Dr. Jack Schofield for Congress 2010

Much like a corporate board of directors, Nevada’s Board of Regents governs the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Elected to serve a six-year term, the 13 Regents set policies and approve budgets for Nevada’s entire public system of higher education:  four colleges, one state college, two universities and one research institute.  They hire and terminate new presidents when necessary.

The eight institutions the Regents govern include:  College of Southern Nevada; Desert Research Institute; Great Basin College; Nevada State College; Truckee Meadows  College; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Nevada, Reno; and Western Nevada  College. For fall semester 2004, more than 100,000 students were enrolled in these institutions.

The Board leadership is comprised of a Chair and Vice Chair who are elected by the Board’s membership. The term for the Chair and Vice Chair is one year (July 1 – June 30), and the Chair is limited from serving more than two consecutive terms.

Working on behalf of the Board is Chancellor Jim Rogers, who serves as the NSHE’s chief executive officer, and Special Assistant to the Chancellor Scott Wasserman, both of whom work closely with the regents and the presidents to develop NSHE strategies and implement Board policies. The institutional presidents in turn report to the Chancellor. The regents have their staff, including Fini Dobyns, interim Board clerk, and three support personnel to directly serve the Board.

Typically, the Board holds eight regular meetings each year in addition to committee meetings. These meetings are rotated among the campuses throughout the state. All regular and committee meetings are open to the public, and agendas and minutes are posted on the NSHE’s web site. You can also access this site for additional information on each of the schools within the NSHE as well as to view the Board’s online handbook, a set of governing bylaws and policies to which the Board of Regents, the NSHE and its eight institutions adhere.