Latest news with #NSHE
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Law bars NSHE from taking action on transgender college athletes
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The state and federal governments are on a collision course when it comes to transgender athletes in college sports. The NCAA ruled in Feb. that competition in women's sports is restricted to student-athletes assigned female at birth. It's the guidance they issued following President Donald Trump's executive order on college sports and Title IX. Justice Department tasked with enforcing Trump's transgender sports ban in Maine This topic has reached Nevada's college campuses with the Nevada System of Higher Education discussing it on Thursday. 'The state constitution that all regents take an oath to uphold contains an equality of rights provision,' Lynda King, NSHE's associate general counsel, said. 'I think that it's a wait-and-see approach at this time.' Regents with the Nevada System of Higher Education sought clarity on transgender athletes in college sports. Minnesota attorney general files preemptive lawsuit against Trump on transgender sports ban 'We don't want to go back to when girls cannot get what they need and be able to be protected along the way,' Susan Brager, NSHE Regent 7 – Clark County, said. The Mountain West Conference also followed suit to resemble the NCAA's policy on transgender athletes. But Nevada's equal rights law has protections for transgender people. 'Until such time that we have federal law that preempts or overrides that state constitution, we are limited in our ability to advise you,' King said. Some people at Thursday's meeting wanted regents to take action. 'Records set by dedicated female athletes are being erased by men who are stronger and faster in every available metric,' Deborah Earl said. West Virginia, Idaho asking Supreme Court to review rulings allowing transgender athletes to compete Marshi Smith serves as chair of Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony's task force on women in college sports. She spoke in support of restrictions on college sports. 'Please take this seriously. Ensure your female athletes have safe and protected sports,' Smith said. But others at the meeting implored regents to not consider a ban on trans-athletes. 'Trans-athletics in women's sports are not the problem. Sexual assault and abusers are,' Jenna Atncio, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, said. Jessica Munger, a representative for Silver State Equality, criticized the efforts to limit transgender people. 'Time should be spent looking into more funding opportunities, hiring women coaches, offering clinics and events, acquiring new equipment, and increasing accessibility for women. Rather than restricting who gets to play,' Munger said. There are several legal hurdles before regents on the Nevada System of Higher Education can vote on whether or not to ban trans college athletes. Two volleyball players from UNR filed a lawsuit last year against the Mountain West Conference. They alleged their Title IX and 14th Amendment rights were violated after they refused to play against a San Jose State transgender student. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nevada's grad student workforce pushes for collective bargaining rights
Graduate assistants at UNLV are among those at NSHE institutions statewide seeking collective bargaining rights via the United Auto Workers, whose members nationally include roughly 100,000 people working in higher education. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current) Graduate students employed within the Nevada System of Higher Education say they have little recourse when dealing with hostile work environments, low pay, demanding workloads, and financial instability. Riley Jones, a PhD student studying life sciences at UNLV, said the current system leaves graduate workers at the whims of 'our advisers, departments, and graduate colleges to support us when one demand, one responsibility, one job conflicts with another.' 'We need a union so that we have the power to advance our own rights and win a contract that we can use to protect ourselves independently of this flawed system,' said Jones at a rally on UNLV's campus last week. 'We deserve support that is not dependent on departmental politics or changing administrations.' Nevada Graduate Student Workers, which comprised graduate assistants from UNLV, UNR and the Desert Research Institute, voted in November to unionize. Despite more than 2,100 graduate assistants supporting efforts to unionize, NSHE has not recognized the union. Graduate assistants, including Jones, gathered Wednesday at UNLV and UNR to describe working conditions at NSHE institutions and call on lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 191, which would give graduate assistants the right to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions. The rally was held a week after the legislation received its first hearing at the Assembly Government Affairs Committee. The bill 'gives professional employees the same rights and responsibilities for collective bargaining as other public employees in Nevada,' said Democratic Assemblymember Natha Anderson, AB 191's sponsor. The legislation, she said, wouldn't conflict with the state's right to work laws and so wouldn't require any NSHEemployee to be a dues paying member of a union if they don't want to be. It would simply 'balance' grad school workers 'with other employees by covering it in state law, instead of hoping that it's going to be agendized in a meeting,' Anderson said. Kent Ervin, a legislative liaison with the Nevada Faculty Alliance, told lawmakers that while collective bargaining is allowed through NSHE's policy handbook, the language is outdated and doesn't give the same protections as in state law. The bill, if passed, would apply not only to grad assistants, but also to academic faculty, administrative faculty, and part-time instructors 'if they in the future choose to form a bargaining unit and ask to be recognized,' Ervin said. Employees would be able to negotiate and seek resolutions of contract disputes through the state's Government Employee-Management Relations Board. This 'would save time and litigation, a clear benefit to both sides,' Ervin said. Alejandro Rodriguez, a lobbyist with NSHE, said the system does not have a position on the legislation, but is 'fully committed to finding solutions sooner than the legislative process would allow.' The Vegas Chamber was opposed to the