Board of Regents
Meeting Summary

June 18-19, 2003

INTRODUCTIONS
Great Basin College President Paul Killpatrick introduced GBC's new faculty senate chair, Dr. Joel Shrock. He also said Steven Houk was reelected as GBC's student government representative.

Truckee Meadows Community College President Philip Ringle introduced Bridget Houlton as TMCC''s new faculty senate chair. He also said that Teddy Noda has been reelected as president of the Associated Students of Truckee Meadows, and that Christine Hampton, vice president of the ASTM, was also in attendance.

Western Nevada Community College President Carol Lucey said that Rick VanAusdal was sitting in as WNCC's faculty senate chair for Dr. Michael Hardie, who is on summer break. President Lucey also introduced Billy Jennings, the new president of WNCC's student government.

Desert Research Institute President Stephen Wells thanked Lynn Fenstermaker, DRI's outgoing faculty senate chair, for her hard work on behalf of the DRI faculty.

University of Nevada, Reno President John Lilley introduced Jessica Muehlberg as the new president of the UNR graduate student association. He also introduced two interns from the minority undergraduate fellowship program. Tiffany Labon from Hope college and Jose Rocha from Cal State Chico are spending the next few months at UNR as part of the fellowship program.

University of Nevada President Carol Harter introduced the new chair of UNLV's faculty senate, Dr. John Riedance, the president of the undergraduate student association, Monica Moradkhan, and the president of the graduate student association, Jocelyn Santos. She also said that this was the last meeting for Dr. Richard Jenson, special assistant to the president, who is leaving this position to return to a teaching and assistant dean position with UNLV. Dr. John Filler will assume the role of special assistant to the president.

Community College of Southern Nevada President Ron Remington introduced CCSN's new faculty senate chair, Mitzi Ware. He also introduced Evelyn Flores, the new president of the student government association.

President Remington also praised the CCSN Coyotes baseball team, who won the Junior College World Series in May, and praised their coach, Tim Chambers, who received 2003 Coach of the Year honors in the Scenic West Conference. President Remington said he was incredibly proud of Coach Chambers and the entire team, not only for being crowned national champions but also because of their strong academic performance. He also said that he attended the championship game in Grand Junction, Colorado, and noted how many people from the town praised the performance and the professionalism of the entire team. He then presented Coach Chambers with the CCSN President's Medal. Coach Chambers then said how proud he was to represent Nevada, and that he was pleased by the number of players who were from the local area. Coach Chambers added that he will continue to recruit from the local area and to have students focus on academics while improving their abilities as a team.

After President Remington and Coach Chambers finished their remarks, Board Chair Douglas Seastrand presented Coach Chambers with a Board resolution honoring the Coyotes for their talent, hard work, dedication, and commitment to sportsmanship. Chair Seastrand said a copy of the resolution will also be provided to the players and to the other coaches on the team.

CHAIR'S REPORT
Chair Seastrand told the Board that although his tenure as Chair was coming to an end, he was encouraged by the progress the Board has made over the past year. He said the Master Plan is an excellent example of what the Board and the System can do. He also said that he hopes the next Board Chair will take his suggestion of having a "State of the University System, address" an event that will enable the Board and the System to report on milestones that have been achieved over the course of a year, as well as report on plans for the future. He added that his time as Chair has been a great experience, that he felt the support of the Board, the Chancellor and the presidents, and that he hopes the new Chair will have same support.

CHANCELLOR'S REPORT
Before beginning her report, Chancellor Jane Nichols remarked what a great experience it was to work with Regent Seastrand, and that it had been a very productive year to work with both the Chair and the entire Board.

Chancellor Nichols then said that she recently had the opportunity to attend a P-16 conference that emphasized rural areas and states. She said a team from Nevada was able to attend the conference, including Regent Marcia Bandera, President Killpatrick, Dr. Chris Chairsell, associate vice chancellor for academic, research and student affairs, and Dr. Jack McLaughlin, superintendent of the State Board of Education. She said the conference was a wonderful experience in which those involved were able to discuss the unique challenges that face rural areas. The Chancellor also added that several new initiatives she hopes will yield significant results will be presented to the Board in the coming year.

