University of Virginia

The University of Virginia continued to receive less and less financial support from the State of Virginia until that amount dipped to 4% of the school’s funding and yet had 100% control of how the funds were used.  The University said “that’s enough” and the state went to zero contribution and zero control.  

Student Representation

The University of Arizona obtains only 14% of its funding from the State of Arizona.  However, the state has total control of how the University of Arizona spends its revenue.  There is a small attempt made in Arizona to give the students a say in the university’s use of funds.  However, the students still have little representation.  That being so don’t you think it’s time that one or two of Nevada’s Regents be students?

Students

The State of Nevada has a Board of Regents of 13 members.  All are elected by the public at large.  That would be only fair if the state provided all the funding for higher education.  But it’s not fair because the students who provide a substantial amount of the system’s funds have no say at all.

Fair?

If the state provided 100% of the funding for higher education, it seems only reasonable the state would have 100% control of how that money is spent. But the State of Nevada provides only 33% of the higher education funding and yet the students who carry a substantial amount of the burden by paying tuition and costs have nothing to say about the system’s governance. That isn’t fair. 

Friday's Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 

"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV. Las Vegas is a city built on big dreams. Sometimes I’m afraid that we’ve stopped being able to dream big. It’s time for us to look to the future. It’s time for us to dream again. Imagine Las Vegas as the global hub of gaming, entertainment and hospitality. Imagine that we are an intellectual cradle of innovation – a place where creativity and technology meet. If this is going to happen, it’s going to start at UNLV. We are dedicated to making this a better place and we need your help."

Thursday's Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 

"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV. For years, citizens of Las Vegas and Clark County have complained about our health care. You’ve heard the joke, “McCarran Airport is the place you go.” We need to change that. We need to build a healthy health care supply chain, and that’s going to start with basic Biomedical Research, clinical trials, transformational research, and a host of other things that a great research university can bring to a community. We need better medical care. We need to build the infrastructure around healthcare and medical delivery that will make this a great city and that will make it a possibility to have tourists come here for medical tourism and great treatment like they do in other parts of the country and other parts of the world."

Wednesday's Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 
"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV. Institutions are built of faculty, not bricks and mortar. In our wonderful institution, UNLV has faculty who have enriched the lives of our community. They, in turn, help to create a much better, healthier, and more robust economy and a better place to live. Last year, just five of the great hires that we made brought in well over a million dollars in research funding and have already written grants for $15 million in research funding. These are the geese that lay the golden egg, and these are the kinds of folks our city needs to make us prosperous."

Tuesday's Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 
"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV. One of the great challenges we have in our city is finding a way to create a more educated citizenry. 20% of our citizens have higher education degrees. In other states, their targets are 50 – 60 % of the population with a higher ed degree. We have a first generation population that’s very cost sensitive. Big hikes in tuition won’t lead us to where we have to go. We have to find a way to support our access mission and grow our work force so that our state can be competitive with other states and other metros."

Today's Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 

"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV.  Funds invested in UNLV yield a huge return on investment.  Imagine now in our efficient institution how we can drive the economy with strategic investments in research faculty and infrastructure.  The University of Utah has led a tech boom in Salt Lake City that produces over $10B a year in export economy.  Why shouldn't we make the same investments in UNLV to support our biggest city?  We need to invest in higher education NOW."

Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 

"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV.  It is time for Nevada to stop settling for less, and time we invested in our future.  Everyone agrees it takes money to get money.  For the $124M the state gives UNLV, we produce a $1.5B economic impact, with $913M in direct spending and well over $300M in export economy from grants, events and students from out of state.  We are an investment, not a cost."

Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 
"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV.  Our state should have 2 top 100 universities to be competitive so we can build our workforce, attract great talent to our state, grow and diversify our economy, improve healthcare, and create a more prosperous future. We have to add at least 400 high producing faculty to UNLV to get there.  They will bring in millions in grants and contracts, support our emerging tech economy, produce patents and start-up businesses, provide a great education, and help attract tech firms relocating from other states." 

Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 
"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV.  We are in competition with every other state, and especially with neighboring Mountain West states like Arizona, Utah, Colorado and even California.  Each of these states have invested deeply in higher education, and built their research capacity.  Compared to UNLV's 700 faculty, the University of Utah has 3000, ASU has 2500, CU, Boulder has 2600, and the list goes on.  Long range thoughtful planning and support of higher education have built booming economies in these states."

Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, responds to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.) 

"I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV.  After a period of rapid growth where UNLV never caught up to student demand we faced a huge cut in our budget - we lost $73M in four years - 43% of our state budget.  This was devastating and combined with salary cuts and benefits cuts left us with about 700 full time faculty, down from over 1000 faculty.  Our research faculty brings in grants, train students in cutting edge technologies, and are the fountainhead of innovation in our region, but we are struggling to keep them when they are getting great offers from other states."

 

Guest: Neal Smatresk

(Jim invites Dr. Neal Smatresk, president of UNLV, to respond to Jim’s recent tweets about research revenue at UNLV.)

I’m Neal Smatresk, President of UNLV.  The past recession has made it clear that we need to diversify our economy and expand knowledge based industry in our state, and everyone agrees that we need a strong research university to provide the innovation, resources, and leadership to grow and attract new industries and produce a tech ready workforce.  UNLV has to be that institution, and our faculty will be the folks who help us build a new diversified economy.

State Budget Reductions

The Nevada System of Higher Education receives 32% of its operating expenses from the State of Nevada.  The State of Arizona provides 14% of the operating budget of the University of Arizona.  The State of Virginia provides 0% of the operating budget of the University of Virginia.   The State of Michigan provides approximately 10% of the operating budget of the University of  Michigan.  These schools are able to stand state budget reductions because they have been able to substitute research income.  What is going to happen to Nevada high school graduates when they have to pay twice the tuition of that charged at much better schools?  The answer is obvious.  They will all go out of state to college.

Research Revenue

Look at the 2012 research revenue of universities in states adjacent to Nevada.  University of Arizona - $546,000,000; Arizona State University - $260,000,000; University of Utah - $254,000,000; University of New Mexico - $198,000,000; and UNLV - $50,000,000.  Folks, we are 30 years behind and several billions of dollars in developing the necessary revenue to make UNLV survive. What’s the answer?  I no longer have one.

Compete?

Do you think that UNLV with research income in 2012 of approximately $51,000,000 can compete in any sense of the word with the University of Arizona which in 2012 had research income of $545,869,000?  The answer is obvious – NO. 

Research Programs

Of the ten top higher education research programs in the United States, seven are public institutions and three are private.  Number ten is Ohio State that had research income in 2012 $702,592,000.  UNLV had income of approximately $51,000,000.  Is UNLV competitive?  Obviously not. 

Funding Higher Education

There are three primary sources for funding public higher education. 

1. Funding provided by the State;

2. Funding provided by students through payment of tuition; and

3. Funding provided by research.

As funding from the state eventually reaches zero, the two left to pay the bills are the students and funds from research.  Our Nevada system has missed the boat on developing the research arms of UNLV and UNR.  In 2012 Johns Hopkins University had research income of $1,680,927,000.  UNLV had income from research in the amount of $50,775,000.  Do you believe that UNLV has any future when it has failed to develop its research revenue capabilities?  I don’t.

Funding From Research

The Nevada Higher Education System has been oblivious to the facts occurring throughout this country that relate to the reduction of state financing of state higher education systems.  The Regents and the Nevada Legislature have not only failed to take action to prevent the failure of Nevada’s Higher Education System, they don’t understand the cause of the problem. They ignorantly believe the economic downturn in Nevada is the sole cause for lack of funding of Nevada’s Higher Education System.  THEY MUST LOOK AT OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE INCLUDING MOST IMPORTANTLY FUNDING FROM RESEARCH.

Sustain

How will UNR and UNLV sustain themselves financially without support from the state?  The answer is they can’t and won’t be able to.  It appears to me that may be the end of a meaningful higher education system in Nevada.

Cutting The Budgets

If you believe that the recent reduction of funding by the State of Nevada of its higher education system was caused solely by the downturn in the economy, you are 100% wrong.  The State of Nevada, like every other state, is moving toward cutting its financial support of state higher education funding to nothing.  Had Nevada been flush with money, as it had been for 30 years leading up to 2008, the state would still be cutting the budgets of the Nevada higher education system.

Non-Public Funding

In a meeting I had with Governor Sandoval, a man for whom I have great respect, we discussed the eventual non-public funding of public universities.  He pointed out that his own alma mater, Ohio State University is making plans to receive no funding at all from the State of Ohio.  How do you think this pulling of public support for public universities will affect UNLV and UNR?