Getting A More Complete View Of Nevada’s Higher Education System Financial Situation
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
One of the main poster children for the Nevada Legislature’s fault-finding of Governor Sandoval’s proposed budget has been the significant reductions the Governor has offered for Nevada’s Higher Education System. Wrapping themselves in the potential they could provide for state economic diversification as well as the hyperbole of the devastation to be caused by the proposed reductions, we’ve seen a strong full-court press by Higher Education System persons to get their cause in the hearts (if not minds) of Nevada lawmakers. Against this backdrop the news release this week by the Nevada Research Policy Institute, providing a more comprehensive overview of how much actual money the Higher Education folks have been receiving/using over the past decade-plus gives something of a more detailed picture with specifics on each part of the system’s operations.
Nevada agricultural interests have reason to be deeply interested in the outcome of funding for a number of different parts of the Higher Education System. Not only as taxpayers, who will be involved in contributing higher amounts of their money – should a tax increase be successfully instituted…but also as users of the services provided by Higher Education. We don’t have to remember too hard to the scramble caused after the 2010 Nevada Special Legislative Session and the decision made by University of Nevada, Reno administration to reorganize the College of Agriculture (originally proposing to do away with the College altogether – and settling on a $4 Million reduction, but keeping things in a scaled-back operation).
Using the information provided by the Higher Education System budget numbers, which can be obtained at this link . (if you haven’t already made the download), I extracted the numbers and put together this snap-shot worksheet for the Nevada Cooperative Extension budgets. I did the same for the Agricultural Research budgets. Lastly, I pulled the numbers and put together this same type of presentation for UNR (of which the College of Agriculture is part of)
In the case of Cooperative Extension, the “other funds” which make up the total budget (federal and county) are likely to be reduced as well as the Nevada General Fund portion. This is also one program where fee increases (as would be possible for colleges) will not be available to make up for shortages.
Comparing the graphs and information of Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment system, we see that state General Fund dollars play a larger percentage factor than the income stream for UNR, meaning their reductions for general funds will have a more significant impact.
In looking at the overall trends of how the funding (General Funds and Total Budgets) has had major increases over the time-frame involved. The stark contrast of the levels for the proposed biennium general fund amounts are also extremely evident (taking the levels back to before 2000 marks).
Dealing with the financial circumstances that Nevada faces is going to require hard choices and decisions that no one would like to have to contend with. If there was money laying everywhere and simply had to be spent – as we’ve seen from the track record of the past number of years – that money would be poured into the system as it has. Whether we’d be getting anything specifically in return (as is suggested by the current implied benefits for economic diversification) we’re not too clear on. (Did Higher Education’s perceived role in economic diversification come about as an attempt to justify higher spending – or has it always been the case…just not delivered on?)
Over the next couple of months we’ll be seeing a lot more on how living without a tax increase is not going to be a favorable option. Those who believe they are entitled to public funds will continue to press for greater amounts of those moneys. We’ll also see front and center those elected representatives, who believe it is their Robin Hood purpose to deliver by taking from those they can nail to provide for those who can’t go without.
One of the main poster children for the Nevada Legislature’s fault-finding of Governor Sandoval’s proposed budget has been the significant reductions the Governor has offered for Nevada’s Higher Education System. Wrapping themselves in the potential they could provide for state economic diversification as well as the hyperbole of the devastation to be caused by the proposed reductions, we’ve seen a strong full-court press by Higher Education System persons to get their cause in the hearts (if not minds) of Nevada lawmakers. Against this backdrop the news release this week by the Nevada Research Policy Institute, providing a more comprehensive overview of how much actual money the Higher Education folks have been receiving/using over the past decade-plus gives something of a more detailed picture with specifics on each part of the system’s operations.
Nevada agricultural interests have reason to be deeply interested in the outcome of funding for a number of different parts of the Higher Education System. Not only as taxpayers, who will be involved in contributing higher amounts of their money – should a tax increase be successfully instituted…but also as users of the services provided by Higher Education. We don’t have to remember too hard to the scramble caused after the 2010 Nevada Special Legislative Session and the decision made by University of Nevada, Reno administration to reorganize the College of Agriculture (originally proposing to do away with the College altogether – and settling on a $4 Million reduction, but keeping things in a scaled-back operation).
Using the information provided by the Higher Education System budget numbers, which can be obtained at this link . (if you haven’t already made the download), I extracted the numbers and put together this snap-shot worksheet for the Nevada Cooperative Extension budgets. I did the same for the Agricultural Research budgets. Lastly, I pulled the numbers and put together this same type of presentation for UNR (of which the College of Agriculture is part of)
In the case of Cooperative Extension, the “other funds” which make up the total budget (federal and county) are likely to be reduced as well as the Nevada General Fund portion. This is also one program where fee increases (as would be possible for colleges) will not be available to make up for shortages.
Comparing the graphs and information of Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment system, we see that state General Fund dollars play a larger percentage factor than the income stream for UNR, meaning their reductions for general funds will have a more significant impact.
In looking at the overall trends of how the funding (General Funds and Total Budgets) has had major increases over the time-frame involved. The stark contrast of the levels for the proposed biennium general fund amounts are also extremely evident (taking the levels back to before 2000 marks).
Dealing with the financial circumstances that Nevada faces is going to require hard choices and decisions that no one would like to have to contend with. If there was money laying everywhere and simply had to be spent – as we’ve seen from the track record of the past number of years – that money would be poured into the system as it has. Whether we’d be getting anything specifically in return (as is suggested by the current implied benefits for economic diversification) we’re not too clear on. (Did Higher Education’s perceived role in economic diversification come about as an attempt to justify higher spending – or has it always been the case…just not delivered on?)
Over the next couple of months we’ll be seeing a lot more on how living without a tax increase is not going to be a favorable option. Those who believe they are entitled to public funds will continue to press for greater amounts of those moneys. We’ll also see front and center those elected representatives, who believe it is their Robin Hood purpose to deliver by taking from those they can nail to provide for those who can’t go without.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 2/18/2011 10:06 AM 
Categories: 2011 Nevada Legislature
Tags: Nevada Budget Situation Nevada Higher Education NPRI
Categories: 2011 Nevada Legislature
Tags: Nevada Budget Situation Nevada Higher Education NPRI
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