The Chancellor also said that she plans to attend SHEEO's national meeting in July, and will report on those items of note at the August Board meeting.

The Chancellor then introduced President Wells, who introduced a short video updating the Board on some recent international "extreme" experiments and studies the DRI faculty has been involved with over the past months.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Regent Howard Rosenberg congratulated President Harter on the letter she wrote to the editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in response to some erroneous information that was reported by the paper several days earlier.

President Remington congratulated the UNLV baseball team on their performance over the past year, and suggested UNLV and CCSN compete against one another in a few pre-season games.

Teddy Noda spoke on behalf of international students throughout the UCCSN and expressed sorrow at the death of CCSN student in Las Vegas.

ACTION

ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The Board elected Regent Stavros Anthony to serve as the Board Chair and Regent Marcia Bandera to serve as Vice Chair for the coming year. These officers will serve from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004. The current Board Chair, Douglas Seastrand, and current Vice Chair, Thalia Dondero, will continue in these roles until June 30, 2003.

BOARD MEETING CALENDAR 2004
The Board approved the following dates for its 2004 meetings:

• January 29-30 (Thursday and Friday)
• March 18-19 (Thursday and Friday)
• May 7 (Friday)
• June 3-4 (Thursday and Friday)
• August 19-20 (Thursday and Friday)
• October 14-15 (Thursday and Friday)
• December 2-3 (Thursday and Friday)

Locations will be decided at a subsequent Board meeting.

RESOLUTION, LETTER OF CREDIT, DRI
President Wells received Board approval to obtain a letter of credit in the amount of $2,087,841 to fulfill a revenue bond covenant that was approved by the Board at its May 2002 meeting. At that time, the Board approved a request to proceed with the sale of lease revenue bonds totaling $8.6 million to pay for the construction of the Southern Nevada Science Center Phase II (SNSC PII). The entire $8.6 million in bonds authorized will be redeemed over time from the proceeds of a 20-year lease with the General Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION/HANDBOOK

HANDBOOK REVISION, STUDENT DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Chancellor Nichols received Board approval of an amendment to the Handbook (Title IV, Chapter 1, Section 24.3) regarding disclosure of student directory information. The proposed changes will bring Board policy into compliance with AB353 approved by the 2003 Nevada Legislature.

The amendment will allow students to request non-disclosure in one of three ways:

• for commercial purposes.
• for non-commercial purposes.
• for both non-commercial and commercial purposes.

Chancellor Nichols said each campus will have this information available to students on their Web sites. She added that each institution will have the ability to define what they consider directory information, and that they will provide students with information on how students should access this information, when it needs to be completed by, and to what address it should be turned in should they not complete this via the Internet.

Regent Mark Alden wanted to know if this amendment addresses the concerns expressed by the ACLU during several previous meetings. Chancellor Nichols said the Handbook revision calls for an "opt-out" policy, which differs from the ACLU's request for and "opt-in" policy. She added that this amendment is what the students and the System want to have, and that it brings the current policy into compliance with the legislature's amendment.

Regent Douglas Roman Hill wanted to know why the legislature was making decisions regarding this topic. He also suggested that legal counsel render an opinion on this decision, and then bring this back to the Board for additional discussion. He also added that he felt the legislature was overly simplistic in addressing this issue, and that this policy will prevent many commercial items of interest and importance, such as health insurance, from being presented to students.

Chancellor Nichols said students will receive information on health insurance when they enroll in classes. The only information they would miss out on is information that would be sold to insurance and other companies at a later date.

Regent Sisolak inquired as to whether credit card solicitation is included as commercial use, and the Chancellor said it was.

UNR graduate representative Jessica Muehlberg also addressed the Board, and indicated that students on her campus agree with the policy, but were concerned there was no method in place to inform students of what information they might be passing up by "opting out."

HANDBOOK REVISION, GRADUATE ASSISTANT HEALTH INSURANCE
Deputy to the Chancellor Nancy Flagg, speaking on behalf of Presidents Harter, Lilley, and Wells, received Board approval to amend Title IV, Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Handbook, which addresses graduate assistants. The amendment enables these institutions to include the cost of student health insurance as part of total compensation paid to a GA, which will allow the universities to attract highly qualified graduate students and remain competitive with other higher education institutions. The benefit would be phased in through fall 2004.