bill and expanding the state's collective bargaining law. Nick Snyder, a lobbyist for the chamber, said allowing graduate assistants the ability to collectively bargain 'could potentially harm the academic relationship between students and faculty, while also causing disruption in the educational process.' The committee took no action on the bill. Speaking at the rally Wednesday, Evelyn Airam, a graduate assistant in the School of Integrated Health Sciences at UNLV, said when surveying other graduate workers throughout the NSHE institutions, they found the same workplace harassment and pay issues. Airam said that one in four NSHE graduate assistants surveyed said they experienced or witnessed retaliation for raising workplace issues, and that 79% of grad students employed in the system reported they didn't earn enough to cover living expenses. She had previously highlighted her own struggles to survive on a $21,500 salary to state lawmakers when speaking in favor of AB 191 at the legislative committee hearing earlier in the month. 'I personally have been forced to skip meals, sell my blood plasma on a weekly basis, and worry if gas in my car was enough to make it to work or classes,' she said during the hearing. It doesn't just demoralize the current workforce, but prevents NSHE universities from attracting potential graduate students, she said. 'We must attract and retain top scholars,' Airam told lawmakers. 'How can we do that when wages don't cover rent, when there is no independent recourse for mistreatment, and when GA's positions are constantly insecure?' Several graduate students testifying in support of the bill reiterated some of the same concerns around being overworked and underpaid or dealing with unfair treatment from department heads and other faculty. Work conditions regarding safety and security are also a concern, said Pete Martini, an assistant professor of psychology at Nevada State University and president of the school's arm of the Nevada Faculty Alliance. 'Regardless of the reasons we come to the table … faculty and graduate students want to argue in good faith,' he said. 'Without AB 191 we are bargaining across the table from NSHE while they call balls and strikes.' Republican Assemblymember Danielle Gallant questioned the aspect of bargaining over pay since students get reduced tuition as a form of 'sweat equity.' In response to students testifying about high workloads with little compensation, Gallant said she often has to work more than 80 hours a week as a business owner and a part-time legislator. 'I know it sucks, but sometimes you just kind of have to grin and bear it. It builds character,' Gallant said with a laugh. Airam said while most graduate assistants work more than 40 or 50 hours a week – on top of their studies and research related to their graduate program – they are only contracted, and paid, for 20 hours a week. As an international student, she also has federal restrictions on working outside of campus, making it impossible to get another job — if she had the time for one. Gallant's up-from-bootstraps musing notwithstanding, the issues at hand are not about character but 'about survival and the basic needs,' Airam said. NSHE officials say they try to work with students to address individual concerns. But Jones said graduate assistants need a system that doesn't resolve workers complaints 'on a case by case basis.' 'We've been told time and time again that the administration supports us and wants to work with us to fix issues we face,' Jones said. 'We deserve to have a union so our power as GAs is recognized.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Slain UNLV professor part of program under federal DEI probe
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Three former UNLV professors — including one who died in the fatal on-campus shooting on Dec. 6, 2023 — participated in a program known as the Ph.D Project, which appears to have gotten the attention of the U.S. government and landed the university in the middle of a federal investigation, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Friday, the Education Department announced it is investigating more than 50 colleges — including UNLV — over what it called 'racial preferences' in academics or scholarships, a move that comes amid the Trump administration's wider crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The department said 45 schools are under investigation for partnering with the Ph.D Project, which it says is 'an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.' UNLV, in a statement, acknowledged its professors' involvement in the Ph.D project. 'UNLV is aware of the federal investigation,' the statement said. 'Three former UNLV professors were participants in the mentoring program known as the PHD Project. 'Two of them are no longer with UNLV. The third person was Patricia Navarro Velez, a beloved professor who was tragically killed on our campus by a gunman on Dec. 6, 2023.' Word of the investigation comes just days after UNLV's president, Keith Whitfield, abruptly resigned, citing a need to focus on his family. 'These commitments will require more of my time and energy and prevent me from being your president,' he said in his statement to the university community on March 3. The next day, 8 News Now reported that the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents showed, in recent meetings, a growing frustration with Whitfield. NSHE, in a statement Friday, also responded to news of the federal investigation into UNLV and other colleges and universities, including Ivy League schools, large state schools and smaller colleges. 'We are working to understand the scope of the investigation and how to best support our institution in addressing any concerns,' the statement said. 'NSHE remains committed to fostering vibrant campus communities that support the success of our students, faculty, and researchers. We will continue to support our institutions in navigating federal requirements while advancing their missions in service to Nevada.' Patricia Navarro Velez, one of the professors cited in UNLV's statement about the federal investigation, died in the December 2023 shooting on UNLV's campus in which three faculty members died. Known as 'Pat,' Navarro Velez was a beloved member of the UNLV accounting and Lee Business School community and family, Dr. Jason Smith, Department of Accounting chair and professor at Lee Business School said. 'She had a larger-than-life personality and an infectious smile, and a genuine kindness that made everyone around her feel like family,' Dr. Smith said. Effective March 4, UNLV Executive Vice President and Provost Christopher L. Heavey, Ph.D., will take the role of Officer in Charge, according to a post on the UNLV website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UNLV, UNR funding would dip under new formula presented to Nevada lawmakers
