Nevada System of Higher Education

In this upcoming election, Nevadans will also get to vote on several policies and positions that will impact higher education throughout the state. KUNR’s Olivia Ali and Natalie Van Hoozer discuss what to look out for in the upcoming election.

For 156 years, Nevada’s constitution has included the Board of Regents. That’s the 13-member panel of elected officials tasked with governing the state’s higher education system and the eight institutions that fall within it. Now, in 2020, Nevadans will get to vote on whether that inclusion was the right choice with Question 1, a ballot measure that would pull regents from the state constitution.

Lawmakers in Nevada ended their special session to address the state's massive budget shortfall over the weekend, passing just five bills in 12 days. To help us break down that legislation, and what it means for the state, we turn now to KUNR's Paul Boger and Lucia Starbuck, who covered the session in its entirety.

Students graduating from the University of Nevada Reno this semester will be able to participate in commencement; it just won't happen this spring. UNR President Marc Johnson announced Friday that graduates will have two options on when they get to walk.

This December or spring of next year — UNR students graduating this spring can choose either one.

Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents Chair Jason Geddes said the board will try to complete its searches for the next presidents of the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before the spring semester ends in mid-May.

More than a decade has passed since the 2008 economic recession. To reflect on its effect on higher education in Northern Nevada, KUNR’s Paolo Zialcita spoke with Arthur Chenin, an institutional research analyst at the University of Nevada, Reno who studied educational trends following the recession.

Truckee Meadows Community College has now inaugurated its tenth president, Karin Hilgersom. Friday’s ceremony comes as economic leaders across the state look to community colleges for help with bolstering Nevada’s skilled workforce. Our News Director Michelle Billman spoke with Hilgerson to learn more about her priorities for the school over the next few years.

KUNR: Karin, welcome to the program.

Karin Hilgersom (KH): Thank you! I’m delighted to be here.

The new president of Truckee Meadows Community College has been in office for two weeks now. Our News Director Michelle Billman has the details.

Karin Hilgersom wants to continue capitalizing on the things TMCC is doing well, like working with area employers to tailor classroom lessons to industry needs.

She also wants to expand the school's partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno to grow accelerated learning options for TMCC students.

An official with the Nevada System of Higher Education says differences between the newly named interim chancellor and Dan Klaich, who's retiring next week, will lead to success. Reno Public Radio’s Marcus Lavergne has more.

John Valery White will step in as NSHE’s chancellor until June 2017.

The Board of Regents vote to hire White was unanimous. Chairman Rick Trachok says White will be a different kind of leader due to his experience as a former Provost of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a former dean of its law school.

The Nevada System of Higher Education turned heads when it said it would consolidate police services between the University of Nevada, Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College. Reno Public Radio's Marcus Lavergne reports the decision has raised larger concerns regarding how NSHE oversees and funds community colleges.  As a point of disclosure, the Board of Regents holds the license to this station.

Former TMCC President John Gwaltney says for years community colleges have gotten the short end of the stick, and he wants a better deal.

The University of Nevada, Reno is getting a new fine arts building. Reno Public Radio's Michelle Bliss reports.

With approval from the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education earlier this month, UNR can now move forward with planning and construction. The school has already raised more than $19 million dollars from private donors to cover the $20 million price tag, but enough about money.

To reduce costs, the University of Nevada, Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College police forces are merging. Reno Public Radio’s Noah Glick reports.

Talks of a consolidation between the UNR and TMCC police forces have been happening for over a decade, but now the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents has voted to make it happen.

Adam Garcia is UNR’s police chief.

Leadership will soon change hands at Truckee Meadows Community College. Reno Public Radio's Michelle Bliss has the details.

Nevada has one of the lowest rates of college graduates in the nation. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray reports the Nevada System of Higher Education is providing more money to low-income students to fix that problem.

Less than a third of adults in Nevada between the ages of 25 and 34 have an associate’s degree or higher in 2012. That’s 10 percent less than the national average.