HANDBOOK REVISION, CSUN CONSTITUTION, UNLV
President Harter requested Board approval to make the following changes to the CSUN Constitution:

• Referendum 1 – Article III, D, 1d
• Referendum 2 – Article III, D, 1f
• Referendum 3 – Article III, D, 2c, 3a, 3b
• Referendum 4 – Article VII, F, 1b
• Referendum 5 – Article VII, C

Regent Sisolak requested that article III, subsection D, item 1 be rephrased for clarity, and the Board approved the request with this change.

HANDBOOK REVISION, STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE RATES, UNLV & UNR
The Board approved the bids for student health insurance rates at UNLV and UNR/TMCC/WNCC, as well as approved adding these new rates to Title IV, Chapter 17 of the Board Handbook. In March 2003, the Board approved special fees for 2003-2004 with the understanding that competitive bids had not yet been returned for the premiums for student health insurance, and that these bids would be brought to the Board for its approval at a later date.

The Regents questioned why UNLV has a higher premium and less coverage than UNR.

Rebecca Mills, vice president for student services at UNLV, said UNLV refers more students to outside providers since they have a nurse-run center while UNR has a physician-run center. She said they cannot provide the same services as UNR, and that medical claims are typically higher. She also added that only international students at UNLV have to have insurance.

Shannon Ellis, vice president for student services at UNR, said UNR decided to remain with the same provider as last year, which enabled them to secure a low rate.

ACTION/PROPERTY

SALE OF PROPERTY, BABBITT BUILDING, WNCC
President Lucey requested Board approval to sell the Babbitt Building to REV Technologies "as is" for the purchase price of $1.00, the same amount WNCC paid when it bought the Babbitt School from Mineral County School District for its Hawthorne Center. As part of the approval to sell, President Lucey also requested the deed be transferred to REV Technologies.

Regent Sisolak expressed some concern regarding the sale of this building and wanted information on the net worth of REV Technologies. Since the building contains asbestos, Regent Sisolak wanted to prevent any third-party claims against the System. Kenneth Peterson of REV Technologies indicated the company has assets of a net worth of $350,000, and Regent Sisolak wanted a guarantee from REV that the UCCSN would not be held liable for any third-party claims.

General Counsel Thomas Ray said REV is purchasing the building as is, and that any claims against seller are eliminated. He added that there is an indemnity clause in the current contract separate from the "as is" clause, which protects the seller from against any third party claims. Mr. Peterson added that REV will work with the System's general counsel to make sure all concerns are addressed.

The Board approved the motion as presented.

SALE OF LAND, DRI
President Wells received Board approval to sell and transfer land parcel APN-004-061-13 to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), which needs the property to make improvements to the Clear Acre/395 highway interchange. At the January 2003 Board meeting, the Board granted approval to President Wells to negotiate the land sale with RTC.

ACQUISITION OF ARTEMESIA WAY, UNR
President Lilley received Board approval to accept Artemesia Way from the City of Reno in order to provide space for a landscaped pedestrian plaza at the south side of the university’s new residential complex/dining commons. No acquisition costs are associated with this transaction, but UNR will assume the costs of improvements and maintenance.

INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF HENDERSON, NSC
President Kerry Romesburg received Board approval to enter into an interlocal agreement between the city of Henderson and the UCCSN that finalizes the conveyance of public lands identified for the state college campus. The 2002 Public Lands Act requires that the city of Henderson and the UCCSN enter into an agreement that sets the terms for the conveyance and use of the land.

ACTION/PERSONNEL

TENURE, NSC
President Romesburg received Board approval to grant tenure to Dr. Lois Becker, professor of history.

INFORMATION/ACTION

COMMON COURSE NUMBERING REPORT
Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Richard Curry presented the 2002-03 Common Course Numbering Committee Report along with committee co-chairs Dr. Jannet Vreeland, associate professor of accounting/computer information systems at UNR, and Dr. Tim Haller, professor of political science and philosophy at WNCC.

