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AIR DATE: March 3, 2011
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The outlook for Nevada's System of Higher Education is grim. NSHE Chancellor, Dan Klaich says the cuts could result in the closing of many UNLV campuses and consolidating some schools into others. At UNLV, Pres. Neal Smatresk says exigency, a move much like bankruptcy, is likely to happen and that mean everyone and everything will be on the table for cuts. We talk with UNLV professors about their thoughts on impending budget cuts.
GUESTS
Brian Spangelo, Chemistry Professor, UNLV
Cecilia Maldonado, Prof of Ed Leadership, UNLV
Rebecca Gill, Prof of Poli Sci, UNLV
Dan Klaich, Chancellor, Nevada System of Higher Education
Mallory Cyr, senior, UNLV
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Sober, I fully understand the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. I fear that some professors equate tenure to a license to undertake neither research nor other scholarly activity. It is to these professors that I direct my comments. I am reasonably sure that DRI professors do a great deal of meaningful research, indeed they generate funds in order to pursue their passion. I would love to know how many tenured faculty undertake no research activity. It would also be interesting to learn when each professor was last published in a peer reviewed journal. I am not opposed to research per se, I worry when a professor's first loyalty is to his discipline, his second to his department, his third to his institution and students come a poor 4th in the pecking order.
Joe Public –
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Joe public -- I agree with you that there are some tenured professors at UNLV are not productive. But there is a history attached to it. UNLV became a research university not until mid 1990s. Before that most professors' mission was teaching and service. UNLV climbed to its current status, those professors certainly made their contributions. Now they are not as productive as their peers at the top-tier universities, but they should not be punished because neither Nevada nor UNLV gave them the resources that were comparable to those at the top-tier universities through their career. I compeletly understand your concern about the quality of faculty members but has to acknowledge that building a top university is not a matter of a day. I think that UNLV has made significant progresses in the last decade and it's so sad to see the budget cut is pushing it away from the right road. We are living in Nevada and we definitely dream to have a top university in the state. Reconsidering the assignment of professors who are not productive can be discussed, but hope that the university, publics, and adminstrators give them the respect and acknowledge their contributions to the university.
siber –
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Siber, thank you for sharing your perspective. I would not seek to compare UNLV tenured faculty to those of top-tier institutions,it would be both unfair & unreasonable, although I know that UNLV does have some outstanding scholars. WhatI would be pleased to see is a comparison between tenured/tenure track, and non-tenured track professors at UNLV, in terms of productivity and to see when each were last published. I had heard that as a consequence of merit pay being withdrawn, a number of professors had made a conscious decision not to publish, as there would be no financial reward to be gained. I also understand that librarians can be awarded tenure even though their terminal degree is at the Master's level. I rather like what Ranson 1993 had to say about tenured professors "like many tenured professors today, faculty of those times had monopolistic descretion in how much of their leisure time would be allocated to their various academic priorities because their status was not affected by their choice." He was of course referring to Oxford in the 18th century, but I fear the public still hold that view, and we all know that to the individual, their perception is reality.
Joe Public –
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Here it is:
http://tinyurl.com/86e92fu
Rebecca Gill –
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Thank you Rebecca.
Deaudre LeCato –
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Sondra,
A review of program efficiency occurs every year. Every faculty member is evaluated on service, teaching, and research. So get your facts straight before you post an ignorant statement. I am not sure the legislature and its leadership is going to do a better job. They cant support higher education, balanced tax structure, because they have no idea how to solve hard problems.
Dave –
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Hey Dave, Sondra is making a reasonable point so why respond with abuse? What is wrong with asking, well just how many students graduate from Afro-American studies programs, or Romance Languages, or my favorite, Senior Adult Theatre which connotes old people porn on stage! I also think that you are being perhaps a little "self-serving" with your claims as to what professors are actually evaluated on, I cannot imagine effeciency and effectiveness are on the agenda. With tenure, how important is your evaluation anyway, if not merit is on the table? I suspect that a review of "low-yield" programs will have a large number of professors quivering in their shoes. You better get that sabbatical application in soon, you sound like you need a well earned rest.
Joe Public –
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Dave, Sondra makes a very good point. And your point about faculty evaluations is a good one also, if it actually happened. There is so much that is supposed to happen - by policy and set procedures - that acutally doesn't get done which is a shame. Consequently, the school is in chaotic disarray. The joke among the serious faculty is that the inmates are actually running the institution, referring to low to mediocre student performance that forces dumbing down overall class performance. Many faculty complain about students having earned a lower grade complaining to the faculty member to raise the grade...and it gets done under threat of negative student evaluations which impacts faculty advancements. One question I have is why does UNLV have only 40% graduation rate?
ConsultDoc –
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Those seem important for "entertainment capital of world"
Jessica –
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You should be aware that a Food and Beverage Management degree(which is what i think you were referring to)is probably on of the most important degrees offered at UNLV. This degree is required to get a job as a restaurant manager or as indicated a Food and Beverage manager/director. How do you think all those Casinos would function without people who understand how to run food and beverage operations?
Steve –
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You don't know what you're talking about.
Kelly –
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Hey Tom, It must be nice to sit back and say it is all crap. What are you doing to make it better. If you think all the services that you use as a human being and resident of this state are not affected by these cuts your more ignorant than your post makes you look. Do me a favor stop using any services supplied by UNLV graduates or any person who is educated by Nevada institutions. You use the services of the NSHE and you do not even have the brain to know this.
Dave –
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Excellent insights. I couldn't agree with you more. See my comments above. Best to you, and let's keep up the pressure to bringing UNLV standards up to competitive grade. The administrators and faculty will have to "get with the program" first while the students will have to concentrate on getting a real education instead of a sheepskin. Let's keep pushing for some integrity and depth to an education that has some real teeth.
ConsultDoc –
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