Regent: Raising money is not our concern
One of two regents pushing most vigorously for UNLV President Len Jessup’s ouster brushed off the notion that the board should be concerned about fundraising at the university despite a mounting revolt by some of the school’s largest backers.
If regents’ actions force Jessup to leave, several mega-donors have said they would rescind pledges that amount to about $39 million in donations to the UNLV School of Medicine and another $8 million for a general scholarship endowment fund. These moves cast doubt on another $25 million in state-matching funds for the medical school. The pledges would go toward new construction, academic programs and scholarships.
Trevor Hayes, a regent who has been aggressive in pursuing Jessup’s removal and arousing the ire of donors, said fundraising isn’t part of the board’s duties.
“The board governs higher ed; we’re not fundraisers. It isn’t our responsibility,” said Hayes, who chairs the regents’ Business, Finance and Facilities Committee and is also on the board of directors of the UNLV Campus Improvement Authority.
Meanwhile, Regent Sam Lieberman expressed certainty the money would eventually come back to the university.
Lieberman said he was confident that Scott Roberts, UNLV’S president for philanthropy and alumni engagement, could “weather the storm and move forward.” Roberts could not be immediately reached for comment.
“(Roberts) is incredible,” Lieberman said. “And he will have the support he needs to get the donors.”
One of those donors sharply disagreed with Hayes and Lieberman.
The anonymous donor of a multimillion-dollar gift said Friday that the regents, as stewards of the state’s university system, should be vitally concerned about the fallout that Jessup’s ouster could have on UNLV’S fundraising.
“Len generated an immense amount of support among the donor community,”