Both Dr. Vreeland and Dr. Haller said that until a system is in place to track courses throughout the institutions, and until a permanent committee is in place to monitor the Common Course Numbering System (CCNS), this issue will not be completely resolved. They added that progress has been made, but that some departments and institutions could be more proactive about addressing their CCNS issues.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Tyler Trevor also addressed the Board regarding the compilation of a master course file that will be integrated into the newly developed Web-based Academic Program Information System. This is a new information resource for both internal and external audiences that allows individuals to determine which academic programs have been approved by the Board of Regents and which institution or institutions offer them. The master course file will enable students and faculty to see what courses have gone through CCNS, as well as enable institutions and the System to make updates and monitor data for integrity.

Dr. Vreeland and Dr. Haller said the committee also examined the number of credits required to attain a degree, and the transfer of credits from other institutions that will allow students to attain a degree.

The Board approved the report as presented.

UCCSN MASTER PLAN, SPACE UTILIZATION IMPROVEMENT PLANS
Chancellor Nichols provided the Board with a summary of each institution's space utilization improvement plans.

At the August 2002 meeting, Chancellor Nichols updated the Board on UCCSN space utilization. According to the report, overall utilization of classroom space at each of the UCCSN institutions is as follows:

According to the current findings of the institutions, Chancellor Nichols said only about one-third of all available space can be used for instructional space, and that each institution used the following principles when completing their reports:

• Student access to classes and optimal use of existing space, not faculty preference, is top priority.
• Quality instruction is an important consideration when scheduling classes.
• Practices that ensure efficient and effective use of space must be established and institutionalized in order to accommodate the growth of new students.
• Implementation of improvement plans must occur no later than January 2004.

Chancellor Nichols then states that some of the items the institutions examined when completing their reports included:

• Reviewing current campus data.
• Researching room scheduling software and market data.
• Determining the most popular course offerings.
• Considering Friday, afternoon, evening and weekend classes.

She added that the following underlying issues affect space utilization:

• Physical scheduling, layout, technology contained within and location of space impact the ability to use a particular space.
• Course scheduling blocks and instructional format are impacted by student work schedules, family commitments and class standing.
• Increased evening and weekend usage create the need for altered work schedules for support services and employees.
• Increased room usage affects overall operation and management costs for utilities, repairs, and maintenance.
• Current space utilization figures do not reflect overall use since they do not track non-credit students and non-instructional activities.

The Board approved the reports as presented. They Board also directed the System staff to make any changes necessary to the System space utilization report and bring it back to the Board in October. The Regents also encouraged the institutions to continue to make the most of the space they currently have, and to consider some innovative ways to seek partnerships with K-12 school to use their buildings and spaces. Chancellor Nichols said each campus will compile information on these partnerships, and then incorporate it into the existing reports.

UCCSN MASTER PLAN, ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL DESIGN
Vice Chancellor Curry and Associate Vice Chancellor Trevor updated the Board on those indicators that have been developed to monitor the progress the UCCSN has made toward the goals and targets of the Master Plan.

Associate Vice Chancellor Trevor said that continuous progress toward reaching the goals of the Master Plan must be measured and demonstrated in an on-going effort to provide evidence of improvement. With that in mind, System administrators, along with input from the institutions, developed a set of core accountability measures that:

• are reliant upon existing data collection efforts to minimize additional impact on each institution's current workload.
• gather data in a consistent and reliable manner to ensure objective indicators that can be completed on an annual/biennial calendar.
• are considered higher level measures that are followed by more detailed sub-indicators.

The core accountability measures center around the following 14 measures:

• college continuation rate
• remediation rate
• diversity
• financial aid
• degrees awarded
• persistence and transfer
• distance education
• space utilization
• employment
• workforce needs
• grants and contracts
• faculty characteristics
• participation rates

Potential measures still under consideration include:

• college-level learning assessment
• general education assessment
• community educational experiences survey
• internship/workplace experiences
• efficiency
• faculty productivity

The Board approved the report as presented. This item will be revisited at future Board meetings as the plan is further refined and implemented.

INFORMATION

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Chancellor Nichols said the legislature has approved the budget with the appropriation bill, but has been unable to arrive at a revenue bill. Due to the strong support of Gov. Kenny Guinn, the Chancellor said the budget for higher education has not been altered. However, she added that when the special session starts on June 25, there is a strong possibility higher education's budget will be be up for discussion.

