Regents asked to consider letting embattled Chancellor Klaich retire ‘for convenience’
The day before regents will consider whether system officials misled the Legislature, regents received a potential retirement deal for Chancellor Dan Klaich following calls for his resignation.
The unsigned agreement, sent by the regents chief of staff and special counsel Dean Gould, would allow Klaich, who oversees the Nevada System of Higher Education, to retire early on June 2 “for convenience.”
That means he would be paid for the full length of his contract, which ends June 2017.
The meeting was called after the Review-Journal reported that hundreds of emails from 2011-2012, obtained by the newspaper under the state public records law, showed the system worked to undermine a legislative committee that was studying ways to make college and university financing more equitable.
Emails showed the system went so far as to create a false document to give to a legislative committee and laughed about it.
The agenda for Thursday’s 9 a.m. special meeting in Las Vegas includes an item that would allow the 13 elected regents to fire Klaich on the spot.
Klaich’s contract allows him to be fired for cause. One of the causes outlined is “misrepresentation of a material fact that has a substantial averse impact on the system.”
The special meeting agenda indicates the regents will examine the agency’s relationship with the interim legislative committee, the relationship with a hired consultant, and the controversial document.
Klaich has said the emails have been taken out of context.
Past and present lawmakers have called for his resignation, and he’s expected to have a hostile reception at the 2017 Legislature if he stays in his role as both sides of the aisle are working on reform bills targeting the system.
Klaich is paid a base salary of $303,000.
On top of that he receives an annual $8,000 automobile allowance, and an annual $24,000 housing allowance.
The agreement would allow Klaich to keep his pay and includes no admission of wrongdoing.
It is unclear if Klaich will agree to the deal or whether the regents will accept it.
Klaich did not respond to an email requesting comment.
Contact Bethany Barnes at bbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Find @betsbarnes on Twitter.
