CSN's Underfunding

#CSN faculty and staff have worked tirelessly to help students successfully achieve their educational goals.  And they have done so under unreasonable funding conditions. This is not just a perception; the Nevada legislature has repeatedly recognized this as a fact.  In June of 2008 then Vice Chancellor Daniel Klaich and CSN President Mike Richards co-wrote a memo formally recognizing CSN’s historic underfunding and vowed to pursue equity payments from the legislature.  Both men followed up with their promise during the 2009 legislative session and more than a few legislators responded by finding extra money for CSN despite bad economic conditions.  Many of the same legislators again came to CSN’s aid in the 2011 legislative session and provided another infusion of equity funding. But until now

nothing of substance has been done to correct the underlying problems that lead to the underfunding. Currently an interim legislative committee is studying Nevada’s higher education funding formula and will either recommend that the formula be revised or replaced.  NSHE officials have proposed a new funding plan, but this proposal does not include any language on CSN’s underfunding nor does it specially ask that the legislature rectify its neglect of CSN’s students, faculty, and staff.  Hopefully, as committee members review options for funding higher education, they will see fit to put CSN on a new course in which students, faculty, and staff receive the resources needed to be successful.