Chancellor Nichols also reported on some bills that have been passed by the legislature that directly impact the UCCSN. These include:

• AB 148 UCCSN Audit: Requires a legislative auditor to conduct an audit of the UCCSN and the Board of Regents. The System is financially responsible for the cost of the audit, estimated at $90,000.
• AB 203 Committee to Evaluate Higher Education Programs: Creates a committee, comprised of students, legislators, and appointees of Gov. Guinn, to evaluate higher education programs and provides for its organization, powers and duties. The committee will be charged with five tasks:
  • Examine and evaluate the need in this state for existing and potential higher education programs to ensure economic progress and development within the State of Nevada and to ensure that the educational needs of its residents are being met.
  • Identify areas of high priority where needs are not currently being met, including, without limitation, the areas of educational programs for students who desire to become nurses or teachers.
  • Determine whether it is feasible to reallocate existing resources within institutions to meet the critical needs of the State of Nevada that are not currently being met.
  • Determine whether appropriations from the State of Nevada and student fee revenues are being efficiently distributed internally at each campus of the University and Community College System of Nevada.
  • Recommend to the Board of Regents and the Legislature such action as may be needed for the efficient and effective operation of higher education in Nevada if the state is to progress economically and socially.
• AB 246 UNLV Center for Crime Statistics: Establishes a Center within UNLV’s criminal justice department, and allows it to accept and expend gifts, grants and donations of money.
• AB 507 Transfer of community college credits: Revises provisions allowing students to transfer community college credits to a degree program from an institution within the UCCSN.
• AB 510 Preparation for college entrance examinations: Revises provisions contained in the informational pamphlet on the high school proficiency examination to include additional information regarding preparation for the college entrance examination.
• AJR 11 Appointment of Board of Regent members: Amends the Nevada Constitution to allow the election and gubernatorial appointment of Board members, and to specify the number and terms of members. This bill must be approved in identical form during the next legislative session, and then supported by a vote of the people, before any changes will take place.
• SB 62 Electronic Instructional Material: Requires UCCSN institutions to provide electronic versions of instructional materials to students with print access disabilities.
• SB 503 Millennium Scholarship qualifications: Revises the minimum qualifications for receipt of a Millennium Scholarship in order to extend the life of the program and make it more competitive among students. At the current rate, funding for the program will be exhausted by 2006 - 2007. These changes are shown below:
  • Current high school freshman or sophomores must achieve a 3.1 GPA rather than the current 3.0.
• Students who will be college or university freshman in fall of 2003 will need to graduate from high school with a 3.25 GPA .
• Students must have a college GPA of 2.6 to continue in the program, as opposed to the 2.0 currently in place.
• The eligibility term will be reduced from eight years to six years in order to keep the program in place until 2011 or 2012.

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Dan Miles also reported that, as the Chancellor noted, the a budget for the System was in place at the May Board meeting, and that budget report, for the most part, remains in place.

Vice Chancellor Miles said the Legislative Joint Subcommittee on Higher Education approved formula-driven budgets with 2003 enrollments at 84.45% of formula costs for FY 04 and 84.09% for FY 05. He said the committee also approved Gov. Guinn's recommendations for the adjusted base budget and maintenance items, including inflation, new/rental space, EPSCoR match, and dental school enrollment increases.

Vice Chancellor Miles said the committee also provide funding for several new initiatives/unfunded priorities, including adopting the UCCSN plan to double the capacity of its nursing programs; expanding of cooperative extension to Mineral County; and approving partial funding of the UCCSN request for $4.7 million in dental school equipment.

Vice Chancellor Miles said the committee also made two important policy changes. One change guarantees estate tax funded programs will be protected against insufficient revenue. Estate tax funds will be transferred monthly to the state and in return all such programs will be funded by state appropriations ($89 million).

A second change created new language for the General Authorization Act, which will allow campuses to expend excess student fee revenues on instructional needs with approval of the Interim Finance Committee.

The state-supported operating budget as approved by the legislature is as follows:

Vice Chancellor Miles also reported on the capital improvement budget for the coming biennium. The following projects have received funding from the legislature. For a complete list of all projects requested by the UCCSN, please consult the summary from the March 2003 Board meeting.

