Chancellor seeks feedback on giving interim UNLV chief permanent job

The state's higher education chancellor appears poised to recommend removing "interim" from UNLV President Neal Smatresk's official title.

Chancellor Dan Klaich has scheduled meetings at the university today and Friday to talk with faculty, staff and students about Smatresk's performance.

He could recommend to the higher education system's Board of Regents that Smatresk be named the university's president. That would be in spite of a provision in the system's bylaws that seems to say a search should be launched when a new university president is sought.

Klaich said feedback about Smatresk has been highly positive and he is concerned he could be recruited away from the university.

"Overwhelmingly, the comments that I hear reflect the same perception that I have, that is, a highly favorable rating of Dr. Smatresk's performance," Klaich wrote in an open letter to the campus. "In addition, I must say that people just like him. He is highly visible in every segment of the community, which is good for UNLV."

Smatresk took over as interim president in July 2009 after the ouster of President David Ashley, who had clashed with former Chancellor Jim Rogers.

Regents appointed Smatresk to the interim position under a two-year contract with an option for a third year.

The thinking at the time was that the two-year appointment would give UNLV stability through the next Legislative session. But Klaich said people are concerned, that the university's future is uncertain because there is no so-called "permanent" president in place.

In reality, there is no such thing as a permanent president, as Gregory Brown, president of the UNLV chapter of the Nevada Faculty Alliance, has pointed out. But having a president without the interim title in place before the Legislative session -- which is expected to be rife with budget cuts across state government -- could make UNLV's position stronger, the thinking now goes.

There appears to be consensus that Smatresk has done a good job as president.

"My impression has been extremely favorable," said Board of Regents Chairman James Dean Leavitt.

But Leavitt also cautioned that he has not done a formal survey on campus. He and Klaich have scheduled meetings today and Friday with virtually every constituency group on campus to talk about Smatresk and his performance.

The Faculty Senate also is conducting a survey to gauge his performance.

Cecilia Maldonado, the Faculty Senate chairwoman, said she has heard very little negative feedback about Smatresk and his performance. But Maldonado said she does not have enough information from the senate to know what its formal position might be on Smatresk's future.

David Rapoport, president of the student body, said students seem genuinely happy with Smatresk's performance as president. He has been receptive to their concerns and visible on campus.

"He'll let students just walk in into his office at any time and talk about whatever problems they have," Rapoport said.

While the student government has not taken a formal position on whether Smatresk should be named president, Rapoport said, "I don't want to lose Neal as president."

Kyle George, president of the UNLV Graduate and Professional Student Association, said Smatresk has been very supportive of graduate students. He said many students believe Smatresk has done a great job as president.

However, like others at the university, George said there is concern among a group of students that the higher education system's bylaws seem to require a search when the university is seeking a new president.

Brown and Maldonado also said there is concern among some faculty members about suspending the code. But both said they did not share those concerns.

Brown noted that the code specifies that a search should be launched in the event of a "vacancy." There is no vacancy.

Rapoport said there was not much discussion among students about the code change issue, deeming it too much inside politics for most students to concern themselves with.

Nonetheless, the system's attorney sent a memo to board members and others noting that if the board wants to appoint Smatresk president, it would be required to temporarily waive the search requirement.

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.