Regents OK plans to cut schools’ enrollments

Quality should trump quantity. That was the message sent Friday by the higher education system's Board of Regents.

The board approved budget-cutting plans by the state's colleges, but held off on plans from its two universities until June. Those plans have not been finalized yet.

Michael Richards, president of the College of Southern Nevada, led things off by telling the regents that the community college will have to cut $1.9 million from its budget for the rest of this fiscal year, ending June 30, and $5.6 million next year.

That will be on top of a series of cuts made since 2007. Richards said the college will have to limit enrollment in the future to keep the quality of what remains from diminishing.

"It's anathema to a community college to have to do that," he said of limiting enrollment.

Regents encouraged preserving quality by limiting enrollment, not only at the community college but systemwide.

The state's higher education system is implementing the latest round of budget cuts. The Legislature cut the system's tax-funded budget by 6.9 percent, about $46 million over 16 months. Regents decided to spread the cuts evenly among the two universities, one research institute, four community colleges and the state college.

Richards detailed a plan that would limit enrollment growth to about 3 percent a year, would cut services to students and keep open scores of unfilled faculty and staff positions at the college.

The plan passed unanimously.

Similarly, Nevada State College President Fred Maryanski told regents vacant positions were being left vacant and class selections will be held down. The college has to cut about $1.1 million total over the two fiscal years.

UNLV President Neal Smatresk said the university has to cut about $14 million total over the two years, including the main campus, the dental and law schools and other areas.

The University of Nevada, Reno, has to cut a similar amount.

The regents approved UNLV's proposed cuts for the current year, which include holding positions open, deferring maintenance and using some savings.

Both university presidents said more drastic steps will have to be taken next year. Simply spreading the cuts around evenly, as the universities have been doing since 2007, is no longer possible without hurting the quality of what remains.

"We do believe it is urgent at this time, rather than risk a systemic collapse, to look at a more surgical approach to how we reduce the budget," Smatresk said.

He said the $10.6 million that must be cut next year includes $9 million on the main campus, with the rest spread mostly among athletics, the law and dental schools.

About $5 million of the $9 million will be cut in academic support areas, such as maintenance and administration. He said the president's office will receive the largest cut.

The other $4 million will be cut from academics.

The university several weeks ago distributed a list of more than a dozen programs and units that could face elimination. A committee is reviewing the programs now.

"We're going to form a smaller, more focused university," Smatresk said.

Executive Vice President and Provost Michael Bowers told regents that despite having open positions, cutting administrative expenses and taking other money-saving steps, there is no choice but to cut programs.

Staff and nontenured faculty in the eliminated programs at both universities will lose their jobs. But UNLV will not fire tenured faculty in eliminated programs. Instead, those faculty members will be placed in other departments.

A final decision on which departments to eliminate is expected next month. Regents will consider the plan at the Board's meeting in June.

The regents approved for a second time a policy that abandons the state's long-held goal of keeping tuition and fees below the regional average. The new plan would tie future tuition and fee increases to a national inflation index. In addition, tuition and fees at UNLV's law and dental schools will increase slightly.

Also approved as part of the plan was a procedure to establish higher student fees for some expensive programs such as nursing and engineering. Smatresk is a proponent of that provision.

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