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A rebuilt funding formula for the state's colleges and universities became a target for officials Tuesday during a budget hearing in Carson City. Lawmakers and leaders from the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), seemed to agree on one thing: The formula doesn't do much more than shift money around in ways that don't satisfy anyone. And not enough money, according to some officials. Gov. Joe Lombardo's proposed budget for NSHE in the 2026-27 biennium is $2.7 billion. Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Las Vegas Democrat, questioned whether lawmakers should approve NSHE's proposed formula. 'Based upon your answers today, that what we have is a funding formula that is not working for two of the largest institutions here in the state,' she said. UNLV and UNR would lose a combined $42.5 milllion that would go to smaller schools. Patty Charlton, interim chancellor at NSHE, responded, 'I would agree that — and I think if the presidents were all to come up they would say — that the funding formula didn't work for any of them as a whole.' Charlton argued for the opportunity to tweak the budget formula going forward, while Cannizzaro asked if it would be better to just get the formula right from the start. Looking to add context, Charlton described the formula as it exists now as a distribution model that has changed over the years. Charlton was part of the 2013 effort to change the formula, and it resulted in the elevation of UNR and UNLV to R1 research institutions, she said. 'Yes, this needs to be a work in progress. We need to continue to work with your staff and with the institutions to really define where we need to go as a state,' Charlton said. Cannizzaro invited leaders from UNLV and UNR to weigh in, and that led to comments on existing funding levels. 'The net funding per FTE (full-time equivalent student) in Nevada is the lowest in the country,' UNLV interim leader Chris Heavey said. 'And so essentially all of our institutions are working on a shoestring budget.' Heavey stepped into the role when UNLV President Keith Whitfield resigned on March 3. The statistics he cited show Nevada funds higher education at about 63% of the national average, based on FTE funding. 'It is a struggle. We're in national competition to hire faculty and to retain our faculty and it is sometimes a struggle for us to compete with other R1 institutions,' according to Jeff Thompson, executive vice president and provost at UNR. Heavey added, 'We often say we are R1 institutions funded at an R2 level.' UNLV is about $120 million short of budgets at other R1 institutions, Heavey said. Even so, he acknowledged the need for more funding at the state's community colleges. 'The two-year institutions are more underfunded than the four-year institutions,' he said. NSHE is the governing body for: UNLV UNR Desert Research Institute Nevada State University College of Southern Nevada (CSN) Great Basin College Truckee Meadows Community College Western Nevada College NSHE's budget challenges don't stop with problems with the formula. The Board of Regents increased student fees at all the state's colleges and universities by 5% recently to help pay for cost-of-living raises for employees who were left out when the state doled out pay raises in 2023. NSHE also delayed raises to help cover the cost. Now, they have to pay for those raises going forward, and they want the state to kick in. No one on either side of the aisle in the Nevada Legislature is happy about that. Republican Minority Floor Leader Assem. Gregory Hafen II remarked, 'Aren't you guys your own branch of government now?' His sentiment matched comments by the majority Democrats. 'I want to understand why those decisions were made and now, why they are coming back to us to fill the hole that basically they created,' Hafen said. Budgets for capital projects were not included in Tuesday's hearing. NSHE cited a backlog of $376 million in maintenance projects for campus facilities. The budget is expected to allocate $15 million. Another $50 million is needed for safety/security equipment to improve all the state's campuses in the wake of the December 2023 shooting at UNLV that left three faculty members dead. Only a fraction of that amount is expected to be approved in the budget. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EVP steps in after UNLV president resigns
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The person who will serve as Officer in Charge following Keith Whitfield's resignation as president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), was announced Tuesday. Effective Tuesday, Executive Vice President and Provost Christopher L. Heavey, Ph.D., will take the role of Officer in Charge, according to a post on the UNLV website. ALSO READ: UNLV President Keith Whitfield announces resignation 'According to NSHE code, the officer in charge shall exercise the powers of the president until an acting, interim, or permanent president is appointed by the Board of Regents,' the post said. The post detailed Heavy's record, including a 30-year history with UNLV. 'An experienced leader, Provost Heavey has been at UNLV for more than 30 years, serving in various leadership roles, including senior vice provost, vice provost for undergraduate education, and dean,' the blog post said. 'A tenured professor of psychology, he holds a master's and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA and a bachelor's from UC Santa Cruz.' Whitfield's departure was announced Monday evening as the president said it was due to family reasons, citing a need to tend to his mother and spend more time with his grandchildren. 'Now, I have to take my own advice and take care of some family issues. Family is a crucial part of our lives. More of my attention is needed to help my mother and make sure she has the best care possible. I also want to spend more time with one of my grandsons, who currently has some health challenges of his own. These commitments will require more of my time and energy and prevent me from being your president,' he said in his statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
