Board of Regents wants chancellor with strong academic background

we also need to look at how they partner with other elements of the board from committee chairs, to leadership, to individual regents, and regents as a whole.”

Higher education insiders have long complained that Klaich — an attorney — and his predecessor, businessman Jim Rogers, assumed the role despite lacking a professional background in academia.

“I really hope we do a national search for someone with deep roots in the operations of a higher education system,” said Marc Johnson, president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

This week’s two-day meeting focused on how NSHE and its overseeing Board of Regents govern the state’s colleges. The discussion comes as Republican and Democratic lawmakers draft their own proposals to overhaul both bodies.

The role of NSHE’s chancellor was thrust into the public spotlight earlier this year when former Chancellor Dan Klaich resigned in response to protests from lawmakers and the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce. Their cries followed a Review-Journal article examining emails from Klaich, which raised concerns that the ex-chancellor misled the Legislature about a new formula for distributing money among colleges and universities. White took over in May as interim chancellor, assuming the job for up to one year while regents find a permanent replacement.

At Friday’s meeting, regents talked about what kind of successor they want for the post and what duties and powers the chancellor should hold. Regent Mark Doubrava, for instance, suggested rephrasing language in the system’s handbook that appears to give the chancellor autonomous power over key decisions, such as firing a college president. Nevada State College President Bart Patterson also urged the board to take on more lobbying duties to shift the responsibility away from the chancellor.

The group also discussed the job’s compensation, with some saying they want to offer a high salary to attract top candidates and others noting that paying too much would likely draw bad publicity for an elected body already grappling with a bruised public image — the board agreed to let Klaich retire early this year while still collecting full pay and benefits until his contract ends in June 2017. His base annual salary is $303,000, and he also receives $32,000 in automobile and housing allowances.

“We need to be listening to the public and we need to be responsive to the public,” Regent Allison Stephens said. “We need … some perspective.” Contact Ana Ley at aley@reviewjournal.com or 702-2245512. Follow @la__ley on Twitter.