Vice Chancellor Miles also reported on the UCCSN's biennial budget increase:

REVIEW OF TENURE APPROVAL PROCESS
Chancellor Nichols reviewed the UCCSN's process and procedures for awarding tenure to academic faculty. At the March 2003 Board meeting, some Regents expressed concern that approval for individuals recommended for tenure was placed on the Consent Agenda. Chancellor Nichols said that historically, these recommendations have been placed there for several reasons:

• Those applying for tenure have already undergone a rigorous screening process within their institutions.
• Only positive recommendations are forwarded to the presidents, and, consequently, to the Board.
• Faculty up for tenure must be served with notice that they may be discussed during a Board meeting in order to comply with Open Meeting Law.

Chancellor Nichols recommended leaving the policy as is. The Regents agreed to keep the current policy as is, particularly since there is a rigourous process followed by the institutions before a recommendation for tenure is made. They added that tenure is campus decision that comes through peers and scholars, and that it would be difficult for the Board to second guess opinions of peers who evaluate them and work with them on a daily basis. They also said that the main concern facing the Board is ensuring the process was followed.

Although no Board action was taken regarding this process, the Board did decide that those granted tenure should receive a letter from the Board congratulating them on their accomplishments.

NATIONAL FORUM ON COLLEGE-LEVEL LEARNING PROJECT, UCCSN
Dr. Margaret Miller, project director of the National Forum on College-Level Learning, updated the Board on the goals, structure, and timeliness of a project the UCCSN has become involved in that will develop strategies for assessing the intellectual abilities of each states' college graduates. The project is funded by Pew Charitable Trusts and supported by the National Center for Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).

Dr. Miller first referenced the Measuring Up report card. She said the Measuring Up report card originally had a sixth category on learning, which was removed because states have no way to measure this among their students.

At the December 2002 meeting, Chancellor Nichols updated the Board the national Measuring Up 2002 Report. Nevada's grades were as follows:

Chancellor Nichols said grading is based on the curve, which means Nevada's grades are measured in relation to other states' performance. She added that 2002 grades are based on data from 1999 and 2000, and do not take into account any changes or improvements made in the past two years or the fact that the UCCSN Master Plan has specific goals that address each of the above areas. Chancellor Nichols also said in addition to goals and objectives of the Master Plan, the UCCSN can do other things that will help Nevada raise its grades, including establishing policies and developing resources that ensure all Nevadans complete high school, complete college degree or credentials, and have adequate financial aid.

Dr. Miller said the goal of this current project is to determine what kind of education capital is represented by its graduates in the state, and to identify ways institutions of higher education can contribute to that capital. She added that those states in the project (Kentucky, Oklahoma, Illinois, South Carolina and Nevada) will administer tests to students at their two- and four-year institutions. Two-year institutions will administer a test that measures the types of skills students bring to the workplace, and four-year institutions will administer a collegiate learning assessment that measures communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Chancellor Nichols said one great benefit to the UCCSN is they are joining a project that is already constructed and paid for. She added that there is nothing that limits the System from expanding this project, and is hopeful that will take place in the future.

INFORMATION/PROPERTY

LEASE AMENDMENT, CENTER FOR ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & OUTREACH, UNLV
President Harter presented information to the Board regarding a lease amendment for the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach. The amendment calls for the following:

• Execute a third amendment to an existing office and classroom space lease at the Executive Center West, 1455 East Tropicana Avenue, for the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach (CAEO). The amendment will provide 2,189 additional square feet, for a total of 16,140 sq. ft., to accommodate up to 100 new full- and part-time CAEO employees. A provision of the amendment gives UNLV the ability to negotiate for additional suites in the future, but places a 45-day deadline on completion of the negotiations.
• Enable the Chancellor to approve future amendments to the CAEO lease in order to meet the 45-day clause. This authority will provide flexibility for the center to expand into additional suites as they become available.

Board approval was not necessary for this item, and it was referred back to the Chancellor.

NEW BUSINESS
Chancellor Nichols presented Chair Seastrand a resolution in honor of his service to the Board in the past year.

