN that brought in $5 million pure profit each year to CSN and kept CSN in the black. For $6 million/year income with $5 million of it pure profit, year after year, Rogers finally tongue-lashed Richard Carpenter.

But many valuable employees at CSN by then have quit/been fired/demoted/lost health. A record high of EEOC cases have been filed during Carpenter's tenure and Rogers stood behind Carpenter irregardless. If Carpenter had never made that $6 million dollar mistake, Rogers would have never said a word about Carpenter's wrongdoing.

Rogers only asked money, money, nothing but money from Gibbons. How does that make him a great advocate for education? Which one description of the above paragraph didn't indicate that he is adversary to healthy educational environment? I don't care about politics. The topic of this forum is not about politics.

Rogers is WRONG for education. Rogers must resign!