Task force recommends major changes to the way community colleges in Nevada are run
Las Vegas Review-Journal
September 7, 2011
A task force created to look at Nevada's community colleges is recommending sweeping changes to the way the colleges are run.
The task force's report, to be presented to the higher education system's governing Board of Regents this week, recommends revamping or tweaking online education, K-12 partnerships, remedial education, tuition pricing, the funding formula and the colleges' governing system, among other changes.
In all, the report recommends 10 changes.
"I think all 10 of them merit further investigation, further discussion," said Michael Richards, president of the College of Southern Nevada.
With 44,000 students, CSN is the largest higher education institution in the state.
Richards said some of the report's recommendations clearly are good ideas, though he is hesitant to back others. He said remedial education does need reworking, and the relationship with K-12 schools could be strengthened.
But one recommendation, in particular, has some of the faculty up in arms.
The report proposes outsourcing online education and creating a largely private Nevada Virtual College.