CONSENT AGENDA

MINUTES

1. MINUTES

The Board approved the minutes from the regular meeting held May 8-9, 2003 and the Board Orientation Committee meeting held April 11, 2003.

PERSONNEL/ACTION

2. TENURE ON HIRE, UNLV

President Harter received Board approval to grant tenure upon hire for the following faculty members.

• Dr. Joanne Thompson, full professor and director of the School of Social Work in the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, effective July 1, 2003. The department faculty voted unanimously to recommend tenure upon hire.
• Dr. Ron Yasbin, full professor and dean of the College of Sciences, effective September 1, 2003. The department faculty voted unanimously to recommend tenure upon hire.

ACTION/HANDBOOK

6. HANDBOOK REVISION, 2003-2004 STIPEND SCHEDULE, RESIDENT PHYSICIANS AND RESIDENT DENTISTS, UNR

President Lilley received Board approval of the stipend schedule for 2003-04. Board policy stipulates that stipends for resident physicians and resident dentists be determined on an annual basis.

7. HANDBOOK REVISION, UNIT SENATE BYLAWS

Chancellor Nichols received Board approval to amend the Unit Bylaws (Title V, Chapter 5), which govern the organization of the System Administration and its faculty. The amendments were recommended by the System Administration Faculty Senate and approved by an affirmative vote of the faculty.

ACTION/PROPERTY

8. REQUEST FOR PERMANENT EASEMENT, WNCC

President Lucey received Board approval to grant a permanent easement to the city of Carson City for a sewer line that will support the new Jack C. Davis Observatory. At the May 2003 meeting, the Board granted an immediate right of entry to the city and also granted permission to WNCC to negotiate the permanent easement.

ITEMS 3, 4, AND 5 WERE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

ACADEMIC, RESEARCH & STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Committee Chair Jill Derby presented a report on the Academic, Research and Student Affairs Committee meeting held June 18, 2003.

Regent Derby said Dr. David Charlet, director of the Nevada Collaborative Teaching Improvement Program, presented an overview of the program, which specifically addresses the needs of Nevada's K-12 teachers in English language arts, mathematics, and science.

Regent Derby said the committee heard a presentation from John Frederick, executive vice president and provost, regarding UNR's college realignment, which came about as a result of its strategic planning process. According the reorganization, the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the College of Science (COS) will replace the existing College of Arts and Science and the Mackay School of Mines. Each new college will, in turn, incorporate a school within its college structure. The CLA will include the School of the Arts, and the COS will containg the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering.

Regent Derby requested Board approval of the following committee recommendations:

• Approve the following new new unit proposals:
  • New Unit Proposals and Other Administrative Reorganization, UNR
  • Center for Disability and Applied Biomechanics, UNLV
  • The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, UNLV
• Approve the following new program proposal:
  • BS, Visual Media and Computing, NSC
• Revise Title IV, Chapter 12 of the Handbook to insert additional language into the UCCSN Intellectual Property Policy.

The Board approved the recommendations as presented.

AD HOC EXECUTIVE EVALUATION & COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
Committee Chair Steve Sisolak presented a report on the ad hoc Executive Evaluation and Compensation Committee meeting held June 4, 2003.

Regent Sisolak said the committee approved the minutes from the April 24, 2003 meeting. He also said the committee heard a report from staff on best practices in executive evaluation, including the results of a survey of evaluation practices used in other higher education systems. These data will frame the committee’s further deliberations on the current processes for annual and periodic review, reporting lines, and contract terms. Staff also presented information on executive perquisites. The committee discussed some preliminary conclusions about perquisites which it will take up at a future meeting.

Regent Sisolak said the committee spoke by telephone with Dr. Bernard Machen, president of the University of Utah, who provided the committee with information about executive compensation practices in other states. In particular, the committee asked President Machen about compensation provided by foundations or other external sources and how it is typically handled. He discussed some of the more common types of extra compensation, such as deferred compensation, paid service on foundation or athletic boards, and endowed chairs. These matters will receive further attention from the committee after it has an opportunity to evaluate national salary data.

Regent Sisolak said the committee was provided with an update on the System’s efforts to compile national salary data from which the committee can determine market competitiveness for UCCSN executives. UCCSN Human Resources Director Carla Henson provided a sample of how the data will be constructed and discussed some of the variables that may affect the survey results. The committee directed Ms. Henson to use a common set of peers for the universities and to establish peers for the community colleges, the state college, and the Desert Research Institute.

No action items were requested and the Board approved the report as presented.

AUDIT COMMITTEE
Committee Chair Steve Sisolak presented a report on the Audit Committee meeting held June 18, 2003.

Regent Sisolak said the committee requested additional information on complimentary athletic tickets and telephone charges from the UNLV Consolidated Students audit to be presented at the next meeting.

Regent Sisolak then said that Sandi Cardinal, director of internal audit, reported that the bank reconciliations were up-to-date, and that Tom Judy, associate vice president for business and finance at UNR, reported on the status of the University of Nevada School of Medicine Practice Plan. He also said that Denise Baclawski, executive director of the Fire Science Academy, reported that the the number of students at the FSA is below what was projected in the business plan. Regent Sisolak said that Ms. Backlawski reported that the deficit for the fiscal year is expected to be $7.4 million as compared to the budgeted amount of $7.5 million.

Regent Sisolak requested Board approval of the following committee recommendations:

• Approve the following internal audit reports:
  • Construction Audit, CCSN
  • Presidential Exit Audit, CCSN

The Board approved the recommendation as presented.

FINANCE & PLANNING COMMITTEE
Committee Chair Douglas Roman Hill presented a report on the Finance & Planning Committee meeting held June 18, 2003.

Regent Hill said the committee reviewed the third quarter fiscal year 2003 all funds report, which indicated revenue collection and expenditure activities were normal for that period. He said the committee also reviewd the third quarter fiscal year 2003 fiscal exceptions report. Accounts reported in deficit include the UNR's FSA, and CCSN's men's and women's basketball program, women's soccer program, and Hospitality Institute.

Regent Hill requested Board action on the following committee recommendations:

• Approve the FY 2003-04 UCCSN Self-Supporting Budget.
• Enable the UNLV dental school to seek authorization from the Interim Finance Committee to expend $38,573 in excess student fee revenues within the state supported operating budget for FY 2002-03.
• Revise Title IV, Chapter 10, Section 7 of the Handbook to incorporate the annual assessment for funding support of the Board’s and System Administration’s self-supporting budget. This action was approved by the Committee and the Board at the May 2003 meeting.

The Board approved the recommendations as presented.

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Committee Chair Mark Alden presented a report on the Investment Committee meeting held May 30, 2003.

Regent Alden said the committee reviewed the UCCSN's asset allocation and performance for the pooled endowment and pooled operating funds for the quarter ending March 31, 2003. Endowment investments returned -1.6 percent as compared to the benchmark of -1.6 percent, and -6.1 percent for the fiscal year as compared to the benchmark of -6.0 percent. The total returned for the pooled operating funds was 0.4 percent for the quarter as compared to the benchmark of -0.3 percent, and 1.0 percent for the fiscal year as compared to the benchmark of 1.4 percent. For April 2003, endowment assets returned 4.6 percent as compared to the benchmark of 5.2 percent, and operating funds returned 1.8 percent as compared to the benchmard of 2.3 percent.

Regent Alden said the committee also reviewed the performance of the small cap equity manager, Navalier & Associates. For the quarter ended March 31, 2003, the return was -10.8 percent as compared to the benchmark of -5.1 percent. Since its inception on May 29, 1998, their performance was -2.2 percent as compared to their benchmark of 0.7 percent. Regent Alden said the committee has decided to interview new managers and to transfer the securitieses held by Navalier to the new manager.

Regent Alden said the committee reviewed the current status of the operating pool reserve, which was at $-8.6 million as of May 29, 2003.

Regent Alden also said the committee reviewed sections of the Handbook relating to the operating pool payout. He requested Board action on the following committee recommendations:

• Amend Title IV, Chapter 10, Section 5 of the Handbook to eliminate the payout to the Board and System Administration.
• Amend Title IV, Chapter 10, Section 6 of the Handbook to eliminate the payout to the Board and System Administration.

The Board approved the recommendations as presented.